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The President was seen dressed in a pilot’s uniform, carrying a flight helmet, and interacting with Air Force personnel before boarding the aircraft. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and other senior officers were present at the airbase to witness the event. Significance of the Rafale Sortie President Murmu’s sortie comes at a time when the Rafale fleet has played a key role in Operation Sindoor — the Indian Armed Forces’ recent mission targeting terror infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam following the April 22 terrorist attack. The exercise symbolises the President’s solidarity and confidence in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and highlights the Rafale’s operational importance in India’s defence capabilities. President Murmu’s Second Fighter Jet Sortie This is President Murmu’s second fighter aircraft sortie since assuming office. In April 2023, she took her first flight in a Sukhoi-30 MKI at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam, becoming the third Indian President and second woman head of state to do so. Former Presidents A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had also taken sorties in Sukhoi-30 MKI jets at Lohegaon Air Force Station near Pune in 2006 and 2009, respectively. About Rafale Fighter Jets The Rafale is a twin-engine, multi-role combat aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France. It was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force in September 2020 at the Ambala Air Force Station, marking a major milestone in India’s air defence modernization. The first batch of five Rafale jets, which arrived from France on July 27, 2020, was inducted into the No. 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ of the IAF. The Rafale was also the first imported fighter aircraft to join the IAF in 22 years, after the induction of Russian Sukhoi-30 fighters in 1997.
