Ambala Airbase, October 29, 2025 – President Droupadi Murmu today took a historic sortie in a Rafale fighter jet at the Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana, demonstrating the nation's air power and her solidarity with the armed forces. As the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, this event marks a significant moment, making her the first President of India to fly in the Rafale, one of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) most advanced combat aircraft.

President Murmu's visit to Ambala Air Force Station, one of the oldest and most crucial operational airbases in the IAF, underscores the strategic importance of the airbase and the Rafale aircraft in India's defense capabilities. This sortie follows her previous flight in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam on April 8, 2023, making her only the third President and second woman President to undertake such a feat. Former Presidents APJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had also taken sorties in the Sukhoi-30 MKI.

The Rafale jets, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force in September 2020 at the Ambala Air Force Station. These 4.5 generation fighter aircraft are equipped with state-of-the-art weapon systems and sensors, providing multi-role capabilities and enhancing the IAF's operational readiness. The Rafale has the capability to strike enemy targets from standoff ranges exceeding 300 km, along with advanced features like Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, and low-band jammers.

The timing of President Murmu's Rafale sortie is particularly noteworthy, considering the IAF's deployment of these jets during Operation Sindoor, which was the national response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

During her earlier sortie in the Sukhoi-30 MKI, piloted by Group Captain Naveen Kumar, President Murmu flew for approximately 30 minutes, soaring over the Brahmaputra and Tezpur valleys, with a breathtaking view of the Himalayas. The aircraft reached an altitude of around two kilometers above sea level and a speed of approximately 800 kilometers per hour. In the Tezpur Air Force Station visitors' book, the President described the experience as exhilarating and expressed her pride in India's growing defense capabilities across land, air, and sea. She also commended the Indian Air Force and the Tezpur team for organizing the sortie.

Sources from the Rashtrapati Bhavan have stated that President Murmu's sorties in fighter jets are part of her ongoing commitment to engage with the armed forces in her capacity as their Supreme Commander. In March 2023, she visited INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier commissioned in 2022, where she interacted with officers and sailors.

President Murmu's decision to undertake this Rafale sortie demonstrates her resolve to strengthen the bond between the President's office and the armed forces, while also signaling India's commitment to maintaining a strong and capable air force.