Women in Fighter Cockpit: A Review with IAF Perspective

Abstract

Introduction: On 08 October 2015, then Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha announced that IAF was planning to induct women into the fighter stream to meet the aspirations of young women in India. This statement heralded a new era in Indian Air Force as soon three women cadets were selected for fighter stream who are presently posted in IAF as fighter pilots. This article presents a comprehensive review of various historical, physiological, medical and social aspects which determine entry of women in fighter flying.  Materials and Method: The MedIND, Pubmed and Google Scholar databases were reviewed for articles related to gender differences in attributes required for adaptability to aerospace environment. Discussion: Various aero medical concerns related to women health and pregnancy have been discussed to highlight its effect on flight safety. Careful planning and execution can obviate most of the concern and women can perform effectively in high performance jet cockpit. Conclusion: Entry of women into a domain hitherto fore exclusive to males is likely to change the attitude of IAF and society at large towards women. Women can effectively fly high performance jet aircraft without jeopardising flight safety due to gender differences in physiology.