Who is Squadron Leader Mohana Singh, India's 1st Woman Fighter Pilot to Fly Tejas Jet?

New Delhi: Squadron Leader Mohana Singh has made history as the first woman fighter pilot to join the elite 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ squadron, operating India’s indigenously made LCA Tejas fighter jet.

Mohana Singh is among one of the country’s first female fighter pilots, now Singh has once again shattered the glass ceiling. Her remarkable achievement is part of the Air Force’s commitment to gender equality and empowerment.

Squadron Leader Mohana Singh was part of the first group of three women who became fighter pilots in the Air Force.

Meanwhile, her fellow female pilots, Squadron Leader Bhawna Kanth and Squadron Leader Avni Chaturvedi, are now commanding Su-30 MKI fighter jets in the western desert near the Pakistan Border.

Until recently, Mohana was flying MiG-21s and was recently posted to the LCA squadron deployed at the Naliya air base in the Gujarat sector along the border with Pakistan .  

During the historic flight, Squadron Leader Mohana was seen instructing the Army and Navy Vice Chiefs on the LCA Tejas fighter jet and helping them prepare for the flight.

Indian Air Force Vice Chief, Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, flew solo in the LCA Tejas fighter variant, while the other two Vice Chiefs, Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, flew the trainer variants with two fighter pilots.

This exercise was seen as one of the biggest endorsements of the ‘Make in India’ initiative by the defense forces in a joint manner.

The flight took place during a multinational exercise at the Jodhpur air base, attended by top air forces from around the world, including the US, Greece, Sri Lanka, and Australia, with their top-of-the-line fighter jets.

The Indian Air Force currently has 20 women fighter pilots, following the government’s decision to open the fighter stream to women in 2016.