Making it loud and clear that the Indian Navy was the only force in the Indian military that had accepted and deployed women officers in 'actual combat roles,' Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said efforts were on to allow women on warships.
Breaking the glass ceiling, the Indian Navy has deployed 70 women officers, whom they call combat aviators on the navy's most sophisticated anti-submarine warfare aircraft, the US-built P-8I (I for India) Poseidon, and IL-38s that are used to detect warships and submarines in the Indian Ocean.
Only last week, Shubhangi Swaroop, was cleared to become the first pilot of maritime reconnaissance aircraft, and three other women cadets—Astha Segal, Roopa A. and Sakthi Maya S.— also created history by becoming the country's first women officers at the Naval Armament Inspectorate (NAI) branch of the Navy.
"The Navy is the force, which has deployed women in active combat role, as 70 women observers, who can press the button to launch an attack on an enemy vessel with missiles. They can fire torpedoes and missiles from these P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft," Admiral Lanba said.
Another navy officer, while explaining the role of these women combat aviators, maintained that these newly inducted P-8Is are equipped with anti-submarine warfare and early warning sensors and weapon systems including torpedoes. “These woman officers will be war fighters like their male colleagues and will die in combat for the nation," the naval officer explained.
The official further explained that these women aviator crews spend more than four hours on each mission, monitoring sea-search radars and magnetic anomaly detectors that can track down submarines.
"Based on the data, if they spot any enemy vessel, they can target it with a loaded Harpoon missile, which has the range of 250km. And similarly, if a hostile submarine was detected, lightweight torpedoes can be used by these women aviators," he added.
Amid the debate of giving a combat role to women officers in armed forces, the Indian Navy has so far deployed women officers in eight branches and very soon they will be on warships. Future warships are being modified with 'suitable facilities' to accommodate women crew on board.
“As far as serving on board ships is concerned, we had an issue of availability of facilities on board. All our new construction ships are being constructed with suitable facilities to embark lady officers on board; we are examining this, so that we have the right form, fit, rules and regulation,” he said.
“Sooner or later, we will also have lady officers serving on ships,” the Navy Chief said.
According to information given out in Parliament, the ministry of defence disclosed that IAF was having the highest number at 1,350 women officers, followed by the Army with 1,300 and the Navy with 450 women officers.
