Meet Squadron Leader Priya Sharma: The Woman Who Took a Historic Sortie With the Indian Air Force Chief
On a landmark day for Indian military aviation, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh strapped into a MiG-21 at Nal Air Force Station, Bikaner, for ceremonial send-off sorties and flying in formation with him was Sqn Ldr Priya Sharma, one of the Indian Air Force’s trailblazing women fighter pilots. The moment captured the end of an era for the MiG-21 and the continuing rise of women in India’s combat cockpits.
What exactly happened at Nal and why it mattered
With the final two MiG-21 squadrons weeks away from formal retirement, the IAF Chief flew tribute sorties at Nal AFS, marking the jet’s last operational missions after six decades of service. According to multiple reports, he flew alongside Sqn Ldr Priya Sharma, placing a spotlight on both the aircraft’s storied legacy and the new generation of pilots now shaping the force. A formal farewell ceremony is scheduled for late September at Chandigarh, where the MiG-21 first joined IAF service in 1963.
A quick primer on the MiG-21’s farewell
The MiG-21 has been the backbone of the IAF since the 1960s, flown in conflicts from 1965 and 1971 to Kargil (1999) and beyond. The Bison upgrade extended its life, but the type is finally giving way to newer platforms, including the indigenous Tejas Mk-1A. Reports from the day highlighted both the nostalgia and the forward-looking transition now underway.
Who is Sqn Ldr Priya Sharma?
Priya Sharma first came to national attention in December 2018 when she passed out of the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, becoming India’s 7th woman fighter pilot and the third from Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district. Coverage at the time noted her engineering background (B.Tech from IIIT-Kota) and the influence of her father, an IAF air warrior, on her decision to fly fighters.
Why her presence in this sortie is historic
- Symbolism at a pivotal handover: Sharing airspace with the Air Chief during the MiG-21’s operational farewell underlined the service’s evolution: honoring an icon while showcasing the cohort of women who now hold fighter streams.
- A visible role model for aspirants: Sharma’s journey from the 2018 passing-out parade to flying with the CAS offers a powerful, public example for girls considering military aviation. Her early interviews expressed a dream to fly the MiG-21; seven years later, she helped mark its goodbye.
The MiG-21: a legacy in numbers
Over roughly six decades of Indian service, the MiG-21 fleet saw multiple upgrades and thousands of sorties, participating in every major air campaign. Publicly reported figures often cited during the farewell also note a difficult safety record over the type’s long tenure. The IAF’s transition plan now emphasizes steady induction of newer platforms to rebuild squadron strength.
What this means for women in the fighter stream
The IAF’s first three women fighter pilots were commissioned in 2016; by late 2018, Priya Sharma became the seventh. Eight years on, women’s visibility in operational events like the MiG-21 farewell underscores normalization rather than exception. For cadets entering now, the path Sharma helped illuminate is broader and the cockpits more diverse than at any time in IAF history.
Quick Profile: Sqn Ldr Priya Sharma (At a Glance)
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stream | Fighters (IAF) |
| First national spotlight | Commissioned Dec 2018; 7th woman fighter pilot in India |
| Education | B.Tech (IIIT-Kota), training at AFA Dundigal & AF Stn Hakimpet (reported) |
| Hometown/roots | Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan |
| Family | Father served in the IAF |
| Notable moment | Flew in formation during the IAF Chief’s MiG-21 farewell sorties at Nal AFS, Aug 2025 |
MiG-21 Farewell: Key Facts
- Final operational missions: Conducted from Nal AFS, Bikaner; ceremonial de-induction slated in September at Chandigarh.
- Service length: About 60+ years with IAF; among the world’s most-produced supersonic fighters.
- Transition plan: Fleet replacement centers on HAL Tejas Mk-1A and future inductions.
Final word
The image of Sqn Ldr Priya Sharma taking to the sky alongside the Chief of the Air Staff on the MiG-21’s swansong day will endure for two reasons: it salutes a jet that defined generations of Indian fighter aviation and it celebrates the pilots who will define the next.
25 comments
Nostalgic, I have seen manufacture, test flight, by HAL Nashik, handing over of MIG 21 to IAF, here in Nashik, since 1963.
A great moment to see the Old Work Horse retiring to oblivion.A lasting acquaintance with the machine at a challenging airbase shall certainly remain etched in my memory. Stay peaceful my dear Bison,adorn my drawing room wall to my live memory. Keep inspiring the generation next,who once donned your combat cockpit.
Nal (Bikaner) my second posting stn (XMU) in 1969-71, where only a runway with few blast pens (then hardly in use) & two hangers partly used as workshops/ sotrage. The presence of ‘Dears’ (brown in colour & only two to three black one) added beauti to the stn & has nothing around at far distance axcep few bushes scattered and a village i.e. Nal. We around 30 to 35 with our CO (Flt Lt) felt proud of being part of prestigeous IAF. Once in 15- 20 days visiting aircraft used to bring change in atmosphere of the Stn. To-day, retired with 35 & half yrs of service, I feel proude to be part of Stn which is a fighter based & being used for flying by not less then CAS himself. My old memories have given me a best pleasure. My salute to the IAF which has given a best life & future to its people. Jai Hind/Jai Bharat.
Perfect way for passing on batton from old gen to new gen of both machines and men/women operating them.
Being an air veteran, feel extremely proud of Sqn Ldr Priya Sharma for being a fighter pilot & achieving a chance to fly Bison (Mig 21) on its historical farewell flying with CAS,IAF.
Wish, an woman flighter pilot becomes Chief of the IAF in the years to come.