Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh, the first woman pilot in the Indian Air Force to fly the Rafale fighter jet, is currently in France as part of the IAF contingent participating in the multinational exercise ‘Orion’. This marks the first time that India is sending Rafale jets outside the country. Flight Lieutenant Singh was commissioned into the IAF’s second class of female fighter pilots in 2017 and flew the MiG-21 Bison before the Rafale. She hails from Varanasi and is a member of the IAF’s Golden Arrows squadron based in Ambala.
The ‘Orion’ exercise is considered the largest international exercise ever conducted by the French military and involves their Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with allies such as the US and the UK. Approximately 7,000 NATO troops participated in the exercise, including the Indian Air Force.
Prior to this, Squadron Leader Avni Chaturvedi was the first woman fighter pilot to participate in an overseas exercise when she traveled to Japan for the ‘Veer Guardian’ exercise earlier this year.
The Rafale fighter jet is the most recent addition to the Indian Air Force and is considered the most powerful in the Asian region. The country has fully inducted 36 Rafales, which have contributed significantly to its operational readiness along the borders with Pakistan and China.
The Indian Air Force will also participate in Exercise Copeindia, starting on April 10 in Kalaikunda, West Bengal. However, sources suggest that the exercise schedule and the availability of American F-15 fighter planes may vary.
