Captain Abhilasha Barak on Wednesday became the first woman combat aviator in the Indian Army.

Officials said she had been awarded the coveted “wings” along with 36 army pilots by the director-general of the army aviation during a ceremony held at the Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nashik.

“Captain Barak became the first woman officer to join the Army Aviation Corps as combat aviator after successful completion of the combat Army aviation course,” an official said.

She hails from Haryana and was commissioned into the Army Air Defence Corps in September 2018.

Captain Abhilasha, the daughter of Col S. Om Singh (retd), has done a number of professional military courses before joining the Army Aviation Corps, said the official.

The Army Aviation Corps is a component of the army that was formed in November 1986. Over the years, the corps has expanded exponentially with the addition of new units and equipment such as the Cheetah Dhruv, Rudra light combat helicopter and remotely piloted aircraft.