Captain Abhilasha Barak made history on May 25, 2022, by becoming the first woman combat aviator of the Indian Army. The momentous event occurred 30 years since the first time women started being inducted into the armed forces as officers.
Captain Barak was awarded the coveted ‘wings’ on her shoulders along with 36 Indian Army pilots at a ceremony held in Nashik’s Combat Army Aviation Training School. “Captain Barak became the first woman officer to join the Army Aviation Corps as combat aviator after successful completion of the combat Army aviation course,” an official reportedly revealed. Officials also said that she has been assigned to the second flight of 2072 Army Aviation Squadron, which operates the Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH).
Captain Barak, daughter of Colonel S Om Singh (Retired), hails from Haryana. She was commissioned into the Indian Army’s Air Defence Corps in September 2018, and has done a number of professional military courses before joining the Army Aviation Corps.
Image courtesy: Twitter/adgpi