Avani Chaturvedi to be IAF’s first woman fighter pilot to join war games abroad

Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi has added another first to her name. She is all set to become India’s first woman fighter pilot to be part of war games outside India when she joins the Indian contingent for the aerial war games to be held in Japan later this month.

Chaturvedi is one of the most recognisable faces of Indian Air Force’s female pilots. She became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo in 2018, two years after she and her two batchmates, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, were commissioned as flying officers. The trio became the first female fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force.

An IAF contingent will depart tomorrow for Hyakuri Air Base, Japan for the maiden Exercise Veer Guardian 2023 to be held with Japan Air Self Defence Force from 12 to 26 Jan 2023

IAF will participate with four Su-30 MKI, two C-17 Globemasters & an IL-78 tanker.@JASDF_PAO_ENG pic.twitter.com/vIocSw7ywb

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 7, 2023

The trio has been participating in wargames when foreign contingents come to India. For instance, two of them took part when the French Air Force came to India. But this will be the first time one of them represents the country on foreign land.

From January 12 to 26, India and Japan will hold their first bilateral air exercise, Veer Guardian 2023, at the Hyakuri Air Base and its surrounding airspace in Omitama and the Iruma Air Base in Sayama.

About Avani Chaturvedi

Chaturvedi (29) is a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter pilot based in Jodhpur. Chaturvedi was born in Madhya Pradesh and her family still lives in Rewa. Her father Dinkar Prasad is an engineer, while her mother is a homemaker. Her elder brother, who is an army officer, inspired her to join the force.

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Chaturvedi completed her training on Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers before flying a MiG-21 bison on her first solo flight in 2018. Before joining the IAF, Chaturvedi underwent a six-month training at the Air Force Academy in Telangana’s Dundigal.

About Veer Guardian 2023

Amid growing concerns over China’s military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region, India and Japan will hold their first bilateral air exercise, reflecting their growing defence ties.

Veer Guardian-2023 will involve the IAF and Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF). The IAF said on Saturday that its deployment at the exercise will include four Su-30 MKI jets, two C-17 aircraft, and one IL-78 plane, while the JASDF will participate with four F-2 and four F-15 aircraft.

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India and Japan agreed to step up bilateral defence cooperation during the second ‘2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial’ dialogue in Tokyo in September. Various aerial combat drills between the two air forces will be part of the exercise.

(With agency inputs)