Indian Army to induct women as pilots in aviation wing

As of now, women are allowed in air traffic control and ground duties in the Army aviation wing

The Indian Army has decided to allow women officers to fly helicopters in the line with the Navy and Air Force.

Army Chief Gen M M Naravane on Tuesday said that about a month ago he had ordered entry of women in the flying branches in the Army Aviation Corps that currently operates multiple types of helicopters for combat support, search and rescue and humanitarian operations.

According to the plans, when the next training course would start in July, the Army hopes that a few women officers would be selected for the flying branch and after one year of training they would be eligible for flying in operational missions.

“The Adjutant General’s branch, the Military Secretary branch, the Aviation Directorate have reached a consensus that women officers should be there for flying duties,” Gen Naravane said. Presently women in the Aviation Corps can only serve in Air Traffic Control units.

But in the Air Force and Navy, women officers not only fly helicopters, but they also fly fighter aircraft and operate from warships respectively, marking their entry to combat operations. In the Army, on the other hand, the women officers serve only in eight combat support arms besides legal and educational branches.

The move comes a year after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of granting permanent commission to women officers following which the force found 422 women officers eligible for permanent commission out of 615 officers, who were screened by a special selection board last November. Many of them had fought a long legal battle.