The two women are part of a team comprising 17 officers of the Navy, including four women officers and three officers of the Indian Coast Guard who were awarded ‘wings’ for conferring the title of ‘Observer’ at a ceremony held at INS Garuda today.
First, two female officers have been selected to join the Indian Navy’s helicopter flow as ‘observers’ (aerial tactics), which will eventually lead to the recruitment of women on leading warships.
Sub-Lieutenant (SLT) Kumudini Tiyagi and SLT Riti Singh will be the first batch of women aerial tactics operating from a warship based in India.
Earlier, women were barred from boarding the standard entry plane and landed.
The committee consisted of 13 officers from the regular committee and four female officers from the short service commission committee.
The ceremony was presided over by Chief of Staff (Training) Rear Admiral Anthony George, who presented the awards and wished the graduate officers wings.
In addition, the Chief Guest also presented Instructor Badges to six other officers (one woman from the Indian Navy and another from the Indian Coast Guard) who have successfully graduated as Qualified Navigation Instructors (QNIs).
Rear Admiral Anthony This is an important occasion in which for the first time women are going to be trained in helicopter operations, which will eventually lead to the deployment of women on the leading warships of the Indian Navy.
Officers from the 91st Regular Course and the 22nd SSC Observer Course were trained in-flight navigation, flying techniques, tactics used in air combat, anti-submarine combat, and exploitation of aerial avionic systems.
The officers will serve on the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard’s Maritime Recovery and Submarine Anti-Warplanes, the report said.
Come back here and tell us about the before-and-after. I bet you’ll have something to say!
Also read, Indian Army Since 1895 – Live Big rather than being long