Who is Shivangi Singh? India's Only Woman Rafale Pilot

Shivangi Singh is a top Indian Air Force (IAF) officer whose name is marked in history books for being the first Indian female pilot to pilot the Rafale fighter aircraft, one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat aircraft. Her achievement is a landmark milestone in the inclusion of women into frontline combat ranks in the Indian defense forces.

Early Life and Inspiration

Shivangi Singh was born on 15 March 1995, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. As a child, she had a passion for flying when they visited the Air Force Museum in New Delhi. She was fascinated by the fighter planes and made up her mind to become a pilot at an early age. During her college education at Banaras Hindu University, she was part of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Air Wing, which led her to the Indian Air Force.

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Military Career and Activities

• Training and Commissioning: Shivangi joined the Indian Air Force in 2017 as a member of the second batch of fighter pilots following the entry of women in combat arms since 2015. Shivangi trained diligently in the Dundigal's Air Force Academy in Telangana and flew for the first time the MiG-21 Bison, an age-old guard fight plane of the IAF.
• Rafale Pilot: She also became the first Indian female to pilot the Rafale fighter in 2020 after going through a competitive recruitment process and hard work on high-tech simulators under the tutelage of French instructors. She belongs to the prestigious Golden Arrows Squadron from the Ambala Air Force Station in Punjab. Her commission as a pilot of the Rafale brought her the nick name of "Rafale Rani".
• Operational Experience: Shivangi has flown the Rafale over sensitive border areas such as eastern Ladakh and the Line of Actual Control (LAC), putting the capabilities of the aircraft to the test with rising tensions with China. She has also been India's guest at international military exercises, such as the prized Exercise Orion in France in 2023, when the Rafale saw its first-ever foreign deployment by the IAF.
• Public Visibility: Shivangi Singh was featured in the Indian Air Force tableau during the Republic Day parade, the second woman fighter pilot to ever participate in this illustrious spectacle. Her participation is a symbol of modernization and progressive induction of women in combat air roles.

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Personal Qualities and Vision

Appreciated for her boldness, strength, and resilience, Shivangi Singh has turned out to be a model to other women wishing to pursue aviation careers in India. She has declared aspirations wider than flying aircrafts, intending to be an astronaut and involved in India's future manned space flights, signifying her bigger ambition of exploring and expanding the horizons.

Her journey from a wide-eyed child in the Air Force Museum to commanding one of India's most technologically sophisticated fighter jets is an icon of determination and breaking of traditional barriers in Indian defense forces.

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