India's air force will allow female fighter pilots by 2017

Women will be able to train and enter the Indian Air Force as fighter pilots, the defense ministry said Saturday. It's the first time India's armed forces will allow women to serve in combat roles, The Huffington Post reports.

"This progressive step is in keeping with the aspirations of Indian women and is in line with contemporary trends in armed forces of developed nations," the government statement read, adding that women's skills were found to be on par with men's.

Female pilots are expected to begin training in India in 2016 and entering combat in 2017. India joins countries including the U.S., France, and Israel in permitting female fighter pilots, The Associated Press reports.

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