Woman Pilot Is Set To Fly The Newly Inducted Rafale Jets

In the first of its kind, woman fighter pilots will join the flying team of the newly-inducted multirole aircraft Rafale jets. A pilot, whose name has not been disclosed by the Indian Air Force, has been selected to carry out the operation.

India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh earlier said in an interview, “Women fighter pilots are inducted and deployed in IAF as per strategic needs and operational requirements within the laid down policy, which is reviewed from time to time.”

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.

In 2015, the historic decision was made by the defence ministry of inducting women pilots in Indian Air force as fighter pilots. In the same year, three women flying officers were commissioned as India’s first women fighter pilot squadron. Avani Chaturvedi became the first woman fighter pilot to fly an aircraft solo. She flew the MiG-21 Bison on February 19, 2018. Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh were the other two women fighter pilot squadron. Today, there are 1,875 women officers serving in Indian Air Force with 10 women fighter pilots and 18 navigators.

So far Ten Rafale jets have been delivered to India 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. The second batch of four to five Rafale jets is likely to arrive in India by November, reports NDTV.

The Rafale jets India’s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.

_{Featured image: The Pioneer}

---