Bihar’s Bhawana Kanth Becomes India’s First Woman ‘Top Gun’
India-West News Desk
NEW DELHI – Indian Air Force officer Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman fighter pilot to complete the elite Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course, earning the distinction often likened to the coveted “Top Gun” status.
Conducted at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior, the intensive 20-week program is among the most rigorous in the Indian Air Force and is often compared to the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program. It trains select fighter pilots in advanced combat strategy, mission planning, and leadership for high-stakes air operations.
Kanth’s accomplishment adds to a series of milestones in her career since being commissioned in 2016 as part of India’s first batch of women fighter pilots, alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh. Hailing from Bihar’s Darbhanga district and trained as an engineer, she has consistently broken new ground for women in combat aviation.
In 2019, she became the first Indian woman fighter pilot cleared for daytime combat missions. Initially flying the MiG-21 Bison, she later transitioned to the Su-30 MKI, further strengthening her operational profile. She also made history by taking part in the Republic Day Parade in 2021 and subsequently flew in the Air Force flypast in 2024.
