Women could be flying Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets before 2014, breaking through the last male bastion in the world's fourth largest air force. "I am 100 per cent sure that women will fly fighters in the next four to five years," Homi K Major, Chief of Air Staff, told HT. "?it's about getting your fundas right.
The air force is conducting studies on various physiological aspects (of inducting women in the fighter stream). We have no issues on that (assigning them to fighters).
" There are 750-odd women among 10,563 officers serving in the IAF. The air chief's comments illustrate how female officers are quietly but determinedly claiming higher responsibilities in an overwhelmingly male-dominated military culture. Air Chief Marshal Major said while women were "currently not ready" to be fighter pilots, the air force would have found ways to allow that by 2014.
Women started serving the IAF in 1992. They are allowed to fly only transport aircraft and helicopters.
In a 2006 report, the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services had recommended that women be allowed to fly fighter jets. The report said women were "in no way" medically inferior to men.
The IAF may have to tiptoe its way around issues such as marriage, pregnancy and child rearing to give them fighter flying rights. The IAF could consider taking a leaf out of the Turkish Air Force's book to give women a chance to fly combat jets.
"F-16 women pilots in Turkey are utilised for training rookie male fighter pilots," said Major, who retired on May 31, when he turns 62. "They do not carry out advanced maneouvres.
" Women pilots in the US Air Force have flown combat missions over Afghanistan and Iraq, while the Pakistan Air Force got its first batch of women pilots three years ago. The Indian Navy will have exclusive sleeping areas for women in its future warships.
There are 258 women among 7,336 officers in the navy
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