Ambala (Balwinder Singh): President Droupadi Murmu experienced the thrill of a Rafale fighter jet sortie on Wednesday, taking off from Ambala Air Force Station as part of her engagement with the Indian Air Force.
Clad in a G-suit and carrying her helmet, President Murmu posed with the pilot before the flight, waving to onlookers from inside the cockpit at 11:27 a.m. on her high-speed journey through the skies. Air Chief Marshal A P Singh also conducted a separate flight from the same airbase during the visit.
A guard of honour was presented to the President upon her arrival, reflecting the ceremonial importance of the occasion. Rafale aircraft, manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France, were inducted into the Indian Air Force in September 2020, with the first batch joining the 17 Squadron, ‘Golden Arrows’.
These jets have been deployed in critical operations, including Operation Sindoor, launched in May 2023 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The operation targeted terror infrastructure across the border and concluded after four days of intense military engagement.
President Murmu’s Rafale sortie follows her earlier flight in a Sukhoi-30 MKI at Tezpur Air Force Station, Assam, in April 2023. Previous Presidents, including APJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil, have also undertaken fighter jet flights, demonstrating India’s commitment to air power and the ceremonial role of the head of state in the armed forces.
