In a proud moment for India, Sub Lieutenant Aastha Poonia has made history by becoming the first woman to be selected as a fighter pilot in the Indian Navy. She received the prestigious ‘Wings of Gold’ at a special ceremony held at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam, along with Lieutenant Atul Kumar Dhull.
The honour was presented by Rear Admiral Janak Bevli, the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air), during the graduation of the Second Basic Hawk Conversion Course.
This is a big milestone for the Indian Navy, as it’s the first time a woman has been allowed into the fighter aircraft stream, which was earlier open only to male officers. This means Sub Lt Poonia can now fly fighter jets in the Navy, marking a huge step towards gender equality in the armed forces.
The Indian Navy celebrated the moment on social media, calling it “A New Chapter in Naval Aviation” and praised Sub Lt Poonia for breaking barriers and opening the door for more women to join combat roles in the Navy.
A New Chapter in Naval Aviation#IndianNavy marks a historic milestone with the graduation of the Second Basic Hawk Conversion Course on #03Jul 2025 at @IN_Dega.
Lt Atul Kumar Dhull and Slt Aastha Poonia received the prestigious ‘Wings of Gold’ from RAdm Janak Bevli, ACNS (Air).… pic.twitter.com/awMUQGQ4wS
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) July 4, 2025
A Navy spokesperson said that this move shows the Navy’s strong commitment to gender equality and empowering women, also known as ‘Nari Shakti’.
Earlier, women in the Navy were only allowed to fly helicopters or reconnaissance aircraft, but never fighter jets. Now, with this development, more women will have the chance to take on challenging and frontline roles.
This achievement also follows recent examples of women making headlines in the Indian Armed Forces. For instance, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Air Force recently addressed the media during a major military operation, showing the increasing leadership role of women in defence.
