Marking a landmark moment in the history of the Indian naval aviation, two women officers have been awarded “Wings” at INS Garuda on graduating as “Observers” in the helicopter stream. Sub Lieutenant (SLt) Kumudini Tyagi and SLt Riti Singh would be the first women airborne combatants who would be operating from warships. Observers, also referred to as Airborne Tacticians, act as airborne coordinators of maritime warfare and operate various state-of-the-art equipment including sonics, radars, sonars and communication equipment, informed SLt. Tyagi. “We have only completed our basic training to be qualified as Observers in the Indian Navy. We have flown for 60 hours on the Dornier aircraft (fixed wing). We will be studying 8-9 months more for our helicopter training,” added SLt. Singh. Previously, entry of women was confined to the fixed wing aircraft that took off and landed ashore. Women have been employed in different ranks in Indian Navy but never before have they been posted on warships.