Quicksplained: Who is Squadron leader Mohana Singh, the first Indian woman to fly Tejas fighter jet?

Squadron Leader Mohana Singh has etched her name in history as she became the first woman fighter pilot to fly the indigenously built state-of-the-art Tejas fighter jet.

Singh was among the first women pilots to be inducted into the fighter squadron almost eight years ago, and today, she has shattered glass ceilings once again.

According to news agency ANI, the 32-year-old officer was part of the recent military exercise, ‘Tarang Shakti’ in Jodhpur, where she was part of the historic flight by three Vice Chiefs of the three forces. Her remarkable feat underscores the Indian Air Force’s commitment to gender equality and empowerment.

Here’s what we know about Squadron Leader Mohana Singh

1. Born in January 1992 in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, Mohana Singh Jitarwal comes from a family with a strong military background. Her father, Pratap Singh Jitarwal, is a retired IAF Master Warrant Officer, and her mother worked as a teacher and homemaker, according to NDTV.

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2. From a young age, Singh was drawn to sports but also excelled academically. Her true aspiration, however, was to become a fighter pilot. In a conversation with PM Narendra Modi, Singh revealed that her family’s military background, including her grandfather who was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra, inspired her lifelong desire to join the armed forces.

3. Singh’s educational journey saw her complete schooling at The Air Force School in New Delhi, followed by a BTech in Electronics and Communication from the Global Institute of Management and Emerging Technologies in Amritsar in 2016.

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4. That same year marked a pivotal moment in Indian military history when the Indian Air Force (IAF) opened its fighter stream to women. Singh, along with fellow pioneers Avani Chaturvedi and Bhawana Kanth, was inducted into the IAF’s fighter pilot fleet. They underwent rigorous training at the IAF base in Hakimpet, Telangana, alongside their male counterparts.

5. In 2019, Singh made headlines by becoming the first female IAF fighter pilot to achieve full operational status on the Hawk Mk.132 advanced jet trainer at Bidar Air Force Station. At that time, she had logged over 380 hours of incident-free flying, mastering both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground combat modes, a statement by IAF said.

“She has undertaken many practice missions which involved firing of rockets, guns and dropping high calibre bombs and also participated in various Air Force Level flying exercises,” the IAF statement added.

6. Most recently, Singh transitioned from flying MiG-21s to joining the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) squadron at the Naliya air base in Gujarat, strategically positioned along the Pakistan border. Meanwhile, her fellow female pilots, Sqn Ldr Bhawna Kanth and Sqn Ldr Avni Chaturvedi, are now piloting the Su-30 MKI fighter jets in the western desert, as reported by ANI.

7. During the landmark ‘Tarang Shakti’ exercise, Singh played a crucial role by piloting the LCA Tejas and assisting the Army and Navy Vice Chiefs. The exercise featured Indian Air Force Vice Chief, Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, flying solo in the LCA Tejas, while the other two Vice Chiefs, Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, flew trainer variants with fighter pilots.

8. On March 9, 2020, Singh and her fellow female fighter pilots were honoured with the Nari Shakti Puraskar by President Ram Nath Kovind. Reflecting on the award, Singh told ANI, “Nari Shakti Puraskar…we feel privileged and honoured to receive this award as it is not just motivation to us to continue doing the service for the nation but also to the other women and girls who are looking up to us.”

She added, “Spread your wings and fly high,” encouraging aspiring women to pursue their dreams with unwavering determination.

With input from agencies