An Exmouth woman who became the RAF's first ever female commander of a Tornado bomber squadron is set to lead airstrikes against Islamic State.
Wing Commander Nikki Thomas, who took charge of the newly reformed No 12 Squadron at RAF Marham in Norfolk on Friday, flew a daring low mission to help foil a deadly rocket attack on a UK base in Afghanistan.
Thomas, 36, will take command of at least 250 highly-trained RAF staffers, including 30 of Britain's top gun pilots and flying weapons system operators - dubbed whizzos.
Originally from Exmouth she has extensive experience of combat operations, clocking up more than 35 missions in Afghanistan within three months alone
Wing Commander Nikki Thomas made history after being put in charge of 250 fighter pilots and system operators at No 12 Squadron based at RAF Marham, Norfolk, and she is expected to lead the team in Iraq to support Operation Shader.
She said: "I am so proud I can't stop smiling from ear to ear. I have been flying for 12 years and faced many different tasks but nothing as busy and challenging as this - but commanding a Squadron is something that really excites me. I would rather this sort of job than be stuck in an office all day.
"The fact that I am a woman has personally made no difference, nobody treats me differently, and hopefully the more this influences girls to join the better, because this is a great job."
Wing Commander Thomas is being trained in gruelling 'escape and evasion' techniques to prepare her for being shot down behind enemy lines.
The position was handed to her at a formal parade which saw the No 2 (Army Cooperation) Squadron change from a Tornado to a Typhoon Force.
The Number 12 (Bomber) squadron has now taken over as a Tornado force.
Wing Commander Thomas, who specialises in flying a two-seater £9.4million Tornado, added: 'This has been a superb day and the guys and girls on parade today were fantastic.
'It has been a very proud day for all those involved and I'm very much looking forward to working with the personnel of this truly fantastic Squadron.'
Wing Commander Thomas joined the RAF as a Navigator in 2000 after graduating with an Aeronautical Engineering degree at Loughborough University and has continued up the ranks ever since.
She once flew a daring low mission to help foil a deadly rocket attack on a UK base in Afghanistan.
In December 2009, as squadron leader of No 31 Squadron Tornado team, she formed the RAF's first all-female Tornado jet crew with pilot, Flight Lieutenant Juliette Fleming.
They flew an aircraft armed with 500lb laser guided Paveway IV bombs, Brimstone air-to-ground missiles and a 27mm gun.
Their missions helped both American and British troops under fire in Helmand Province.
Raised in Exmouth, Devon, Wg Cdr Thomas attended a comprehensive school before the RAF sponsored her through an aeronautical engineering degree at Loughborough University.
She then went on to officer training at RAF College Cranwell and has since served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Her parents, Jacqueline and Peter, are both retired engineers and her father volunteers with the Exmouth RNLI.
She was the first woman to take that role in Afghanistan and one of the youngest members of the RAF to rank so highly.
She was also the only female on the Tornado GR4 to become a qualified weapons instructor.
After she finished her weapons course in 2005 she moved to RAF Marham and before leaving the cockpit in 2010 to work for the Ministry of Defence.
She completed an MA in Defence studies before being trained for her new role which she was told she had 'a few months ago.'
