NEW DELHI: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on Wednesday took a sortie in a Rafale aircraft at Air Force Station in Ambala today.
As per the statement of the President’s Secretariat, “She is the first President of India to have taken a sortie in two fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force.”
Earlier, she took a sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI in 2023 at IAF's Tezpur air base.
Air Force Station, Ambala, is the first Air Force Station where Rafale aircraft arrived from Dassault Aviation Facility, France.
The President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, flew for approximately 30 minutes covering about 200 kilometres before returning to the Air Force Station.
The aircraft was flown by Group Captain Amit Gehani, Commanding Officer of the 17 Squadron. The aircraft flew at a height of about 15,000 ft above sea level and at a speed of about 700 kilometres per hour.
Later, in the visitor’s book, the President expressed her feelings by writing a brief note: “I am delighted to visit Air Force Station Ambala for my maiden flight in the Rafale aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The sortie on the Rafale was an unforgettable experience for me. This first flight on the potent Rafale aircraft has instilled in me a renewed sense of pride in our nation’s defence capabilities. I congratulate the Indian Air Force and the entire team at Air Force Station Ambala for successfully organising this sortie.”
The President was also briefed on the operational capabilities of Rafale and the Indian Air Force.
The Rafale jet is considered a 4.5-generation fighter aircraft and is armed with unmatched weapon systems and sensors with multi-role capability.
As earlier reported by TNIE, besides jamming enemy radars, the Rafale has the capability to strike enemy targets from an unchallenged standoff range of more than 300 km.
The Rafale jets are loaded with India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low-band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems, among others.
President Murmu is the third President and the second woman President to undertake such a sortie. Prior to her, former Presidents like Pratibha Patil and APJ Abdul Kalam had also flown in the fighter jet.
