Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, the first female pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to fly the Rafale combat aircraft, is part of the IAF team participating in the multinational Exercise Orion being held in France. According to IAF officials, India has sent Rafale aircraft outside the country for the first time, and Squadron Leader Singh is taking part in the exercise. Singh joined the air force in 2017 and was commissioned into the second batch of women fighter pilots. In 2020, she became the first woman fighter pilot to fly the Rafale, having previously flown the MiG-21 Bison. She is a member of the IAF’s Golden Arrows squadron based in Punjab’s Ambala and hails from Varanasi.
Exercise Orion is a multinational wargame taking place in Mont-de-Marsan, France, that began on April 17 and will continue until May 5. According to an ANI report, Orion involves many of France’s NATO and other important allies and is the largest-ever multinational exercise conducted by the French defence forces, which have involved their army, navy, and air force along with their allies. More than 7,000 NATO troops are taking part in the drill. The IAF’s contingent includes four Rafale aircraft, two C-17s, two ll-78 aircraft, and 165 air warriors. It will be the first overseas exercise for the Rafale aircraft.
Besides the IAF and the French Air and Space Force (FASF), Air Forces from Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the United States will participate in this multilateral exercise. An official statement mentioned that participation in this exercise would enrich the Indian Air Force’s employment philosophy by imbibing the best practices from other Air Forces.
On April 17, Emmanuel Lenain, the ambassador of France to India, welcomed the Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent to the exercise. The Rafale is the latest aircraft to have been inducted into the IAF, and the 36 Rafales have played a significant role in improving India’s preparedness along the borders with Pakistan and China. In January this year, Squadron Leader Avni Chaturvedi became the first woman fighter pilot to take part in an international exercise when she went to Japan for the ‘Dharma Guardian’ exercise.
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