Two lady officers have for the first time been chosen to train as helicopter pilots at Army’s prestigious Combat Army Aviation Training School at Nashik in Maharashtra, officials familiar with the news said on Tuesday.
The development comes a month after army chief General Naravane cleared a proposal for allowing women officers to opt for the army’s aviation wing. In the air force and navy, women officers were allowed to fly helicopters but in army, the Army Aviation Corps only inducted males until now.
“Fifteen women officers volunteered to join army aviation. But only two were selected after the Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT) and medicals,” said an official.
The two women are among the 47 army officers who began their training at the Nashik training school on Monday and will join front-line flying duties on completion of their training in July 2022.
The Army Aviation Corps was raised in November 1986 and operates Dhruv ALH, Chetaks, Cheetahs, and Cheetal helicopters. It has an important role in supporting the army’s deployment in high-altitude areas, including the Siachen Glacier.
