Squadron Leader Mohana Singh Jitarwal is one of the first female fighter pilots of India.[1][2][3] She was declared as the first female combat pilot along with two of her cohort, Bhawana Kanth, and Avani Chaturvedi. All three women pilots were inducted into the Indian Air Force fighter squadron in June 2016. They were formally commissioned by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.[4] After the government of India decided to open the fighter stream in India Air Force for women on an experimental basis, these three women were the first to be selected for the program.[5]
Mohana Singh (Jitarwal) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 January 1992 Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, India |
| Occupation | Fighter Pilot |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Branch/service |  Indian Air Force |
| Rank |  Squadron Leader |
Biography
editMohana Singh completed her schooling from The Air Force School, New Delhi and BTech in Electronics & Communication from Global Institute of Management and Emerging Technologies, Amritsar, Punjab. Her father Master Warrant Officer Pratap Singh (retd) was a serving Indian Air Force personnel and mother Manju Singh is a teacher.[6] While growing up, Singh was fond of sports like roller skating, badminton and other activities like singing and painting.[7]
Career
editIn June 2019, she became the first women fighter pilot of Indian Air Force to become a fully operational by day on a Hawk Mk.132 advance jet trainer at Bidar Air Force Station. She had completed more than 380 hours of incident free flying on Hawk Mk.132 with training in both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground fighting mode in 2019.[8][9]
Sing is part of No. 3 Squadron Cobras flying the MiG-21 at NAL Air Force Station, Bikaner.[10]
Awards
editOn 9 March 2020, she was awarded with Nari Shakti Puraskar by President Ram Nath Kovind.[11][12]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Meet The Trio Who Will Be India's First Women Fighter Pilots". NDTV.com. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "Latest Current Affairs and News About Bhawana Kanth - Current Affairs Today". currentaffairs.gktoday.in. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ Mohammed, Syed (19 June 2016). "For IAF's first women fighter pilots Mohana Singh, Bhawana Kanth & Avani Chaturvedi, sky is no limit". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ Krishnamoorthy, Suresh (18 June 2016). "First batch of three female fighter pilots commissioned". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "Air Force's First 3 Women Fighter Pilots May Fly Mig-21 Bisons From November". NDTV.com. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "India's First Women Fighter Pilots Get Wings". NDTV.com. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "Supported by parents, Bhawana Kanth to script IAF history, become a fighter pilot". News18. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "Mohana Singh becomes first woman fighter pilot to fly Hawk advanced jet". New Indian Express. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "India's First 3 Female Fighter Pilots Will Now Learn Aerial Combat Tricks!". IndiaTimes. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Singh, Rahul (30 November 2023). "IAF's Squadron No 3 prepares for bittersweet farewell as MiG-21 set to retire". Hindustan Times.
- ^ "Flying MiG-21 Bison matter of pride: Flt Lt Bhawana Kanth". Livemint. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Keep striving for your dreams with hard work, determination: IAF's women fighter pilots". ANI News. Retrieved 21 March 2021.