In a historic milestone for India’s armed forces, Aastha Poonia has become the first woman to enter the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Navy. She was awarded the prestigious ‘Wings of Gold’ on July 3, 2025, during the graduation ceremony of the Second Basic Hawk Conversion Course at INS Dega.
Hailing from Hisawada village in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district, Sub Lieutenant Poonia comes from a non-military background. Her father is a mathematics teacher, while her mother serves as a school principal. Despite limited exposure to defence services in her early life, she developed a strong interest in aviation, which eventually led her to pursue a career in naval aviation.
Her journey to becoming a fighter-stream aviator involved rigorous and multi-stage training. She began at the Indian Naval Academy, followed by basic flying training at the Air Force Academy on the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II. She then completed advanced jet training on the Hawk 132 aircraft at INS Dega, preparing her for the demanding fighter role.
The ‘Wings of Gold’ were presented by Janak Bevli, marking her official induction as a naval aviator. Her achievement is being seen as a major step forward for gender inclusion in combat roles and is expected to inspire more women to join frontline aviation roles in the future.