In a first, woman pilot to join fighter crew of IAF’s Rafale fleet

The most modern and newest fighter squadron of the Indian Air force has included a woman fighter pilot to be part of the team which will raise the first full Rafale Fighters’ 17 Squadron at Ambala.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

Sub Lieutenant (SLt) Kumudini Tyagi and SLt Riti Singh would, in effect, be the first set of women airborne tacticians in India who would operate from the deck of warships.

Earlier, entry of women was restricted to the fixed wing aircraft that took off and landed ashore.

Air force broke the glass ceiling by inducting three women officers Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh into the fighter stream in July 2016.

In 2018, flying officer Avani Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo by flying a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight.

At present total of 1,875 women officers are serving in the IAF of which 10 are fighter pilots and 18 serve as the women navigators.