Pakistani Jet Pilots

Women will soon be flying fighter jets in Pakistan's air force, changing the face of the 55-year-old all-male institution.

Women are now allowed to enroll in the aerospace engineering and fighter pilot programs of the nation's air force academy, the BBC reported Tuesday.

There are 10 women in two groups in the flying wing of the academy.

Many more compete with men in the engineering and aerospace wing.

Although women march shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts during early-morning parade, some parts of the training, particularly physical exercises, are carried out separately.

"It's quite important that we maintain this level of segregation, mainly because we are a Muslim society," said squadron leader Shazia Ahmed.

The women must achieve the same levels of performance as the men or face being dropped from the program. For the moment, it seems the few who have joined the ranks are doing extremely well.When the current class graduates in a year, these cadets will become the first women fighter pilots in Pakistan's history.

More on BBC News here.