On a landmark day for Indian military aviation, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh took farewell sorties in a MiG-21 from Nal Air Force Station, Bikaner—an emotional prelude to the legendary fighter’s retirement. Among the formation leaders that day was Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, a trailblazing woman fighter pilot whose presence symbolised the IAF’s generational handover from the MiG-21 era to a modern fleet.
What happened at Nal—and why it mattered
The IAF confirmed that the CAS flew solo and also participated in a formation led by Sqn Ldr Priya. Coming just weeks before the MiG-21’s formal de-induction, it was both tribute and transition: honouring India’s first supersonic workhorse while spotlighting the women and men shaping the next chapter of the Air Force. The ceremonial farewell is slated for September 26 at Chandigarh, where the MiG-21 first joined IAF service in 1963.
Who is Squadron Leader Priya Sharma?
Priya Sharma first came to national attention at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, in December 2018, when she became India’s seventh woman fighter pilot—and the third from Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district. Early profiles noted her B.Tech background (IIIT-Kota) and a strong family influence—her father served in the IAF—which shaped her decision to fly fighters.
Notably, those 2018 interviews recorded her dream to fly the MiG-21; seven years later, she helped mark its swansong at Nal—an arc that resonates with aspirants across the country.
Why her role is historic
- Visibility at a pivotal handover: Leading a formation that included the CAS during the MiG-21’s farewell underscored how women in the fighter stream are now part of the IAF’s most visible operational moments.
- Signal to future cadets: Sharma’s journey—from 2018 graduate to leading a farewell formation—offers a clear, contemporary role model for girls eyeing combat cockpits.
The MiG-21’s swansong (at a glance)
- Final operational missions: Conducted from Nal AFS, Bikaner ahead of retirement.
- Formal farewell: September 26, Chandigarh (site of the MiG-21’s first induction in 1963).
- What’s next: Transition toward Tejas Mk-1A alongside Rafale and Su-30 fleets.
Quick profile: Sqn Ldr Priya Sharma
- Stream: Fighters, Indian Air Force.
- First national spotlight: Commissioned in Dec 2018; 7th woman fighter pilot in India.
- Education: B.Tech, IIIT-Kota; training at AFA Dundigal and AF Stn Hakimpet (reported in 2018).
- Roots: Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan; father served in the IAF.
- Notable moment: Led formation including the CAS during MiG-21 farewell sorties at Nal, Aug 2025.
