Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth Becomes IAF's First Woman 'Top Gun'

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has scripted history by becoming the first woman in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to successfully complete the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior. Considered one of the toughest and most advanced combat training programmes in the IAF, the 20-week course is reserved for a select group of fighter pilots. The qualification has earned Bhawana the distinction of becoming the IAF's first female 'Top Gun', a title associated with elite combat leadership and advanced aerial warfare expertise.

Bhawana has consistently broken barriers throughout her career. She was among the first three women inducted as fighter pilots in the IAF in 2016 alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh. She later became the first Indian woman qualified to undertake daytime combat missions and has flown both the MiG-21 Bison and Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. A recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar, Bhawana's latest achievement further strengthens her legacy as one of India's most accomplished military aviators and an inspiration for aspiring women officers.