"Historical Sortie": Navy's All Women Team Completes Surveillance Mission

A five member team of Indian Navy created history by completing the first all-women independent maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission in the North Arabian Sea onboard a state-of-the-art Dornier 228 aircraft on Wednesday.

The mission, says the Navy, showcased "Nari Shakti" in its real spirit.

The aircraft was captained by the Mission Commander, Lt Cdr Aanchal Sharma, who had pilots, Lt Shivangi and Lt Apurva Gite, and Tactical and Sensor Officers, Lt Pooja Panda and SLt Pooja Shekhawat in her team.

The five officers are from Navy's INAS 314, a frontline Naval Air Squadron, based at Naval Air Enclave at Porbandar.

The Navy said the women officers received months of ground training and comprehensive mission briefings in the run up to the "historical sortie".

"This first-of-its-kind military flying mission was, however, unique and is expected to pave the way for women officers in the aviation cadre to assume greater responsibility and aspire for more challenging roles. It perhaps marks a unique achievement for the Armed Forces that a crew of only women officers undertook an independent operational mission in a multi-crew maritime surveillance aircraft," the Navy said in a statement.

The Navy congratulated the officers for inspiring millions of women all across India and the world.

"The Indian Navy has been a front-runner in driving transformation in the Armed Forces. Its impressive and pioneering women empowerment initiatives include induction of women pilots, selection of women Air Operations Officers into the helicopter stream and conducting an all-women sailing circumnavigation expedition across the globe in 2018," it said.