President Murmu Takes Rafale Sortie at Ambala Air Force Station

Ambala, Oct 2025 : President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday undertook a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet at the Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana, marking her second flight in an Indian Air Force (IAF) combat aircraft. The Rafale jet played a pivotal role in ‘Operation Sindoor’, India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and senior IAF officers were present during the President’s visit. Before the sortie, President Murmu reviewed a guard of honour at the air base.

Waving as she prepared for take-off, President Murmu appeared in full IAF pilot uniform, complete with flight gear and helmet. Her flight, officials said, symbolises the nation’s confidence in the Indian Air Force’s operational readiness and its growing air power capabilities.

The Rafale, a twin-engine, multirole fighter jet manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France, was formally inducted into the IAF in September 2020 at the same Ambala Air Force Station. The aircraft has since become a key component of India’s frontline combat fleet, known for its agility, advanced avionics, and precision strike capabilities.

President Murmu’s sortie follows her earlier flight in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam on April 8, 2023. With that flight, she became the third Indian President and the second woman head of state to fly in a combat aircraft.

Former Presidents A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had also undertaken sorties in Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters — Dr. Kalam at the Lohegaon Air Force Station near Pune on June 8, 2006, and Ms. Patil at the same base on November 25, 2009.

The first batch of five Rafale aircraft arrived from France on July 27, 2020, and were inducted into the IAF’s 17 Squadron, “Golden Arrows,” stationed at Ambala. The Rafale marked the first imported fighter aircraft to join the Indian Air Force in over two decades, following the induction of Russian-built Sukhoi-30 fighters in 1997.

President Murmu’s latest sortie, officials said, reflects the strong synergy between India’s civilian leadership and its armed forces and underscores the country’s continuing commitment to strengthening its aerial defence capabilities.