Coimbatore: Navy's first women combat aviators to be deployed on warships
Coimbatore: Indian Navy is all set to post Sub Lieutenant Kumudini Tyagi and Sub Lieutenant Riti Singh breaking the gender stereotypes in Indian Navy combat on board in the Navy helicopters which operate from the deck of warships. They are training to operate a host of sensors onboard Navy multi-role helicopters.
Until now women have been deployed as logistics and medical officers onboard Navy fleet tankers, nut they have not been a part of the crew onboard destroyers or frigates for lengthy durations. The reasons for not including women were the lack of privacy in crew quarters and the availability of gender-specific bathroom facilities. With two new young officers training, things are about to change. The young officers will be operating sensor boards providing targeting solutions to pilots using sonar consoles and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) payloads who would fire the actual weapons, torpedoes or anti-ship missiles.
It is expected that the two officers will fly on the Navy's new MH-60 R helicopters, 24 of which are on order. MH-60 R's arethe most advanced multi-role helicopters of their class in the world to detect enemy ships and submarines which can be engaged using missiles and torpedoes. Sub Lieutenant Singh, a fourth generation armed forces officer said the Navy was breaking barriers everyday and they were given new opportunities and they were glad to take up the opportunities given to them.
Sub Lieutenant Tyagi, who is from Ghaziabad near Delhi said the Navy treated all equally and provided the same training to both genders. She said it is a challenging task and was looking forward to it. The two officers are part of a group of 17 officers of the Indian Navy, including four women officers, and three officers of the Indian Coast Guard, who were awarded "Wings" on graduating as "Observers" at a ceremony held on Monday at INS Garuda in Kochi.
In 2016, Flight Lieutenant Bhawanna Kanth, Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi, and Flight Lieutenant Mohana Singh became India's first women fighter pilots. At the moment, the IAF has 1,875 women in service including 10 fighter pilots. Eighteen women officers are navigators operating as Weapons Systems Operators on fighters including the Sukhoi-30MKI.
Until now women have been deployed as logistics and medical officers onboard Navy fleet tankers, nut they have not been a part of the crew onboard destroyers or frigates for lengthy durations. The reasons for not including women were the lack of privacy in crew quarters and the availability of gender-specific bathroom facilities. With two new young officers training, things are about to change. The young officers will be operating sensor boards providing targeting solutions to pilots using sonar consoles and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) payloads who would fire the actual weapons, torpedoes or anti-ship missiles.
It is expected that the two officers will fly on the Navy's new MH-60 R helicopters, 24 of which are on order. MH-60 R's arethe most advanced multi-role helicopters of their class in the world to detect enemy ships and submarines which can be engaged using missiles and torpedoes. Sub Lieutenant Singh, a fourth generation armed forces officer said the Navy was breaking barriers everyday and they were given new opportunities and they were glad to take up the opportunities given to them.
Sub Lieutenant Tyagi, who is from Ghaziabad near Delhi said the Navy treated all equally and provided the same training to both genders. She said it is a challenging task and was looking forward to it. The two officers are part of a group of 17 officers of the Indian Navy, including four women officers, and three officers of the Indian Coast Guard, who were awarded "Wings" on graduating as "Observers" at a ceremony held on Monday at INS Garuda in Kochi.
In 2016, Flight Lieutenant Bhawanna Kanth, Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi, and Flight Lieutenant Mohana Singh became India's first women fighter pilots. At the moment, the IAF has 1,875 women in service including 10 fighter pilots. Eighteen women officers are navigators operating as Weapons Systems Operators on fighters including the Sukhoi-30MKI.