Women Power: Wing Commander Anjali Singh Becomes India's First Female Military Diplomat

Wing Commander Anjali Singh has become India’s first female military diplomat to be posted in any of the Indian missions abroad after she took charge as the Deputy Air Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Russia.

The 41-year-old officer who is trained on MiG-29 fighter jet is an aeronautical engineer who served with fighter squadrons during her 17-year military career. Singh hails from Bihar and was posted in Jodhpur recently.

“Wing Commander Anjali Singh joined @IndEmbMoscow on September 10 as the Deputy Air Attaché. She enjoys the distinction of being the first female Indian Armed Forces Officer to be posted as a military diplomat in any of the Indian missions abroad,” the embassy tweeted.

Wg Cdr Anjali is an AE(L) officer with 17 yrs of service. She is trained on MiG-29 aircraft. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @ANI @PTI_News @WIONews @IAF_MCC @SpokespersonMoD @DefenceMinIndia @RT_com @SputnikInt @tass_agency @riabreakingnews pic.twitter.com/WFOYwDSaoe

— India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) September 16, 2019

An air attaché is an Air Force officer who is part of any diplomatic mission, representing the chief of the home air force in any foreign country where he or she serves. Until now, only male officers from the three services were appointed as military attachés in overseas Indian missions.

“Indian women have made their mark overseas since the time Chonira Belliappa Muthamma became first Indian woman diplomat decades ago. She made her mark and so shall Wing Commander Anjali Singh. It’s a march forward to Russia, with love,” Wing Commander Anupama Joshi, one of the first women to join the air force in 1993 told Hindustan Times.

In August, Wing Commander S Dhami became the first female officer to become the Flight Commander of a flying unit. Wing Commander Dhami was appointed as Flight Commander of a Chetak helicopter unit at Hindon airbase. She is now a permanent commission officer of the flying branch in the IAF and has been flying choppers.

Changing the trend, the Indian army and the navy are also looking forward to appointing women officers as defence attachés shortly.

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