AMID the growing number of women pilots and ground crew in the Indian Air Force, females of the forces are operating fighter aircraft and choppers extensively in the eastern sector over Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. During a forward air base visit, team ANI witnessed operations by the female fighter aircraft crew and chopper pilots flying the indigenously developed ALH Dhruv mark 3 choppers.

Indian Air Force officials in eastern command said the female pilots and ground crew officers are deployed across the country and operate in all types of terrain from the world’s highest battlefield Siachen glacier sector to the easternmost landing ground in Vijaynagar in Arunachal Pradesh in support of troops and local population.

In interaction with ANI, India’s first Weapon System Operator of the Su-30 MKI fighter jet fleet Flight Lieutenant Tejaswi said, “We have had brilliant women who have broken the glass ceiling and paved a way for us to follow our dreams to serve the country.

“It is no longer a unique experience to have women in the fighter aircraft fleet. Everyone including men and women works and trains equally hard. We are on equal footing. In the skies and on the base, we are all first and foremost air warriors first and everything else comes after that,” she said.

ALH Dhruv Mark 3 pilots Flight Lieutenants Ani Awasthi and A Nain regularly fly their ALH choppers over the Arunachal Pradesh sector over thick forests and close to the LAC.