Bhawana Kanth, who became the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to qualify as a Fighter Combat Leader in August 2026, traces her ambition to fly fighter aircraft to a childhood memory of chasing a jet across the sky. In an interview with CNBC-TV18, Kanth recalled how watching an aircraft disappear into the horizon sparked her early fascination with flying, a dream she continued to pursue despite learning that women were not initially inducted into the IAF's fighter stream.
Kanth achieved the milestone after completing an advanced combat training course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior. Her qualification marks another step in a career that has seen her break several barriers in Indian military aviation, from becoming one of the country's first three women fighter pilots to earning a specialised combat leadership qualification.
