Captain Abhilasha Barak Becomes First Woman Pilot Of The Indian Army And First Woman Combat Helicopter Pilot

Captain Abhilasha Barak Becomes First Woman Pilot Of The Indian Army And First Woman Combat Helicopter Pilot

In the past few years, we’ve time and again seen women from around the world breaking stereotypes and writing history with their achievements. And this same is true for women from India. Take any field – like sports, judiciary, etc. – and you’ll see women creating history. One such woman who made history is Captain Abhilasha Barak. How do you ask? Well, she not only became the first-ever woman pilot of the Indian Army, but also the first woman combat helicopter pilot!

On Wednesday, May 25, after Captain Abhilasha Barak graduated at a ceremony held in the Combat Army Aviation Training school, Nashik, she became the first woman pilot in the Indian army along with becoming the first-ever woman combat helicopter pilot. The chief guest at the ceremony was A K Suri, the DG of the Army Aviation. 

Also Read: Meet Mahasweta Chakraborty, 24-Year-Old Pilot Who Evacuated 800 Indian Students From War-Torn Ukraine

The father of Captain Abhilasha Barak is a retired Army officer and was also present during his daughter’s valedictory function. Speaking about her journey, she said, “While growing up in military cantonments, and being surrounded by people in uniform, it always seemed like an ordinary affair. I never realised it until our family moved out of the military life, after my father’s retirement in 2011. And the feeling only grew stronger after seeing my elder brother’s passing out parade at Indian Military Academy in 2013. That was the moment I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

Also Read: Defence Ministry Announces Induction Of Women Fighter Pilots In Indian Air Force On Permanent Basis

As per reports, Captain Abhilasha Barak further added, “After completing my training from Officers Training Academy, Chennai, in 2018, I opted for Army Aviation Corps. As I was filling the form, I knew I was eligible for only ground duty role but I ended up mentioning that I had qualified Pilot Aptitude Battery Test and computerised pilot selection system. Somewhere in my heart, I always knew that the day was not far away when Indian Army would start inducting women as combat pilots.”

In 2018, during her attachment with the Corps of Army Air Defence that she was selected as a Contingent Commander for Presentation of Colours to Army Air Defence by President Ram Nath Kovind. 

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Ritu Sanghvi

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