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India: Female Fighter Pilots

The Indian Air Force graduated its first group of women who will become fighter pilots, paving the way for more women to be given combat roles.

Flying Officers Mohana Singh (from left), Avani Chaturvedi and Bhawana Kanth received their wings at a June 2016 ceremony in the southern city of Hyderabad.

“It is a golden day as for the first time these women are going to join the fighter pilots,” Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said at the ceremony.

“This will inspire more women to take up the most challenging task in the Armed Forces. Our long-term objective is to work toward gender parity in the Armed Forces.”

Select countries, including Britain, China, Israel, Pakistan and the United States, have allowed women into the cockpits of fighter jets.

India had kept women out of that role and away from front-line warships and ground combat, citing concerns over their vulnerability if captured and their ability to handle the stress of such deployments.

Reuters

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