WATCH: President Droupadi Murmu takes sortie on Rafale jet in Ambala, Air Force chief also present
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, was also present at the base and flew in a separate aircraft as part of the coordinated sortie exercise.
- Oct 29, 2025,
- Updated Oct 29, 2025 1:24 PM IST
President Droupadi Murmu, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, undertook a sortie aboard a Rafale fighter jet from the Ambala Air Force Station on Wednesday, becoming part of an elite list of Indian heads of state who have flown in frontline combat aircraft.
Dressed in a G-suit and holding a helmet in hand, President Murmu posed for photographs with the pilot before boarding the aircraft. Donning sunglasses, she waved from inside the jet moments before take-off at 11:27 am.
She was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour upon arrival at the Air Force Station. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, was also present at the base and flew in a separate aircraft as part of the coordinated sortie exercise.
The Rafale jets, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in September 2020 at the very same Ambala Air Force Station. The first five aircraft, which arrived from France on July 27, 2020, were inducted into 17 Squadron, the “Golden Arrows.”
Notably, Rafale jets were deployed during Operation Sindoor — India’s precision strike mission launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The operation, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories, led to four days of intense exchanges before an understanding to halt military action was reached on May 10.
This is not the first time President Murmu has taken to the skies. In April 2023, she undertook a sortie in a Sukhoi SU-30 MKI fighter jet at Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam, following in the footsteps of her predecessors A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil, who flew in the Sukhoi in 2006 and 2009, respectively.
Earlier on Tuesday, she inaugurated the Eighth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in New Delhi, where she underscored the importance of solar energy in driving global inclusion and sustainability. “Solar energy is not merely about power generation but about empowerment and inclusive development,” she remarked.
Her dual engagements — a high-powered sortie in a Rafale and a call for renewable energy collaboration — captured a broader narrative of India’s evolving identity: a nation advancing in both technological prowess and sustainable vision.
As President Murmu aptly said, “We should work with more dedication not only for our own countries but for the entire world, and not only for the present generation but for future generations.”
(With agency inputs)
President Droupadi Murmu, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, undertook a sortie aboard a Rafale fighter jet from the Ambala Air Force Station on Wednesday, becoming part of an elite list of Indian heads of state who have flown in frontline combat aircraft.
Dressed in a G-suit and holding a helmet in hand, President Murmu posed for photographs with the pilot before boarding the aircraft. Donning sunglasses, she waved from inside the jet moments before take-off at 11:27 am.
She was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour upon arrival at the Air Force Station. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, was also present at the base and flew in a separate aircraft as part of the coordinated sortie exercise.
The Rafale jets, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in September 2020 at the very same Ambala Air Force Station. The first five aircraft, which arrived from France on July 27, 2020, were inducted into 17 Squadron, the “Golden Arrows.”
Notably, Rafale jets were deployed during Operation Sindoor — India’s precision strike mission launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The operation, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories, led to four days of intense exchanges before an understanding to halt military action was reached on May 10.
This is not the first time President Murmu has taken to the skies. In April 2023, she undertook a sortie in a Sukhoi SU-30 MKI fighter jet at Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam, following in the footsteps of her predecessors A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil, who flew in the Sukhoi in 2006 and 2009, respectively.
Earlier on Tuesday, she inaugurated the Eighth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in New Delhi, where she underscored the importance of solar energy in driving global inclusion and sustainability. “Solar energy is not merely about power generation but about empowerment and inclusive development,” she remarked.
Her dual engagements — a high-powered sortie in a Rafale and a call for renewable energy collaboration — captured a broader narrative of India’s evolving identity: a nation advancing in both technological prowess and sustainable vision.
As President Murmu aptly said, “We should work with more dedication not only for our own countries but for the entire world, and not only for the present generation but for future generations.”
(With agency inputs)