In August last year, IAF's first women pilots began their simulation training on the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer at the Bidar air force station (AFS) in Karnataka, and after 4 months, they were commissioned. 

So, when Indian Air Force zeroed in on three potential women trainees - to train them as combat pilots - at the Air Force Academy near Hyderabad, a revolution began. Extending their journey, the three women pilots have entered their second phase of training where they are learning the tricks of aerial combat at the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal.  

The three lady officers have now entered their second phase of training and they are learning air to air combat and air-to-ground combat tricks on the Hawk advanced jet trainer aircraft at the airbase,' IAF officials announced.  

Flight cadets Avani Chaturvedi of Madhya Pradesh, Mohana Singh of Rajasthan and Bhawana Kanth of Bihar, were formally commissioned by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at a combined graduation parade at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal.

They have successfully completed their initial training at the Air Force Academy in Telangana. 

According to Air Force officials, their training agenda and said that the officers will be taught to fire armaments from their planes, at the Hawk trainer aircraft.

The program is part of the Indian government's aim to include women officers as fighter pilots and the future of women combatants will depend on these three ladies. 

This decision was taken by the Defence Ministry back in October 2015, as part of the five-year experiment. The Navy and Army are yet to demonstrate any such agenda for women, as they find themselves shackled with operational, social and logistics issues. 

After full completion of their training, the three officers will be deployed in operational front line squadrons of planes such as the Su-30 and the Mirage 2000, and be involved in everyday operations. 

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