Group Captain Shaliza Dhami first IAF woman officer to head frontline unit

Commissioned in 2003 as a helicopter pilot, Group Captain Dhami has over 2,800 hours of flying experience. She has flown the Chetak and Cheetah helicopters.

A qualified flying instructor, she served as flight commander of a Chetak unit at the Hindon air base— both firsts for an Indian Air Force woman officer.

She has been commended twice by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief in the past.

As a helicopter pilot, she flew several search-and-rescue missions, and also undertook flood relief operations.

Hailing from Ludhiana – her parents were in government service – she decided very early on joining the Indian Air Force, more so after becoming a cadet of the NCC.

Her husband, Vineet Joshi, is also a helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force.

The Indian Air Force started inducting women fighter pilots in 2016 – the first batch had three women fighter pilots. They currently fly the MiG-21, Su-30MKI and Rafale.

The development comes weeks after the Army cleared as many as 108 women officers for the rank of Colonel (selection grade), making them eligible for command roles.

Women officers have started taking command of various Army units in arms and services including Engineers, Signals, Army Air Defence, Intelligence Corps, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Electronics and Mechanical Engineers. The Navy has also started inducting women officers on frontline ships, earlier a no-go zone for women officers.

Many of them have been posted in the sensitive northern and eastern commands of the Army.

There are 10,493 women officers serving in the armed forces, the majority in the medical services.

The Indian Army, being the largest of the three services, has the largest number of women officers at 1,705, followed by 1,640 women officers in the Indian Air Force, and 559 in the Indian Navy – this data was provided by the government to Parliament last year.