Mawya Sudan Becomes First Woman Fighter Pilot In IAF From J&K's Rajouri District

Mawya Sudan, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, was recently commissioned by the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a Flying Officer. She is now the first woman fighter pilot in the force from Rajouri district.

According to Sudan's parents who hail from a village called Lamberi, from Border Tehsil of Nowshera in Rajouri, there daughter achieved the feat solely because of her hard work, reported ANI. "We're proud of her. Parents should support their daughters, they can do anything," they added. Mawya has also become the 12th woman officer overall and first from Rajouri to be inducted as a fighter pilot in the IAF.

Mawya Sudan from Jammu & Kashmir's Lamberi village becomes 1st woman fighter pilot in Indian Air Force from Rajouri district. "She has reached here because of her hard work. We're proud of her. Parents should support their daughters, they can do anything," her parents said(20.06) pic.twitter.com/eXYqUOmSEQ

— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2021

Vinod Sudan, Mawya's father, said he is "feeling proud" over his daughter's achievement. The elated father went on to say that now Mawya is not just their daughter but she is "a daughter of this country". Her parents have been receiving congratulatory messages since she was commissioned at the combined graduation parade held at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal near Hyderabad after completing her basic training on Saturday. Mawya Sudan will now undergo rigorous training for a year before she can become "fully operational" as a fighter pilot and handle the intricacies of combat flying.

"I'm incredibly proud of my younger sister. This was her dream since childhood.This is just the beginning. Everyone is treating her like their own daughter; we're receiving positive messages from across country. It's an inspiring story for everyone," said her sister Manyata Sudan pic.twitter.com/peuypw2GZa

— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2021

Her elder sister, Manyata Sudan, who is a Junior Engineer, told ANI that becoming a fighter pilot was Mawya's dream since childhood. "This is just the beginning. Everyone is treating her like their own daughter; we're receiving positive messages from across country. It's an inspiring story for everyone," said Manyata. Mawya Sudan's mother, Sushma said she is happy that her younger daughter has worked hard and achieved her goal. "She has made us feel proud," she added.

The villagers have also expressed their happiness over Mawya's commissioning, said her grandmother Pushpa Devi. IAF currently has 11 women fighter pilots, with Flight Lieutenants Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh becoming the first women to be commissioned as flying officers in June 2016.