President Droupadi Murmu’s Historic Rafale Flight: A New Chapter in India’s Defence Pride

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday (October 29, 2025) took a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet from the Indian Air Force Station in Ambala, and described the experience as “unforgettable”, one that instilled a “renewed sense of pride” in India’s defence capabilities.

Ms. Murmu made history as she became the first President of India to fly in two different fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Previously, she undertook a sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI in April 2023 from Tezpur in Assam.

Wearing a G-suit and a pair of aviator sunglasses, President Droupadi Murmu - the Commander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces exuded confidence as she posed for photographs and flashed a cheerful thumbs up before boarding the French made Rafale jet. The aircraft, piloted by Group Captain Amit Gehani, Commanding Officer of the 17 Squadron, soared into the skies at exactly 11:27 a.m., marking a proud moment in India’s defence history.

President Droupadi Murmu - with Group Captain Amit Gehani

The sortie lasted around 30 minutes, covering nearly 200 kilometres. During the flight, the Rafale jet climbed to an altitude of approximately 15,000 feet and reached a top speed of about 700 kilometres per hour, according to a statement from the President’s Office.

After landing, President Droupadi Murmu expressed her joy in the visitor’s book, writing, “The sortie on Rafale was an unforgettable experience for me. This first flight on the powerful Rafale aircraft has filled me with immense pride in our nation’s defence capabilities. I extend my congratulations to the Indian Air Force.”

Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh also took part in the occasion, flying a separate Rafale sortie from the same air base.

Upon arrival in Ambala, the President was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour. Prior to the flight, President Murmu was pictured with Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, the country’s first woman Rafale fighter jet pilot.

Ms. Singh was claimed to have been captured during ‘Operation Sindoor’ by a pro-Pakistan social media handle. The Press Information Bureau Fact Check had previously confirmed this claim as fake.

President Murmu’s flight follows in the footsteps of former Presidents who have flown in fighter jets, starting with A P J Abdul Kalam (Sukhoi 30 MKI) on June 8, 2006, and Pratibha Patil (Sukhoi 30 MKI) on November 25, 2009.

Manufactured by Dassault Aviation, Rafale jets were formally inducted into the IAF’s 17 Squadron, the ‘Golden Arrows’, in September 2020 at the Ambala Air Force Station.

The first five Rafale aircraft, which had arrived from France on July 27, 2020, were inducted into the Squadron.

The jets were used in Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7 to destroy several terror infrastructures in territories controlled by Pakistan. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding between the two neighbours on halting the military actions on May 10. 

President Droupadi Murmu poses for a picture with Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh, whom Pakistan falsely claimed had been captured during Operation Sindoor. Murmu took a sortie in Rafale fighter jet, at Air Force Station in Haryana's Ambala

Another aviation milestone

Later, in the visitor’s book, the President expressed her feelings by writing a brief note in which she said, “I am delighted to visit Air Force Station Ambala for my maiden flight on Rafale aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The sortie on Rafale is an unforgettable experience for me. This first flight on the potent Rafale aircraft has instilled in me a renewed sense of pride in the nation’s defence capabilities. I congratulate the Indian Air Force and the entire team of Air Force Station, Ambala for organising this sortie successfully.”

This achievement adds to President Murmu’s aviation milestones. In 2023, she became the first head of state to fly in a Sukhoi-30 MKI, underscoring her engagement with the military’s frontline assets. The official Rashtrapati Bhavan account celebrated the event on X, noting: “She is the first President of India to take sortie in two fighter aircrafts of the Indian Air Force.”

The sortie has been hailed as an inspiring moment, symbolising national pride and the evolving role of women in leadership, with social media buzzing about its motivational impact on aspiring aviators. As India continues to modernise its air fleet, President Murmu’s flight reaffirms the synergy between civilian oversight and military prowess.