Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal become the first woman flight engineer to be inducted into the Indian Air Force. She was commissioned on January 5, 2015, in the engineering branch of the IAF and had served as the chief of firing team and battery commander in a frontline surface to Air Missile squadron, before being selected for the Flight Engineers Course.

In her new role, Flt. Lt. Jaiswal will serve at IAF’s operational helicopter units and serve in “demanding and stressful conditions from the icy heights of the Siachen glacier to the seas of the Andamans”.

The IAF started commissioning women in the officer cadre in 1993 and now inducts them as pilots in various streams. The MoD has dedicated an entire day of Aero India 2019, starting next week, to women in the armed forces.

Indian Air Force

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian armed forces.
• After India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government’s transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed after only three years.
• The President of India holds the rank of Supreme Commander of the IAF.
• Major operations undertaken by the IAF include Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Cactus and Operation Poomalai.
• Touch the Sky with Glory is the motto of IAF.
• Air Force Day is observed on October 08.