Overview

• Sub Lieutenant Aastha Poonia received her ‘Wings of Gold’ from Rear Admiral Janak Bevli at INS Dega on July 3, officially entering the Second Basic Hawk Conversion Course.
• She is the first woman streamed into the Indian Navy’s fighter pilot track, overcoming a long-standing gender barrier in naval combat aviation.
• Poonia will log advanced flying hours on Hawk 132 jet trainers over the coming year to prepare for the demands of carrier operations.
• After completing her advanced jet training, she will qualify to fly MiG-29K fighters and future Rafale M jets from the Navy’s carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.
• Her induction underscores the Navy’s ‘Nari Shakti’ push to enhance gender inclusivity and empowerment within frontline combat aviation roles.