Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Feb 25: For the first time, a woman has been given the opportunity to pilot the prestigious Jaguar fighter jet, which holds a prime position in the Indian Air Force’s fleet of successful combat aircraft. That honour has been bestowed upon Flying Officer Tanushka Singh, who hails from Mangaluru. She has been selected as a pilot in the Jaguar fighter squadron.
Until now, no female pilot has been permanently assigned to fly the Jaguar combat aircraft. Tanushka comes from a military family, with her father and grandfather having served in the armed forces. Although her roots are in Uttar Pradesh, she has been residing in Mangaluru since 2007. “I proudly call myself a Kudla girl,” she says.
Her father, retired Lieutenant Colonel Ajay Pratap Singh, is currently serving as the general manager of the HSE division at MRPL.
Tanushka completed her SSLC at DPS MRPL School, Suratkal, and pursued her pre-university studies in science at Sharada PU College, Mangaluru. She then graduated with a B.Tech. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from MIT, Manipal, in 2022.
“I always aspired to join the armed forces since childhood, but I never imagined that I would join the Air Force and become a fighter pilot,” she shares.
Initially, Tanushka wanted to join the Indian Army through the Short Service Commission, but due to limited opportunities for women, she chose the Air Force instead. After being selected, she underwent one and a half years of training at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Tamil Nadu, as a cadet. Following her commissioning, she trained for a year as a fighter pilot, where she flew the Hawk Mk 132 aircraft.
Currently on leave in her hometown, Tanushka will soon complete her break and join the Jaguar squadron of the Indian Air Force. “Some female pilots have flown the Jaguar fighter jet for experience, but I am the first to be permanently inducted into the Jaguar squadron,” a retired military officer confirmed.
Tanushka recalls her first training flight with excitement. “I felt no fear—only joy. That was the moment I knew this was the life I had always wanted.”
She encourages young aspirants to join the armed forces, stating, “It takes immense self-confidence, honesty, and leadership qualities to join the military. Anyone with these traits should definitely try.”
"I am proud to call Mangaluru my home. Although my roots are in Lucknow, I have settled in Mangaluru. I speak Kannada, though I haven’t yet managed to learn Tulu," Tanushka Singh, fighter pilot.