A woman fighter pilot will be soon flying the Rafale fighter jet of the Indian Air Force as she is training for it. “The woman fighter pilot is one the first three lady pilots to have been cleared for fighter flying by the Air Force,” IAF officials said. “The lady officer was previously flying the MiG-21 fighter jet and is soon expected to be operational on the Rafale fighters, As per the sources the name of the golden girl who will join the Indian Air Force Rafale Squadron is out as reported by India Today. Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh will be the first woman fighter pilot to join the Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force.
The Indian Air Force is the first Force to have allowed women officers in combat and has the highest percentage of female officers.
The IAF has 10 women fighter pilots and 18 women navigators. The total strength of women officers serving in the IAF is 1,875.
“Women fighter pilots are inducted and deployed in IAF as per strategic needs and operational requirements” Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik told in the Parliament, Last week.
The Indian Air Force No. 17 Squadron “The Golden Arrows” is stationed at Ambala AFS as part of Western Air Command. The squadron was disbanded in 2016 but was resurrected in Ambala on 11 September 2019 with Dassault Rafales.
The IAF pilots and supporting personnel have been provided full training on the aircraft and weapon systems by Dassault. Further batches of IAF personnel will continue the training over the next nine months.
The IAF has already completed preparations, including readying the required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft.
Five French-made multirole Rafale fighter jets were inducted into the Indian Air Force on September 10 at the Ambala air force base.
Ten Rafale jets have been delivered to India so far and five of them stayed back in France for imparting training to IAF pilots. The delivery of all 36 aircraft is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.
A second batch of five Rafale jets are likely to arrive in India by November.
Official sources also said the Rafale jets are to be deployed in the Ladakh sector as part of IAF’s efforts to enhance its operational capabilities along Line of Actual Control with China in view of the border row with the country.
JaiHind!
