A woman fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force was among the personnel involved in the mission that targeted the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters at Muridke during Operation Sindoor, highlighting the expanding role of women in India’s frontline combat aviation.
The woman officer, a Flight Lieutenant, was flying a Su-30MKI as part of the strike package assigned to the Muridke mission. The Russian-origin multirole fighter forms a major component of the IAF’s combat fleet and is capable of carrying several advanced air-to-ground weapons, including the BrahMos and Rampage missile systems. However, the exact weapon used by the aircraft during the Muridke strike has not been publicly disclosed and remains classified.
Muridke, located in Pakistan’s Punjab province, is associated with Markaz Taiba, a major facility linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba. The site was one of the prominent targets hit by Indian forces during the opening phase of Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025. The operation followed the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and involved precision strikes against nine terror infrastructure locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The involvement of the woman fighter pilot is significant because it demonstrates that women officers were directly integrated into operational combat missions rather than being restricted to support or non-operational roles. More than one woman fighter pilot reportedly participated in Operation Sindoor, with women officers flying both Su-30MKI and Rafale aircraft during the wider confrontation. In some missions, women officers served as pilots, while in others they performed duties as Weapon System Operators.
The IAF has progressively expanded the induction of women into its fighter stream, where officers receive specialised training and undertake operational duties alongside their male counterparts. Their participation in high-risk missions represents a significant development in the evolution of India’s combat aviation capabilities.
The Muridke strike was among the key IAF missions carried out on the first day of Operation Sindoor. Along with the LeT headquarters at Muridke, the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters at Bahawalpur was also targeted by the IAF, while other locations were engaged by the Indian Army using different long-range strike capabilities.
While the identity of the woman officer and details of the specific weapon employed during the Muridke mission have not been publicly revealed, her reported participation provides fresh insight into the composition of India’s combat missions during Operation Sindoor.
The development further underlines the IAF’s growing reliance on highly trained fighter personnel and the increasingly prominent role of women in frontline military aviation. The participation of women pilots in missions involving advanced platforms such as the Su-30MKI and Rafale marks another step in the integration of women into India’s operational air combat force.
