AIR OFFICER Commanding (AOC) Air Commodore NK Bhoan VM, VSM said the women officers have prove their worthiness for Indian Air Force, so the issue of their permanent service was under consideration with the authorities.
Talking to newsmen here on Friday, Air Commodore Bhoan said at present their service period was very short and it could be extended up to 14 years.
He said women officers were working in different branches of the IAF, including flying branch and they were flying transport aircraft and helicopter. But women officers were not recruited as fighter pilot due to their short-term of service in the IAF, he added and further admitted that the women officers were well capable to take the challenge of fighter pilot.
Since the cost of training the fighter pilot was high and existing short-term of service for women officers was one of the reasons for not inducting them as fighter pilot, said Air Cmde Bhoan.
He said that though adequate numbers of women officers were in the IAF from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab, but due to lack of awareness among the girls in Uttar Pradesh about their bright carrier in IAF, they had shown less interest in the IAF.
{{/usCountry}}He said that though adequate numbers of women officers were in the IAF from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab, but due to lack of awareness among the girls in Uttar Pradesh about their bright carrier in IAF, they had shown less interest in the IAF.
{{/usCountry}}Therefore, on the local basis it has been decided to raise awareness among the college girls, so they could opt their career as women officer in the IAF, he informed.
He said a team consisting women officer would visit the Juhari Devi Girls College on September 26 to motivate the girl students to look forward for a career in IAF.
Air Cmde Bhoan also stressed on modernisation of the airfield at Air Force Station Chakeri.
He said that modernisation of navigation work was going on at AF Station Chakeri to ensure safe night landing in future.
When asked about the proposed engineering college for which then Union Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had performed ‘Bhumi Pujan’. Bhoan said that land yet to be earmarked for the engineering college and he was not in position to make any comment on this issue.