Navy follows in IAF footsteps, to send woman officer as defence attache to Moscow

Wing Commander Anjali Singh, with service experience of 17 years, had joined the Indian Embassy in Moscow as the Air Force attaché on September 10.
Woman Navy officers. (Photo | File, EPS)
Woman Navy officers. (Photo | File, EPS)

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy is set to post its first woman defence attaché at a foreign embassy soon.

This comes soon after the Indian Air Force set the ball rolling by appointing the country’s first woman defence attaché. Wing Commander Anjali Singh, with service experience of 17 years, joined the Indian Embassy in Moscow on 10 September.

Confirming the process a senior officer said, “We have formed a panel of probable officers and within 10 days we will complete the final selection of the officer.”

The panel consists of three women officers serving at the ranks of Lieutenant Commander and Commander. In the Navy, an officer becomes a Commander after service of about 13 years.

One of them will be joining the Indian Embassy in Moscow as the Additional Defence Attache (Navy), added the officer.

Defence attachés assist in defence cooperation, training, procurement and security. At some embassies, there are officers from all three services.

Attachés play a crucial role in the country’s military diplomacy. India has defence attachés in 95 countries, including deputies.

The process of appointing women defence attachés was started by Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman when she was defence minister.

The number and percentage of women officers vis a vis male officers in the three services are as under:

Army (excluding Medical, Dental and MNS officers): 1561 (3.89%)/ 41,074

Navy (including Medical & Dental officers): 644 (6.7%)/ 10,652

Air Force (excluding Medical & Dental officers): 1594 (13.28%)/ 10,781

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