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IAF Women Pilots Set Record with Massive Participation in Tarang Shakti
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Moneycontrol•06-10-2026, 09:01
IAF Women Pilots Set Record with Massive Participation in Tarang Shakti
- •More than 25 women IAF officers are flying fighter jets and other aircraft alongside male pilots in the Tarang Shakti exercise in Jodhpur.
- •The two-week multilateral drill features air forces from eight countries, including the US, France, Germany, and Australia.
- •Over 80 Indian and foreign aircraft are involved, featuring advanced platforms like the US F-35 fifth-generation fighters and India's Tejas.
- •The exercise covers complex combat scenarios including beyond-visual-range combat, dynamic targeting, and air-to-air refuelling.
- •This milestone highlights the IAF's gender-neutral approach, where roles are determined strictly by competence and operational capabilities.
Key Questions Answered
More than 25 women officers of the Indian Air Force are flying fighter jets and other aircraft alongside around 125 male pilots in the Tarang Shakti exercise.
The US Air Force has deployed six F-35 fifth-generation fighters to Jodhpur, marking their first-ever participation and exercise debut in India.
Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 is being conducted from September 26 to October 12, 2026, at Air Force Station Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
