Squadron Leader Mohana Singh has become the first woman fighter pilot to join the elite 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ squadron, which operates India’s indigenously ‘Made in India’ LCA Tejas fighter jet.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has approximately 20 female fighter pilots, following the government’s decision to allow women to participate in the fighter stream in 2016.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has approximately 20 female fighter pilots, following the government’s decision to allow women to participate in the fighter stream in 2016.
Squadron Leader Mohana Singh is first woman fighter pilot in LCA Tejas fighter fleet
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/ACOUyBp0FD #IndianAirForce #LCATejas #MohanaSingh #FighterPilot pic.twitter.com/dN9tbm5aSy
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) September 17, 2024
Mohana Singh, one of the country’s first female fighter pilots, has once again shattered glass ceilings. Her notable accomplishment serves as a testament to the Indian Air Force’s dedication to gender equality and empowerment.
The officer participated in the historic flight of three Vice Chiefs of the three forces during the recent exercise, ‘Tarang Shakti’ in Jodhpur.
Sqn Ldr Mohana Singh was a member of the initial cohort of three women who were appointed as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force.
Sqn Ldr Bhawna Kanth and Sqn Ldr Avni Chaturvedi, Mohana Singh’s other two female compatriots, are currently operating Su-30 MKI fighter jets in the western desert.
She had been operating MiG-21s until recently, when she was transferred to the LCA squadron, which is stationed at the Naliya air base in the Gujarat sector, near the Pakistani border.
Sqn Ldr Mohana was observed instructing the Army and Navy Vice Chiefs on the flight in the LCA Tejas fighter jet and assisting them in preparing for it during the historical flight.
Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, the other two Vice Chiefs of the Indian Air Force, were flying the trainer variants with two fighter pilots, while Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh was flying solo in the LCA Tejas fighter variant.
The defence forces’ joint execution of this exercise was perceived as one of the most significant messages in support of Make in India.
The multinational exercise at the Jodhpur air base was attended by the world’s top air forces, including the United States, Greece, Sri Lanka, Australia, and numerous other nations, many of whom were represented by their most advanced fighter jets. The flight also occurred in the LCA Tejas.
