Creating history, an Indian Air Force (IAF) woman fighter pilot will be part of the Indian contingent for the aerial wargames to be held on foreign land.
India’s one of the first three lady fighter pilots, Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi will be leaving for Japan to participate in the exercise. Squadron Leader Chaturvedi is a Su-30MKI pilot.
An IAF contingent will depart tomorrow for Hyakuri Air Base, Japan for the maiden Exercise Veer Guardian 2023 to be held with Japan Air Self Defence Force from 12 to 26 Jan 2023
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 7, 2023
IAF will participate with four Su-30 MKI, two C-17 Globemasters & an IL-78 tanker.@JASDF_PAO_ENG pic.twitter.com/vIocSw7ywb
The women officers have been participating in wargames with the foreign contingents coming to India, including the French Air Force where two of the lady fighter pilots took part, but this would be the first time they would be representing the country on foreign land.
The exercise Veer Guardian 2023 will be carried out from January 16 to January 26 at the Hyakuri Air Base and its surrounding airspace in Omitama, and the Iruma Air Base in Sayama in Japan.
Avani Chaturvedi’s course-mate and also among the first three female fighter pilots and a flier of Su-30MKI fighter jets, Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth, said, “Su-30MKIs operated by the Indian Air Force are one of the best and most lethal platform armed with indigenous weapon systems.”
“The Su-30MKi is a versatile multirole combat aircraft which can carry out both air to ground and air to air missions simultaneously. What is unique about this aircraft is that it can carry out manoeuvres at both high speeds and low speeds. It also has the capability of doing very long range missions and has long endurance,” Squadron Leader Bhavna Kanth said.
She further added that the aircraft has the latest avionics and can easily integrate any of the latest weapons and carry out missions with ease.