New Delhi: In a first, a woman fighter pilot will be a part of international wargames outside the country. Squadron leader Avni Chaturvedi will be leaving for Japan to participate in the exercise, she is a Su-30MKI pilot. In Jodhpur, IAF fighter pilots Group Captain Arpit Kala, Squadron leaders Bhavna Kanth and Mukul Bawa on Friday demonstrated Su-30MKI fighter jet capabilities.
According to the news agency ANI, the women officers have been participating in wargames with the foreign contingents coming to India including the French Air Force but this would be the first time they would be representing the country on foreign land.
According to ANI, Squadron Leader Bhavna Kanth, Chaturvedi’s batchmate and part of the troika of first female fighter pilots, termed the Su-30MKIs operated by the Indian Air Force as one of the best and most lethal platforms armed with indigenous weapon systems.
"The Su-30MKi is a versatile multirole combat aircraft which can carry out both air-to-ground and air-to-air missions simultaneously. It can carry out manoeuvres at both high speeds and low speeds", Squadron Leader Bhavna Kanth was quoted by ANI
“What is unique about this aircraft is that it can carry out manoeuvres at both high speeds and low speeds. It also has the capability of doing very long-range missions due to multiple refuelling it can do and it has very long endurance,” Kanth added.
When asked about her feeling as a woman fighter pilot, she said the aircraft does not know whether it was being flown by a man or a woman and she was proud to be part of the esteemed force.
The exercise Veer Guardian 2023 will be carried out from January 16 to January 26 at the Hyakuri Air Base and its surrounding airspace in Omitama, and the Iruma Air Base in Sayama in Japan.
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Meanwhile, ace fighter pilot Group Captain Arpit Kala heading a Su-30 fighter aircraft squadron in the desert sector told ANI that the Indian Su-30MKIs are unique because they have been equipped with the best technologies and weaponry in the world.
Comparing the Indian Su-30MKI with the Su-30s which are also operated by other countries including its original manufacturer Russia, Group Captain Kala said, “What makes the Indian Su-30MKI different from the flankers (Su-30 combat aircraft) operated across the world is that it is a beautiful integration of various weapons, sensors and avionics from all over the world.”
“Its long-range vectors (missiles) including the indigenous air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons give it an edge over others. It is one of the best aircraft in the world,” Kala said, as per ANI.
Kala further mentioned that the aircraft and the training of the aircrew make it one of the best flankers in the world as the Indian Air Force training is considered one of the best in the world. He added that the integration of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and the Astra air-to-air missiles have made the aircraft more lethal.
Further, Squadron Leader Mukul Bawa said that "owing to its size and advanced avionics any modern weapon can be integrated easily and keep it abreast with modern technology in the air force domain."
(With Agency Inputs)