Guwahati: Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who led a high-risk rescue operation in Arunachal Pradesh in 2020, took the national spotlight as she took charge of the tri-services media briefing following Operation Sindoor, the precision cross-border strike India carried out on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Operating under extreme weather and rugged terrain, she evacuated stranded civilians in Arunachal Pradesh in 2020, reinforcing her capability as one of the Indian Air Force’s most dependable helicopter pilots.
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Her mettle was again proven in 2021 when she joined an all-women tri-services mountaineering expedition to Mt. Manirang (21,650 ft).
Her journey into the skies began long before that mission. True to the meaning of her name, Vyomika, or “daughter of the sky,” she had aspired to become a pilot from an early age.
Determined to pursue her dream, she enrolled in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) during her student years, later completing an engineering degree.
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She eventually became the first member of her family to join the armed forces.
On December 18, 2019, Singh earned a permanent commission as a helicopter pilot in the IAF’s flying branch.
Since then, she has logged over 2,500 flight hours, operating aircraft such as the Chetak and Cheetah helicopters in some of India’s most demanding environments, from the snow-covered heights of Jammu and Kashmir to isolated regions across the Northeast.
Her courage and resilience stood out once again in 2021, when she participated in an all-women tri-services mountaineering expedition that successfully summited Mt. Manirang, one of the tallest peaks in Himachal Pradesh at 21,650 feet.
Singh later made history by leading the tri-services media briefing following Operation Sindoor—India’s precision military strike targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation, launched in response to the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam, marked a defining moment in India’s counterterror strategy.
At the press briefing, Singh not only conveyed mission details with clarity but also represented a changing image of India’s armed forces, where women now lead from the front, both in combat zones and in public communication.
Through her service, she has emerged as a symbol of commitment, progress, and the growing presence of women in India’s defense leadership.