NEW DELHI: Team Captain Shaliza Dhami now ready to take command of a frontline combat unit facing Pakistan in the western sector, the first woman to do so in air Forceeven as 18 female officers are now flying high in supersonic jets as fighter pilots in the force.
Breaking another glass ceiling in an overwhelmingly male-dominated environment in the armed forces, Captain (equivalent to Colonel in Army) Dhami will take over a squadron of Pechora surface-to-air missiles in Punjab on March 27.
Inducted into the IAF as a helicopter pilot in 2003, the team’s Captain Dhami is a QFI (qualified flight instructor) on Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with over 2,800 hours of flying experience.
“Prior to being selected by the IAF as the first woman to take command of a frontline combat unit, she also served as the flight commander of a helicopter unit in the western sector. She has also been commended twice by the commander-in-chief of the air force,” an officer said on Tuesday.
There are currently 18 women flying fighters like the MiG-21, MiG-29, Sukhoi-30MKI and even the latest Rafale in the IAF, while the Navy has deployed around 30 female officers on the ships. frontline battle. There are also more than 145 female helicopter and transport pilots in the IAF, Army and Navy.
Team Dhami’s selection to command a combat unit comes at a time when 108 women have also been approved for promotion to the rank of Colonel (selected) for the first position in “support weapons”. combat” and services such as Engineers, Signals, Weapons. , EME and other affiliates after receiving a permanent commission in the Army, as TOI first reported in January.
“With the exception of a few people with low medical qualifications or unwillingness, many of them are gradually taking command of their units. Of those, about 50% are deployed in the highly operational Northern and Eastern Commands,” another officer said.
While women are still not allowed to join the infantry, armored corps, and motorized infantry, the Army is now moving towards appointing female officers in the Artillery Regiment, which has more than 280 processing units. handle a variety of cannons, guns and rocket launchers. system, as was first reported by TOI.
While female officers have been inducted into the more powerful 140,000 armed forces since the early 1990s, they have just over 3,900 (about 1,710 in the Army, 1,650 in the IAF and 600 in the Navy) in the squad. their 65,000-strong officers. There are about 1,670 female doctors, 190 dentists and 4,750 nurses in the military medical force.
Breaking another glass ceiling in an overwhelmingly male-dominated environment in the armed forces, Captain (equivalent to Colonel in Army) Dhami will take over a squadron of Pechora surface-to-air missiles in Punjab on March 27.
Inducted into the IAF as a helicopter pilot in 2003, the team’s Captain Dhami is a QFI (qualified flight instructor) on Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with over 2,800 hours of flying experience.
“Prior to being selected by the IAF as the first woman to take command of a frontline combat unit, she also served as the flight commander of a helicopter unit in the western sector. She has also been commended twice by the commander-in-chief of the air force,” an officer said on Tuesday.
There are currently 18 women flying fighters like the MiG-21, MiG-29, Sukhoi-30MKI and even the latest Rafale in the IAF, while the Navy has deployed around 30 female officers on the ships. frontline battle. There are also more than 145 female helicopter and transport pilots in the IAF, Army and Navy.
Team Dhami’s selection to command a combat unit comes at a time when 108 women have also been approved for promotion to the rank of Colonel (selected) for the first position in “support weapons”. combat” and services such as Engineers, Signals, Weapons. , EME and other affiliates after receiving a permanent commission in the Army, as TOI first reported in January.
“With the exception of a few people with low medical qualifications or unwillingness, many of them are gradually taking command of their units. Of those, about 50% are deployed in the highly operational Northern and Eastern Commands,” another officer said.
While women are still not allowed to join the infantry, armored corps, and motorized infantry, the Army is now moving towards appointing female officers in the Artillery Regiment, which has more than 280 processing units. handle a variety of cannons, guns and rocket launchers. system, as was first reported by TOI.
While female officers have been inducted into the more powerful 140,000 armed forces since the early 1990s, they have just over 3,900 (about 1,710 in the Army, 1,650 in the IAF and 600 in the Navy) in the squad. their 65,000-strong officers. There are about 1,670 female doctors, 190 dentists and 4,750 nurses in the military medical force.
