Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, who had her name etched in the history of India as the first woman to
qualify for combat mission in a fighter jet, will add another feather to her
cap. She will be the first woman fighter pilot to participate in the Republic
Day flypast.

Flight Lt Kanth, along with
Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi, was the first woman selected for the Indian
Air Force’s (IAF) fighter stream in 2016. Kanth was trained to fly the MiG-21
Bison supersonic jet after having aced several stages of fighter aircraft
training. The three women joined their respective squadrons within a time span
of two years.

“Marking the dawn of empowered women-led #NewIndia Flt Lt
Bhawana Kanth is set to become the first woman fighter pilot to take part in
the Republic Day parade. Indeed a proud moment for the entire country!”
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan tweeted.

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Flight Lt Kanth had achieved
milestone in May, 2019 by becoming the first woman to qualify for combat
missions on a fighter jet. She completed the operational syllabus on MiG-21
Bison aircraft, and flew her first solo in March, 2018.

In another first, India’s
latest fighter jet Rafale will also feature in India’s Republic Day parade,
culminating the flypast with a ‘Vertical Charlie’ formation.