Captain Abhilasha Barak has created history by becoming the first woman officer to join the Army Aviation Corps as Combat Aviator.
“Captain Abhilasha Barak becomes the First Woman Officer to join #ArmyAviationCorps as Combat Aviator after successful completion of training. Captain Abhilasha Barak has been awarded the Coveted Wings along with 36 Army Pilots by Director General & Colonel Commandant Army Aviation. Young Aviators are now ready to spread their wings in Combat Aviation Squadrons,” wrote the ADGPI of the Indian Army sharing pictures taken from the ceremony
Captain Abhilasha Barak graduated at a ceremony held at the Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nashik. D G of Army Aviation, A K Suri, was the chief guest at the event.
“While growing up in military Cantonments, and being surrounded by people in uniform, it always seemed like an ordinary affair. I never realised it (that it was different) until our family moved out of the military life, after my father’s retirement in 2011. The feeling only grew stronger after seeing my elder brother’s passing out parade at Indian Military Academy in 2013. That was the moment I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Captain Barak said in an in-house interview shared recently by the Indian Army.
Captain Barak is an alumnus of The Lawrence School, Sanawar. She completed her graduation in B Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Delhi Technological University in 2016 and was placed at Deloitte, USA.
In 2018, she was commissioned into the Indian Army from the Officers Training Academy, Chennai. During her attachment with Corps of Army Air Defence, she was selected as a Contingent Commander for Presentation of Colours to Army Air Defence by President Ram Nath Kovind.
She attained ‘A’ grading in Army Air Defence Young officers course, 75.70 per cent in Air Traffic Management and Air Laws course and passed the promotional exam, Part B, in her first attempt.
“After completing my training from Officers Training Academy, Chennai, in 2018, I opted for Army Aviation Corps. As I was filling the form, I knew I was eligible for only ground duty role but I ended up mentioning that I had qualified Pilot Aptitude Battery Test and computerised pilot selection system. Somewhere in my heart, I always knew that the day was not far away when Indian Army would start inducting women as combat pilots,” she said in the interview.
In contrast to the Indian Air Force and Navy, the Indian Army did not have any woman officers in the flying branch as of yet. 26-year-old Captain Abhilasha has smashed all glass ceilings and is now in command of her position as a new aviator in the Combat Aviation Squadrons. She will soon obtain her own assignment and will be flying a helicopter.
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