Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has created history in the Indian Air Force by becoming the first Indian woman to successfully complete the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course. Her achievement has earned her widespread recognition as India’s first woman “Top Gun” combat pilot, marking another major milestone for women in Indian military aviation.
The demanding FCL course is conducted at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), Gwalior, an elite IAF institution focused on advanced air-combat tactics and leadership.
Kanth’s achievement represents another significant step in the evolution of women’s participation in India’s fighter stream.
Who Is Bhawana Kanth?
- Bhawana Kanth is a Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force and one of the pioneers of India’s women fighter-pilot programme.
- In 2016, Kanth was among the first three women commissioned into the IAF fighter stream, alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh. The three officers became symbols of a major transformation in Indian military aviation after women were permitted to enter the fighter stream. The Ministry of Defence’s Press Information Bureau records their commissioning as India’s first three women fighter pilots.
- Kanth later became the first Indian woman fighter pilot to qualify for undertaking combat missions, another landmark in her career. The government has also highlighted her participation in the Republic Day Parade and subsequent Republic Day flypast.
- Now, she has added another first to that record.
Bhawana Kanth Becomes First Woman to Complete FCL Course
- The latest milestone came with Kanth’s successful completion of the Fighter Combat Leader course at TACDE in Gwalior.
- The course is designed for experienced fighter pilots and focuses on sophisticated combat tactics, mission planning and leadership in demanding air operations. Her successful completion places Kanth among an elite group of pilots who have undergone this advanced level of fighter-combat training.
- Media reports have described the achievement as making Kanth India’s first woman “Top Gun” combat pilot.
- Importantly, “Top Gun” is a media description rather than the formal name of an IAF qualification. The official course is the Fighter Combat Leader course.
Note:
In June 2016, Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh were commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force.
TACDE: Where Advanced Fighter Tactics Are Developed
- The Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment, or TACDE, in Gwalior plays an important role in advanced fighter tactics and combat training.
- It is associated with preparing selected pilots for increasingly complex operational environments.
- For a fighter pilot, completing the FCL course represents progression beyond basic fighter training toward advanced tactical leadership.
- Kanth’s success at TACDE is therefore particularly significant in the context of her career.
In Major “First Women” in Indian Defence
| First | Woman | Service / Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| First woman fighter pilots | Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth & Mohana Singh | IAF — first three women commissioned into the fighter stream in 2016. |
| First woman to qualify for combat missions | Bhawana Kanth | IAF — first daytime Indian woman fighter pilot to qualify for combat missions. |
| First woman fighter pilot to participate in an overseas aerial wargame | Avani Chaturvedi | IAF — participated in exercise with Japan’s JASDF. |
| First woman Rafale pilot | Shivangi Singh | IAF — India’s first woman Rafale pilot. |
| First woman to complete FCL / “Top Gun” milestone | Bhawana Kanth | IAF — first Indian woman to complete the Fighter Combat Leader course. |
| First woman military diplomat | Wing Commander Anjali Singh | IAF — first Indian woman military diplomat posted overseas, as Deputy Air Attaché in Russia. |
| First woman helicopter pilot in Indian Navy | Sub Lieutenant Divya Sharma | Indian Navy — first woman helicopter pilot awarded wings in 2024. |
| First women airborne combatants operating from warships | Lt Kumudini Tyagi & Lt Riti Singh | Indian Navy — first women Naval Air Operations Officers to operate from shipborne helicopters. |
| First woman Commanding Officer of a naval ship | Commander Prerna Deosthalee | Indian Navy — appointed CO of INS Trinkat in 2023. |
| First woman officer in Naval fighter stream | Sub Lieutenant Aastha Poonia | Indian Navy — first woman pilot streamed into the fighter stream of Naval Aviation in 2025. |
| First woman Rudra helicopter pilot in Indian Army | Captain Hansja Sharma | Indian Army Aviation — first woman Rudra helicopter pilot. |
| First woman to command world’s highest Border Task Force | Colonel Ponung Doming | Indian Army — commanded a Border Task Force above 15,000 ft. |
| First woman IAF formation-display pilot | Wing Commander Deepika Misra | IAF — first woman pilot to join the Sarang helicopter display team. |
| First woman to join RPA stream | IAF woman officer | IAF — first woman officer joined an RPA squadron in 2021. |
| First women cadets commissioned after NDA training | First batch of 17 women cadets | NDA — first women trained at NDA were commissioned into the Armed Forces in June 2026. |