![](https://bharatshakti.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/LT-BSI-Defence.gif")
President and the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, Droupadi Murmu, on Wednesday created history by becoming the first Indian President to undertake a sortie in a Rafale fighter aircraft at the Indian Air Force (IAF) Station in Ambala, Haryana.
The 30-minute flight, which took off at 11:27 a.m., marked a milestone moment for the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Before boarding the twin-seater Rafale DH aircraft, President Murmu posed for photographs, helmet in hand and wearing sunglasses, waving to the gathered personnel and media.
Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh was among those present at the airbase. He also flew in a separate aircraft during the sortie exercise.
The Rafale jets, built by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, were formally inducted into the IAF in September 2020 at the same Ambala Air Force Station. They form part of India’s frontline deterrent fleet and were notably used during Operation Sindoor, India’s precision response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
It is not President Murmu’s first experience aboard a combat aircraft. On April 8, 2023, she became the third Indian President — and the second woman head of state — to take a sortie in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet at Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam. Former Presidents A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had earlier flown in Sukhoi-30 MKIs in 2006 and 2009, respectively.
The Rafale fleet operated by the IAF includes both the two-seater Rafale DH and the single-seater Rafale EH variants. The Indian Navy, too, employs the Rafale M variant for carrier operations. Besides India and France, countries such as Egypt, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, and the UAE operate Rafales, while Indonesia and Serbia are set to join the list later this decade.
Team BharatShakti
