Gunjan Saxena
Gunjan Saxena | |
|---|---|
| Native name | गुंजन सक्सेना |
| Born | August 1974 (age 50)/1975 (age 49–50) |
| Allegiance | India |
| Branch | Indian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1994–2004 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Battles / wars | Kargil War |
Gunjan Saxena (born 1975) is an Indian Air Force officer and former helicopter pilot. She joined the IAF in 1994 and is a 1999 Kargil War veteran. She is the first woman to fly in a combat zone during the Kargil War. One of her main roles during the Kargil War was to evacuate the wounded from Kargil, transport supplies, and assist in surveillance. She would go on to be part of operations to evacuate over 900 troops, both injured and deceased, from Kargil. In 2004, after serving as a pilot for eight years, her career as a helicopter pilot ended; permanent commissions for women were not available during her time.
The movie, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl was released in 2020 by Dharma Productions. Her autobiography, The Kargil Girl, was released along with the movie by Penguin Publishers, which she had co-written with author-duo Kiran Nirvan.