President Droupadi Murmu Set to Fly in Rafale Fighter Jet at Ambala Air Force Base

President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to take a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet from Haryana's Ambala Air Force base on Wednesday.

In 2023, President Murmu flew in a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft in Assam, making her the third President and second female head of state to experience such a flight.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan issued a statement on Tuesday confirming, "The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, will visit Ambala, Haryana tomorrow, where she will take a sortie in Rafale."

Rafale fighter jets were deployed during Operation Sindoor, India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The operation, launched on May 7, targeted terror infrastructures in Pakistan-controlled territories, resulting in four days of intense military engagements before an understanding was reached on May 10.

Former Presidents APJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had previously undertaken sorties in Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft at Pune's Air Force Station, Lohegaon on June 8, 2006, and November 25, 2009, respectively.

As the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces, President Murmu's upcoming Rafale sortie follows her previous military aircraft experience.

The Rafale fighter aircraft, manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation, were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force in September 2020 at Ambala Air Force Station. The first five Rafale jets arrived from France on July 27, 2020, and were assigned to the 'Golden Arrows' 17 Squadron.