First-ever all-woman aircrew conducts ‘surveillance, recon mission’ over Arabian Sea by Indian Navy

Five women officers from the Indian Navy’s INAS 314 completed a maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission onboard a Dornier 228 aircraft in the North Arabian Sea for the first time in Indian history. These officers are stationed at the Naval Air Enclave in Porbandar, Gujarat, in western Gujarat.

According to the Indian Navy, the aircraft was piloted by Lieutenant Commander Aanchal Sharma, who was supported by pilots Lt Shivangi and Lt Apurva Gite, as well as tactical and sensor officers Lt Pooja Panda and Sub Lt Pooja Shekhawat. INAS 314 is a frontline Naval Air Squadron that operates the cutting-edge Dornier 228 maritime reconnaissance plane. In the months leading up to the historic sortie, the women officers received extensive ground training and comprehensive mission briefings.

Given that this is a first-of-its-kind military flying mission, the Navy expects the accomplishment to pave the way for female officers in the aviation cadre to assume greater responsibility and aspire to more challenging roles. ‘ The Indian Navy has been a forerunner in driving transformation in the Armed Forces. Its impressive and pioneering women empowerment initiatives include the induction of female pilots, the selection of female Air Operations Officers into the helicopter stream, and the conduct of an all-women sailing circumnavigation expedition around the world in 2018,’ according to a press release.

‘It may be a unique achievement for the Armed Forces that a crew of only female officers undertook an independent operational mission in a multi-crew maritime surveillance aircraft,’ it added. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India created the 19-seater Dornier 228. (HAL). It is a versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft.

It was designed specifically to meet the diverse needs of utility and commuter transportation, third-level services and air-taxi operations, coast guard duties, and maritime surveillance. The Dornier 228 is based on German design and production from the 1980s and 1990s. HAL purchased a production licence in 1983 and produced at least 125 aircrafts. In July 2017, 63 aircraft were still in service with airlines.