New Delhi: Sub-Lieutenant Astha Punia has become the first woman in the history of the Indian Navy to join the fighter pilot stream. This achievement was officially recognised on 3 July 2025, when she and Lt. Atul Kumar Dhul successfully completed their Basic Hawk Conversion Course at the Indian Naval Air Station, with the formal award of the ‘Wings of Gold’ ceremony. Rear Admiral Janak Bevli, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air), presided over the event and marked their transition into the fighter pilot cadre.
Sharing the news on X, the Navy posted a photo of Astha, commemorating her “new chapter” as she joins the fighter stream, a role that had been exclusively male until now.
The Navy, however, failed to specify what fighter aircraft she would be flying. It is already an open secret that the Indian Navy disposes of a fleet of MiG-29K jet airplanes, which can operate off two Indian planes called INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. The combat range of the jets is 722 km, and the standard range is 2,346 km. It can carry bombs, missiles and other weapons that weigh 450 kilograms.