Ambala: President Droupadi Murmu created a new milestone on Wednesday morning by taking a flight in a French-origin Rafale fighter jet from Ambala Air Force Station, Haryana. During this historic flight, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, along with several senior officials, was present. This flight is not only a symbol of the President’s adventurous leadership style but also strongly showcases India’s growing defence capabilities and the resolve of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ on the global stage.
This is not the first time President Murmu flew in a fighter jet. Earlier, on April 8, 2023, she became the third President and the second woman head of state to fly a fighter jet, taking off from Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft. Before her, Presidents A P J Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had also flown in the Sukhoi-30 MKI.
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The Rafale fighter jet, manufactured by the French aerospace company Dassault Aviation, was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at Ambala Air Force Station in September 2020. The first five Rafale aircraft, which arrived from France on July 27, 2020, were inducted into the 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’. This multi-role fighter aircraft has become a significant part of the Air Force’s strength.
The Rafale demonstrated its capabilities in ‘Operation Sindoor’, where several terrorist hideouts in Pakistan-controlled areas were successfully destroyed on May 7. This operation proved the jet’s advanced technology, precision strikes, and long-range strike capability.
Shortly before the aircraft took off at 11.27 am, the President Murmu posed for pictures, holding a helmet in hand and wearing sunglasses. She waved from inside the jet just ahead of starting with her flight.
