Group Captain Shaliza Dhami, a female officer, will lead the Indian Air Force Day parade at air force station Bamrauli in Prayagraj on Sunday for the first time, according to authorities with knowledge of the situation.
Dhami, an IAF pilot and helicopter pilot, became the first female commander of a front-line combat unit in March. In the western sector, she is in charge of a missile squadron. Dhami, who was commissioned into the IAF in 2003, has flown more than 2,800 hours and is a certified flight instructor.
The change occurs at a time when the military is expanding its prospects for women and offering them options on par with those available to men.
“Also for the first time, the parade will have an all-women contingent consisting of the newly inducted Agniveer Vayu, who shall march shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. The parade also includes a flight of Garud commandos for the first time,” IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ashish Moghe said on Sunday.
Women in uniform are no longer on the periphery of the military; instead, they are being given central roles, just like their male counterparts. They are training at the National Defence Academy, flying fighter planes, serving on warships, and being incorporated into the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre.
In order to encourage gender equality within their ranks, the IAF and navy have both permitted women officers to join their special forces units, the Garud Commando Force and Marine Commandos, respectively, as long as they match the eligibility requirements.
The new IAF ensign will be unveiled in Prayagraj by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. The IAF tri-color roundel will now be displayed in the top right corner of the ensign, which now has the national flag in the upper left canton and the IAF crest in the top right corner. The Royal Indian Air Force ensign, which included the Union Jack and the RIAF roundel (red, white, and blue), was replaced by the current flag more than seven decades ago.
The Himalayan eagle with its wings extended sits below the Ashoka lion, which is the centerpiece of the IAF crest.
The words “Bhartiya Vayu Sena” are inscribed in Hindi on a light blue ring that surrounds the eagle. Below the eagle is a gilded Devanagari inscription that reads, “Touch the Sky with Glory,” the slogan of the Indian Air Force.
A year ago, at the commissioning of the aircraft carrier Vikrant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the Indian Navy’s ensign, which took its design cues from the seal of Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and did away with the Cross of St. George.
For the final time this year, MiG-21 fighter jets from the IAF will participate in the IAF Day flypast over Sangam in Prayagraj. Around 110 aircraft, including the newest C-295 transport for the IAF, will participate in the flypast. Rafales, Sukhoi-30s, Mirage-2000s, MiG-29s, Jaguars, LCA Tejas, C-17s, C-130Js, IL-76s, AN-32s, Chinooks, Apaches, and Hawks will be among the aircraft on exhibit.
In keeping with the three services currently holding their showpiece ceremonial events outside the national capital, the IAF hosted its annual celebrations in Chandigarh last year. On the outskirts of the national capital, at the Hindan air base, the parade was usually held.
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Source: HT
