The excited little girl who first touched a plane two decades ago is now flying high as the face of India’s fast-modernising military and its only woman Rafale fighter pilot.
“This is where my adventure began,” Shivangi Singh, 29, told Vmeetsolutions Newsat the Air Force Museum in New Delhi, recalling her first visit as a child when she “gawked” and “immediately knew that I wanted to become a pilot”.
Women were first inducted into the fighter pilot ranks in 2015, two decades after they were allowed to join the Indian Air Force (IAF).
“There have been many of us,” said Singh, a lieutenant. “This not only reflects modernisation (of our society) but also the fact that we can now realise our dreams.”
Singh, who is married to another fighter pilot, is the first Indian woman to operate the French-built single-seat Rafale aircraft.
Last month, New Delhi finalized a multibillion-dollar agreement to purchase 26 fighter jets from Dassault Aviation, which will be added to the previously ordered 36 aircraft.
The fighter planes are a key component of significant upgrades for the Indian Air Force aimed at replacing their outdated inventory of Russian-built MiG aircraft.
The agreement emerges amid escalating tensions with longtime foe Pakistan following New Delhi’s accusation that Islamabad was responsible for an assault in disputed Kashmir in April that resulted in 26 fatalities.
Pakistan has denied any connection to the assault, which stands as the most severe attack on civilians in the Muslim-majority area in twenty-five years.
India has likewise viewed its northern neighbor China with concern, particularly following a fatal confrontation between their forces in 2020 along their contested Himalayan frontier.
– ‘Be independent’ –
Born in the sacred city of Varanasi, Singh had to outperform others academically and athletically to secure a position in an occupation long viewed by many as suitable exclusively for men.
The pilot also mentioned, “My mother provided immense inspiration because she not only desired my education but also encouraged my independence and supported every endeavor I pursued.”
India’s Air Force had more than 1,600 woman officers, including many pilots, according to official statistics from 2023.
The country with the largest population also boasts the highest percentage of female commercial pilots globally, accounting for roughly 14 percent of all pilots.
Singh described her journey through flight, starting with being “nervous and apprehensive” as she took her seat in the cockpit for the first time, all the way to feeling incredibly excited during her solo flights.
The initial moment Singh grasped the controls of a fighter jet, specifically a MiG-21, was when she realized the extent of skill required for flight.
– Targeting the cosmos –
Singh was among the first to try the new Rafale jets.
Following an intensive selection procedure, she was shortlisted in 2020 for simulator training with French instructors prior to her move to the cockpit.
“The responsiveness is remarkable… the cockpit is exceptionally comfortable; it feels as though it was tailored specifically for you,” Singh noted.
However, her aspirations are even grander.
India is planning a manned space mission, and the pilot hopes that challenge will be her next frontier.
“I achieved success in an area traditionally dominated by men, and if I managed to do so, then women can now pursue careers in any industry,” she stated, mentioning that she has enrolled in training programs to become a test pilot.
She expressed her desire to become an astronaut, so here’s hoping.
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