Becomes First Indian President to Fly in Two Different Fighter Jets
AMBALA (ATP):President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, undertook a historic sortie in a Rafale fighter jet from the Air Force Station, Ambala in Haryana on Wednesday, marking an unprecedented engagement with the nation’s frontline combat fleet.
The sortie, which lasted for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, covered an estimated 200 kilometers at a height of about 15,000 feet and a speed of about 700 kilometres per hour, according to official reports. Group Captain Amit Gehani, the Commanding Officer of the 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’, piloted the aircraft. Air Chief Marshal A P Singh also flew in a separate Rafale aircraft from the same airbase.
Upon her arrival at the Air Force Station this morning, the President was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour. She was welcomed by Air Chief Marshal Amarpreet Singh, Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij, Ambala Deputy Commissioner Ajay Singh Tomar, and other officials.
This flight makes President Murmu the first President of India to have taken sorties in two different fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Earlier, in April 2023, she had undertaken a similar sortie in a Russian-origin Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam.
Before boarding the French-manufactured Rafale jet, the President donned a G-suit and waved to onlookers. The Rafale jets were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at the Ambala Air Force Station in September 2020.
Later in the visitor’s book, the President described the experience as “unforgettable,” adding that the flight “has instilled in me a renewed sense of pride in the nation’s defence capabilities.”