Indian Airforce Got its first Air Marshal Couple

Indian Air Force Got its First Air Marshal Couple: The Indian Air Force (IAF) achieved a significant milestone with the promotion of Air Marshal Sadhna Saxena Nair to the rank of Air Marshal, a three-star general. She is married to Air Marshal KP Nair (Retd), making them the first Air Marshal couple in IAF history.

Air Marshal Sadhna S Nair is the Second female medical officer to achieve this Rank

On 23rd October 2023, Air Marshal Sadhna Nair was promoted to the prestigious rank of Air Marshal, a notable achievement in her already impressive career. Interestingly, she is only the second woman officer in the IAF, who has served throughout her career (as military doctors can be posted to other services), to be promoted to the prestigious rank of Air Marshal. The first woman to achieve this remarkable feat was Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay (retired). Surgeon Vice Admiral Punita Arora (retired) in the Navy was another woman doctor who reached the three-star rank.

She assumed the position of Director-General of Hospital Services (Armed Forces), contributing her medical expertise to the IAF. Her husband, Air Marshal K P Nair, a retired fighter pilot who previously served as the IAF Director-General of Inspection and Flight Safety in 2015, already held the distinguished rank.

Air Marshal Sadhna Nair, a medical doctor, took over as Director-General of Hospital Services (Armed Forces). In doing so, she joined her husband, Air Marshal K P Nair, a fighter pilot who had previously served as the IAF's Director-General of Inspection and Flight Safety until his retirement in 2015. This power couple holds the distinction of being the first and only Air Marshal couple, a noteworthy accomplishment with no precedent.

In 2020, another remarkable military couple, the Kanitkars, set the precedent by becoming the first couple to reach the glorious rank of three-star officers in the armed forces. Lieutenant General Madhuri Kanitkar, a doctor in the Army, accomplished this alongside her husband, Lieutenant General Rajeev Kanitkar, who served as Quartermaster General until his retirement in 2017.

What sets Air Marshal Sadhna Nair apart is her remarkable family legacy within the IAF. Over the last seven decades, three generations of her family have dutifully served in the Indian Air Force. Her father and brother also made significant contributions as doctors in the IAF, while her son carries on the family tradition as a fighter pilot serving as Flight Lieutenant.

Air Marshal Sadhna Nair has displayed exemplary dedication and leadership throughout her career. Her impressive journey includes being the Principal Medical Officer at the IAF Training Command in Bengaluru during her previous appointment.  Air Marshal Sadhna Nair's journey began when she graduated from the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune. She was commissioned in December 1985 and has since demonstrated unwavering commitment to her role and responsibilities in the IAF.

The Indian armed forces have made significant strides in promoting gender equality in recent years. Women medical officers have been granted permanent commissions, marking a positive shift towards gender equality in the military. The Supreme Court's directive played a crucial role in ending gender inequality in the armed forces.

Furthermore, the combat exclusion policy, which had long restricted women from actively participating in combat roles, has been gradually dismantled. Women officers now serve as fighter jet pilots, operate on frontline warships, and handle howitzers and rocket systems in artillery regiments. The Indian Air Force, Army, and Navy collectively have over 145 women helicopter and transport aircraft pilots, along with 17 women flying supersonic jets, including MiG-21s, Sukhoi-30MKIs, and the modern Rafales. Approximately 30 women officers have been deployed on warships.

While substantial progress has been made in the inclusion of women officers in various roles within the armed forces, there remain certain areas where their induction has not yet taken place. For instance, women officers are yet to be inducted into the Army's primary "combat arms," which includes infantry, armored corps (tanks), and mechanized infantry (infantry combat vehicles). Similarly, submarines in the Navy are currently inaccessible to women officers.

The promotion of Air Marshal Sadhna Nair and her remarkable career exemplifies the dedication and capabilities of women in the Indian armed forces. Her achievement, along with the broader inclusion of women officers in various roles, highlights the nation's commitment to gender equality and the valuable contributions of women in safeguarding the country's security and sovereignty. The historic recognition of the first Air Marshal couple in the IAF is a significant milestone that reflects the evolving landscape of the Indian armed forces.