President Droupadi Murmu Takes Sortie In Rafale Fighter Jet From Ambala Airbase (WATCH)

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday took a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet from the Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana, becoming the first female Indian President to do so. The supreme commander of the Indian armed forces received a ceremonial guard of honour at the airbase before embarking on the flight, marking another milestone in her engagement with the armed forces.

"The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, will visit Ambala, Haryana tomorrow where she will take a sortie in Rafale," a statement issued on Tuesday by the Rashtrapati Bhavan had said. President Murmu was scheduled to visit Ambala on October 18 but had to postpone her visit due to unknown reasons.

It is her maiden visit to one of the oldest Indian Air Force stations, which houses French-built fighter aircraft Rafale.

The supreme commander of the Indian armed forces received a ceremonial guard of honour at the airbase before embarking on the flight, marking another milestone in her engagement with the armed forces.

Droupadi Murmu flew in Sukhoi-30MKI in 2023

President Murmu took a historic sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam on April 8, 2023. The President had flown for approximately 30 minutes covering Brahmaputra and Tezpur valley with a view of Himalayas before returning back to the Air Force Station.

The aircraft was flown by Group Captain Naveen Kumar, Commanding Officer of the 106 Squadron. The aircraft flew at a height of about two kilometers above sea level and at a speed of about 800 kilometers per hour.

President Murmu is the third President and second woman President to undertake such a sortie.

Later in the visitor’s book, the President expressed her feelings by writing a brief note in which she had written: "It was an exhilarating experience for me to fly in the mighty Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force. It is a matter of pride that India's defence capabilities have expanded immensely to cover all the frontiers of land, air and sea.”

“I congratulate the Indian Air Force and the entire team of Air Force Station Tezpur for organising this sortie.”

Prior to her, former Presidents like Pratibha Patil and APJ Abdul Kalam had also flown in the fighter jet.