The Navy said in a statement, “SLt Aastha Poonia becomes the first woman to be streamed into the fighter stream of naval aviation — shattering barriers and paving the way for a new era of women fighter pilots in the Navy.” After completing her degree in BTech, Poonia chose to join the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala
Sub-Lieutenant Aastha Poonia receiving the ‘Wings of Gold’ award from Rear Admiral Janak Bevli last week. PIC/PTI
Sub-Lieutenant Aastha Poonia, in her early 20s, has become the first woman to be assigned by the Indian Navy to the aviation fighter stream. She now needs to fly the Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJT) for another year before she advances to MiG-29K fighters, well aware of the job’s intensity due to the limited space, high speeds, and a constantly moving platform.
The Navy said in a statement, “SLt Aastha Poonia becomes the first woman to be streamed into the fighter stream of naval aviation — shattering barriers and paving the way for a new era of women fighter pilots in the Navy.” After completing her degree in BTech, Poonia chose to join the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, and subsequently the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, for basic flight training on Pilatus PC-7 Mk II aircraft. She then proceeded to fly the Hawk AJT at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam.
The statement added, “Indian Navy has already inducted women officers as pilots and naval air operations officers in maritime reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters.” “Streaming of SLt Aastha Poonia into the fighter stream highlights the Indian Navy’s commitment towards gender inclusivity in naval aviation and promoting Nari Shakti, fostering a culture of equality and opportunity,” it further stated.
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