Highlights:
- Captain Abhilasha Barak became the first woman officer in India to join the Army
- As a Combat Aviator, marking a “Golden Letter Day” in Indian Army Aviation history
On May 25, Captain Abhilasha Barak became the first woman officer in the Army Aviation Corps as a Combat Aviator.
Captain Barak’s achievement, the Indian Army said on Twitter, marked a “Golden Letter Day” in the history of Indian Army Aviation.
On May 25, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, Indian Army, tweeted that Captain Abhilasha Barak was “awarded the Coveted Wings along with 36 Army Pilots by Director General and Colonel Commandant Army Aviation.”
Previously, women officers in the Army Aviation Corps were only responsible for ground duties.
The Army announced in June of last year that two female officers had been selected for helicopter pilot training for the first time. A total of fifteen female officers volunteered to join the Army’s aviation unit. After a rigorous selection process that included the Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT) and medicals, only two officers qualified.
More About Abhilasha Barak
Director General and Colonel Commandant Army Aviation awarded Captain Abhilasha Barak the Coveted Wings, along with 36 other Army Pilots. It stated that “young aviators are now ready to spread their wings in Combat Aviation Squadrons.”