India

Republic Day Parade: Industrialist Anand Mahindra Praises ‘Rafale Rani’ Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh

By
OB Bureau

New Delhi: The 73rd Republic Day was a memorable moment for India. India’s first woman Rafale fighter jet pilot Shivangi Singh was part of the Indian Air Force (IAF) tableau at the Republic Day parade on Wednesday.

Flight Lieutenant Shivangi is from Varanasi and is part of the IAF’s Golden Arrows squadron based out of Ambala in Punjab.

Shivangi Singh joined the Indian Air Force in 2017.

She was commissioned in the IAF’s second batch of women fighter pilots.

Before flying Rafale, Shivangi flew MiG-21 Bison aircraft.

In 2020, Shivangi Singh became the first woman fighter pilot to fly Rafale after she was selected as a Rafale pilot following a stringent selection process.

She is second woman fighter jet pilot to be part of the IAF tableau.

Last year, Flight Lieutenant Bhawna Kanth became the first female fighter jet pilot to be part of the IAF tableau.

The first batch of Rafale fighter jets arrived on July 29, 2020, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 aircraft at a cost of ₹59,000 crore.

Indian Air Force, so far, has 32 Rafale jets and four more are expected by April this year.

IAF tableau

The tableau this year was based on the theme, ‘Indian Air Force transforming for the future’.

Scaled down models of Rafale fighter jet, indigenously developed light combat helicopter (LCH) and 3D surveillance radar Aslesha MK-1 were part of the float.

It also featured a scaled down model of MiG-21 aircraft that played a major role in the 1971 war in which India defeated Pakistan, leading to the creation of Bangladesh.

A model of India’s first indigenously developed aircraft Gnat was also on display.

The Rafale fighter jets, known for their air-superiority and precision strikes, are India’s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.

Meanwhile, the Flight Lieutenant earned praise from different sections on social media. Industrialist Anand Mahindra called her the ‘Rafale Rani’

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Newborn Girl Found Abandoned Near Bush In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Baripada: A newborn girl was found lying near a bush at Bhanra village under Karanjia…

November 8, 2024

Shah Rukh Khan Bagged ‘Baazigar’ After Salman Khan Rejected It

Mumbai: Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, the leading superstars of Bollywood, came from different…

November 8, 2024

Dhanush & Nithya Menen Starrer ‘Idli Kadai’ To Release On This Date

Mumbai: Actor-filmmaker Dhanush took to his X handle on Friday to announce the release date…

November 8, 2024

National Hockey: Another Big Win Takes Odisha Closer To Knockout Stage

Chennai: Odisha all but booked a berth in the knockout stage of the 14th Hockey…

November 8, 2024

Traffic Restrictions For Panchaka, Badaosa At Dhabaleswar Temple In Odisha’s Cuttack; Check Details

Cuttack: Several traffic restrictions have been imposed to ensure smooth movement of devotees to Dhabaleswar…

November 8, 2024

Late Sidhu Moose Wala’s Brother Is A Carbon Copy Of Him

Mumbai: Sidhu Moose Wala's parents Balkaur Singh and Charan Kaur shared a picture of their…

November 8, 2024

Unique Protest: No Dating, No Sex, No Babies With Men Who Voted For Donald Trump

New York: A group of American women has launched an unprecedented protest against men who…

November 8, 2024

4 More Handicrafts Granted Official Approval In Odisha; Total Number Now 55

Bhubaneswar: Four more handicrafts were granted approval by the Odisha government, taking the total number…

November 8, 2024