IAF's Shivangi Singh: Rafale Pilot Amid Misinformation and Tensions with Pakistan:

Suspense Crime, Digital Desk : As tensions flare between India and Pakistan, New Delhi not only has to deal with physical strikes in the form of drones, missiles, and artillery but has to contend with a rising tide of attacks and misinformation in the cyber domain.

On Saturdays, one of the leading posts on social media claimed, without any verification, that the Pakistani forces have taken Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh captive. It was alleged that she was in Sialkot, and a supposed video of her was circulating where her airplane was purportedly shot down.

Nevertheless, in this case, PIB or Press Information Bureau of India made sure that the story was debunked almost instantaneously claiming that it was a hoax.

So who exactly is Shivangi Singh? The first Indian Woman Fighter Pilot

Shivangi Singh is a Squadron Leader of the Indian Air Force and currently serves with the 51 squadron Golden Arrows and in addition, Singh is also the first and sole female Rafale pilot of India.

Singh completed her schooling in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and left for Delhi with her family once. She participated in a tour to a Air Force Museum and this helped kindle her interest for flying. Later she studied at Banaras Hindu University and joined the NCC Air Wing, which catalyzed her journey in the skies.

She was enrolled into the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad in the year of 2016 and graduated into the IAF in 2017. As of now, she is apart of the second intake of women fighter pilots in India.

Shivangi Singh’s Achievements: Rafale Missions and Global Representation

Initially, she piloted the MiG-21 Bison. In the year 2020, Singh undertook classes with French instructors, Rafale Training was added to her schedule for furthering her education, and she also underwent training on the Thales RBE2 AESA Radar and Precision Guided weapons Systems.

Singh has flown in operational areas like Eastern Ladakh and the LAC. In 2023, she participated in Exercise Orion in France – during which India's first overseas deployment of Rafale aircraft took place – and became the first Indian to represent the country in the exercise.

In 2022, Shivangi became the second female fighter pilot to be part of the IAF’s Republic Day tableau which highlights her rapid advancement in a modernizing armed forces.

Aspiring Astronaut: The Future Ahead for Singh

Shivangi Singh has said that she wishes to make strides beyond fighter jets and space endeavors. In her own words, she mentions “I want to be an astronaut. Let’s hope.”

She is amongst many women who are redefriting attributes of dominated spaces in the work field and are achieving new successes. For the 1600 women officers in the IAF, she represents a deep change in the narrative for the India’s armed forces.