Andalib Akhter / New Delhi
Indian Navy has always been ahead in creating history. It has done it once again with the selection of first woman pilot in India’s marine defense.
Sub Lieutenant Shivangi from Muzaffarpur in Bihar will be getting into the naval cockpit in the first week of coming December. This will make her the first woman pilot of the Indian Navy who will get to fly fixed-wing Dornier surveillance plane.
According to the Indian Navy, the lady pilot after completing her operational training will join naval operations in Kochi, Kerala, a couple of days ahead of the Naval Day which is celebrated on Dec 4.
“Earlier, the Indian Navy’s aviation branch has had women officers who have been operating as air traffic control officers, as well as have been ”observers” in the aircraft who are responsible for communication and weapons explained a naval officer.
Shivangi who has done her schooling from DAV Public school, Muzzafarpur, Bihar, was formally commissioned by Vice Admiral AK Chawla, last June. She had joined the Indian Navy as SSC (Pilot) as part of 27 NOC course in Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala.
Earlier this month the Indian Navy had selected its first lady officer for an international posting as a Defence Attache. Lt-Commander Karabi Gogoi, who is a naval engineer posted at the Karwar base, Karnataka, will be going to the Indian mission in Moscow as assistant naval attaché after completing her course in the Russian language. Her area of expertise is in the construction of warships and their maintenance.
This happened a month after the Indian Air Force had sent one of its lady officers Wing Commander Anjali Singh as the deputy air attaché to the Indian Mission in Moscow. She is a qualified aeronautical engineer specializing in handling fighter aircraft.
The selection is based on interviews in their respective services and their job is to be keeping track of the military technologies available, protocols as well as in planning military to military cooperation as well as exercises.