Who is Bhawana Kanth? How a former TCS techie became India's first woman 'Top Gun' combat pilot

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first Indian woman to earn the title of "Top Gun" combat pilot after successfully clearing the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course, one of the toughest programmes in the Indian Air Force (IAF). In another milestone for women in the armed forces, Captain Shivani Sehrawat has become the first woman officer to be appointed Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Army chief, reported TOI.

Commissioned in June 2016 as one of the first three women fighter pilots, alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, Sq Ldr Kanth completed the rigorous 20-week FCL course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior this month.

The FCL course is often compared to the US Navy's "Top Gun" programme, with only about 1% of IAF pilots selected for the elite training. The achievement marks a significant milestone for women in combat aviation, nearly a decade after the fighter stream was opened to them, reported TOI.


Graduates of the course go on to refine combat tactics, support operational planning, manage weapons employment and develop frontline strategies. The programme covers advanced air combat tactics, operational doctrines, mission planning, electronic warfare, and emerging challenges such as the integration of unmanned systems and network-centric operations.

Before completing the FCL course, Sq Ldr Kanth became the first woman fighter pilot to qualify for daytime combat missions on the MiG-21 Bison in May 2019. She later transitioned to flying the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI frontline fighter.

Born on December 1, 1992, in Darbhanga, Bihar, Kanth studied at Barauni Refinery DAV Public School and earned a BE in Medical Electronics from BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru. She briefly worked at TCS before joining the IAF. She was also conferred the Nari Shakti Puraskar on March 8, 2020, reported TOI.

In May this year, another woman pilot, Squadron Leader Saanya, became the first woman officer to achieve the top-category qualified flying instructor position in the IAF.

In the Army, Captain Shivani Sehrawat's appointment as Aide-de-Camp to the Army chief marks another milestone in the force's journey towards greater gender inclusion. She took charge in mid-July and is serving under Army chief General Dhiraj Seth.

An Aide-de-Camp is a specially selected commissioned officer who serves as the personal staff officer to a senior military commander or constitutional authority. ADCs are chosen from among officers with exemplary service records, exceptional discipline and a thorough understanding of military protocol.