Ambala, Oct 29: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday undertook a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet from the Indian Air Force Station in Ambala, Haryana — marking her first flight in the advanced French-made combat aircraft.
The Rafale, inducted into the IAF in 2020, was the same jet type deployed during Operation Sindoor — a series of precision strikes India carried out on May 7 against terror infrastructures following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and other senior officers attended the event. “It’s an honour to witness our President take this symbolic flight that represents the courage and strength of our Air Force,” an official present at the ceremony noted.
Murmu, who serves as the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces, has earlier flown in the Sukhoi-30 MKI. In April 2023, she became the second woman President after Pratibha Patil and the third overall to take a fighter jet sortie, following A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2006 and Patil in 2009.
Dassault Aviation’s Rafale aircraft have been a cornerstone of India’s aerial fleet since their induction. The first five Rafales arrived from France on July 27, 2020, and were assigned to the 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’.
During Operation Sindoor, Rafales carried out deep strikes on targets in Pakistan-controlled territory, marking one of the IAF’s most significant offensive operations in recent years. The four-day escalation ended on May 10 with an understanding to halt military actions.
