President Droupadi Murmu Takes Historic Rafale Sortie at Ambala Air Force Station
Ambala, Haryana — In a powerful display of solidarity with the Indian Armed Forces, President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Indian military, took a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet at the Ambala Air Force Station on October 29, 2025.
Dressed in a pilot’s uniform and carrying a flight helmet, President Murmu interacted with Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel before boarding the aircraft. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and other senior officers were present to witness the momentous occasion.
This marks President Murmu’s second fighter jet sortie since assuming office. Her first was aboard a Sukhoi-30 MKI in April 2023 at Tezpur Air Force Station, Assam. She now joins the ranks of former Presidents A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil, who also undertook similar flights during their tenures.
The Rafale sortie comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, a recent IAF-led mission targeting terror infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. The exercise underscores the operational significance of the Rafale fleet and reaffirms the President’s confidence in India’s air defense capabilities.
Manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France, the Rafale is a twin-engine, multi-role combat aircraft formally inducted into the IAF in September 2020. The first batch of five jets was assigned to the No. 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ at Ambala, marking a major milestone in India’s air power modernization.
President Murmu’s participation in the sortie sends a strong message of national resolve and highlights the evolving role of women in India’s defense leadership.
