India, Sept. 2 -- In a historic milestone for the Indian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma has become the first woman officer (non-medical) in the country's armed forces to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal or equivalent, officials said on Tuesday.

She assumed the appointment of assistant chief of the air staff (education) at the Air Headquarters on September 1, they said.

The air officer previously held the rank of air commodore, an IAF official said.

"In a historic milestone for the Indian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma became the first woman officer (non-medical) in the Indian Defence Forces to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal (or equivalent)," the defence ministry said.

Commissioned into the Education Branc...