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DNA Exclusive: Analysis of India's growing women's power in air force

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan will talk about IAF's first female pilot to fly Sukhoi 30 fighter plane and the growing power of women pilots in Indian Air Force.

DNA Exclusive: Analysis of India's growing women's power in air force

History has been made today at Assam's Tezpur Forward Airbase, where a female fighter pilot flew a Sukhoi 30 fighter aircraft for the first time. Flight Lieutenant Tejaswi is India's only woman Weapon System Operator(WSO) on Sukhoi 30 fighter aircraft. The WSOs or wizzos are specialist officers required to fly in the rear cockpit of multirole Su-30 fighter aircraft and handle the sensors and weapons to be fired by the aircraft at enemy targets.  Ani Awasthi and A Nain are the pilots of the ALH Mark 3 helicopters. These two women pilots have also carried out many important operations by flying many flights in difficult areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. 

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan will talk about IAF's first female pilot to fly Sukhoi 30 fighter plane and the growing power of women pilots in Indian Air Force.

Similarly, some time ago, Squadron Leaders Parul Bhardwaj and Swati Rathore created history by flying chinook helicopters for the first time. Now women pilots are flying these Chinook helicopters and it is a matter of pride for every Indian.

Female pilots have served in the Indian Air Force since the 1990s but then there were allowed to fly only helicopters or transport aircraft. But for the first time in the year 2015, the Air Force planned to train women as fighter pilots, after which in the year 2016, Avani Chaturvedi, Mohana Singh and Bhawana Kanth started training to become fighter pilots. In 2018, Avani Chaturvedi created history by flying a MiG 21 Bison aircraft alone. She also has the distinction of becoming India's first woman fighter pilot.

The Indian Air Force has more than 1300 female officers working in ground and air duties. Today, women pilots in India are giving a message to the whole world that the women of India not only can touch the sky but also dare to wreak havoc on the enemy from the sky if needed.

Please watch tonight's special edition of DNA for more in-depth information and other details.