On Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu took a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet from the Indian Air Force Station in Ambala, Haryana.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shared a live broadcast of the historic flight, hailing it as an inspirational message to "empower women…to encourage them in the field of defence and military. "
A day earlier, the Rashtrapati Bhavan issued a statement saying, “The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, will visit Ambala, Haryana tomorrow, where she will take a sortie in Rafale.”
The Rafale fighter jets were used in Operation Sindoor, which was initiated on May 7 to eliminate terror infrastructures along the border after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
ANI posted a video capturing the moment President Droupadi Murmu took off in a Rafale aircraft from the Ambala Air Force Station. Watch here.
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A symbolic flight
President Murmu saluted from within the cockpit before the flight departed at 11:27 a.m., wearing complete flight attire and her helmet. She arrived at the airbase to be greeted by a ceremonial guard of honour. Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh was also present on the occasion.
President Murmu's second combat aircraft experience
This was President Murmu's second sorties flying experience in a fighter jet. On April 8, 2023, she became the third President and the second woman President to take a sortie on a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter plane at Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam. Former Presidents A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had taken similar sorties earlier in 2006 and 2009, respectively.
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About the Rafale Fighter jet
Manufactured by French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation, the Rafale was officially inducted into the Indian Air Force in September 2020 at Ambala. The initial five planes, which landed from France on July 27, 2020, were part of the 17 Squadron, also called the "Golden Arrows."
