Droupadi Murmu becomes first President to take sortie in Rafale 

President Droupadi Murmu became the first Indian President to fly in the Indian Air Force’s most advanced Rafale fighter jet during a sortie from Ambala Air Force Station, Haryana.

This historic flight marks an important milestone as the President, serving as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, personally experiences India’s cutting-edge combat aircraft.

The Rafale, manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation and inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2020, is a 4.5 generation fighter jet known for its multi-role combat capabilities. It has played a pivotal role in key military operations, including Operation Sindoor—targeted strikes against terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following a terror attack in Pahalgam.

President Murmu had earlier taken a sortie in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet in April 2023 at Tezpur Air Force Station, Assam, becoming the third President and second woman to undertake such a flight. Before her, former Presidents APJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had flown in Sukhoi-30 MKI jets in 2006 and 2009, respectively.

The President’s Rafale flight underscores her engagement with India’s armed forces and provides symbolic backing to the Air Force’s technological advancements and defense preparedness. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of Air Staff, was present to oversee the occasion.

The sortie at Ambala brings focus to India’s growing air combat power through its fleet of Rafale jets and highlights the strategic importance of indigenous and foreign collaborations in strengthening national defense capabilities.