India’s First Woman Rafale Pilot

January 27, 2022

Pilot Shivangi Singh is India’s first Woman Rafale pilot. She was a part of the Indian Air Force Tableau at the Republic Day celebrations. She joined the Indian Air Force in 2017. She is the only second woman pilot to participate in the Indian Air Force Tableau. Fighter Jet pilot Bhawna Kanth was the first woman pilot to participate in the IAF tableau.

About Shivangi Singh

Shivangi Singh was commissioned in the second batch of women fighter pilots. She was flying MiG-21 before Rafale. She is a part of the Golden Arrows squadron. Shivangi Singh was born in Bihar. She did her bachelor of technology in Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology. Later she did her further studies in Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur.

IAF Tableau

The theme of 2022 IAF Tableau was “Indian Air Force Transforming for the future”. The Aslesha radar and the indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopters participated in the tableau. The IAF also show cased the Gnat aircraft.

Golden Arrows Squadron

It is based in Ambala, Punjab. The squadron was resurrected in 2016 with Dassault Rafale jets. It was moved to Delhi during the 1965 India – Pakistan war to protect the capital. The squadron received the President’s Standard Award in 1988. In 1951, the Harvard II B aircrafts participated in the squadron. In 1955, de Havilland Vampire participated in the squadron. In 1957, Hawker Hunter participated in the squadron. In 1975, it was MiG-21. Since 2019, it is Rafale.

Aslesha radar

It is multifaceted low weight radar. It can be deployed in varied terrains like deserts, plains, high altitudes and mountain tops.

Gnat

Gnat was designed by the British. It is a subsonic fighter aircraft. It is used for combat and training purposes. Gnat is operated by different squadrons in India. They are 2, 9, 15, 18, 21, 22, 23 and 24. Gnat aircrafts are also operated by Finland, Yugoslavia. In 1956, India signed an agreement to produce the aircraft within the country. Then HAL slowly took over the technology.

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