Thursday, February 12, 2009
Bangalore: It's a sign of heights women can achieve and careers they can pursue. While one woman in the IAF is making rapid progress for a date with the Sukhoi aircraft and soon be the first woman co-pilot on the SU-30, two others are following suit.
Savita Barala from Jaipur, now serving in Agra, just graduated as the first woman navigator in the IAF and is ready to take on navigation training on the SU-30 MKI. Inspired by her, two young women joined IAF as navigators and are undergoing training.
Defence officials at Aero India told TOI: "Savita has just graduated as navigator on the Avro and AN-32. She may soon take up navigation on the SU-30 too. She has the ability to train on fighter aircraft. She may even fly the SU-30 in the near future."
At a time when other air forces in the world have inducted women, India is not to be left behind. Defence officials said women officers will not only navigate, but be trained in carpet bombing and parachute dropping as a prelude to training on more complex weapon systems. "The two other women navigators too may also train on the SU-30," officials said.
Three women navigators is a great beginning for IAF's plans to open up combat roles for women. As one SU-30 pilot put it: "The pilot will be busy flying the aircraft according to parameters set by the navigator, which is crucial for identification of targets. The navigator will also have a role to play in air-to-ground missile attacks although missile training has not been taken up yet. Navigation is a serious role. You're pitched headlong into combat on a fighter aircraft. What better high can one have?"
12/02/09 Times of India
Savita Barala from Jaipur, now serving in Agra, just graduated as the first woman navigator in the IAF and is ready to take on navigation training on the SU-30 MKI. Inspired by her, two young women joined IAF as navigators and are undergoing training.
Defence officials at Aero India told TOI: "Savita has just graduated as navigator on the Avro and AN-32. She may soon take up navigation on the SU-30 too. She has the ability to train on fighter aircraft. She may even fly the SU-30 in the near future."
At a time when other air forces in the world have inducted women, India is not to be left behind. Defence officials said women officers will not only navigate, but be trained in carpet bombing and parachute dropping as a prelude to training on more complex weapon systems. "The two other women navigators too may also train on the SU-30," officials said.
Three women navigators is a great beginning for IAF's plans to open up combat roles for women. As one SU-30 pilot put it: "The pilot will be busy flying the aircraft according to parameters set by the navigator, which is crucial for identification of targets. The navigator will also have a role to play in air-to-ground missile attacks although missile training has not been taken up yet. Navigation is a serious role. You're pitched headlong into combat on a fighter aircraft. What better high can one have?"
12/02/09 Times of India
Labels: Defense, Special Events, Su-30
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