As the Indian military stands firm against the constant bullying of China, the 17 Squadron, ‘Golden Arrows’ in Ambala will have its first woman fighter pilot – Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh. Flt Singh will become the first women to pilot the newly commissioned 4.5 generations Rafael for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) as reported by India Today.
Flt Lt Singh was commissioned into the IAF in 2017 and became the second batch of women fighter pilots. A native of Varanasi, Flt Lt Shivangi Singh is currently undergoing conversion training, after the completion of which she will be involved in learning complex electronics and weapons systems.
India Today had reported on Monday on the development that a woman fighter pilot of the IAF was selected to join the newly inducted Rafale fighter fleet. However, this information was not made public until there was clearance from the IAF.
#Rafale squadron’s 1st woman pilot is Varanasi’s Flt Lt Shivangi Singh. India Today's @ShivAroor joins in with more details.#ITVideo #IAF pic.twitter.com/oRyOpqj20v
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) September 23, 2020
After her commissioning in 2017, Flt Lt Shivangi Singh has been flying MiG-21 Bisons which many call the best and the most difficult plane to learn the art of combat flying.
At present, she is posted in the border base in Rajasthan and will arrive in Ambala at a later date. In Rajasthan, she has flown alongside Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, credited with shooting down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter craft on February 27 last year near the LoC.
Flt Lt Shivangi had always dreamed of becoming a pilot from a young age and she did her graduation from the prestigious Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where she was part of the 7 UP Air Squadron in the National Cadet Corps.
After her graduation, she was selected to the Air Force Academy for training in 2016 and from flying the oldest fighter MiG-21, she will now fly the newest fighter in the IAF inventory. Also, her fellow coursemate and fellow woman fighter pilot Flt Lt Pratibha is understood to be flying Su-30 MKI kegs at this time.
At present, the Rafale fighters are operating on the Ladakh heights, flying familiarity sorties as the border tension with China sees no end of peaceful and equitable resolution.