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Sub‑Lieutenant Aastha Poonia Becomes Indian Navy’s First Woman Fighter Pilot Trainee.

Appointment | Dated: 05 Jul 2025

Sub‑Lt Aastha Poonia, from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, has been inducted into the Indian Navy’s elite fighter stream after graduating with her ‘Wings of Gold’ from the Second Basic Hawk Conversion Course at INS Dega, Visakhapatnam, marking the first time a woman has entered combat aviation in naval service

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - On July 3, 2025, Sub‑Lt Poonia received the coveted Wings of Gold from Rear Admiral Janak Bevli, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air), officially becoming the first woman to join the fighter pilot stream of naval aviation by completing advanced training on the Hawk 132 jet trainer.
  • - Aastha Poonia, in her early 20s, hails from Meerut and holds a B.Tech degree. She entered the Navy via the Short Service Commission (SSC) route, trained at the Indian Naval Academy (Ezhimala) and the Air Force Academy (Dundigal), before moving on to the Hawk jet training in Visakhapatnam.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) Aastha Poonia will proceed with a year-long fighter training program, preparing her to fly front-line naval jets such as the MiG‑29K and potential future Rafale‑M, operating from carrier decks aboard INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
  • (ii) This historic achievement underscores the Indian Navy’s commitment to gender inclusivity in combat roles and promotes the ethos of Nari Shakti (women’s power). It mirrors similar strides in the Indian Air Force, which opened the fighter stream to women in 2016.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Recently, who became the first woman to join the Indian Navy’s fighter pilot training stream?

Correct Answer: Sub-Lt Aastha Poonia

🚀 Quick Recap: