By Admin 
President Draupadi Murmu has created history by flying in both the main fighter jets of the country, Sukhoi and Rafale, which rescued Pakistan in Operation Sindoor. On Wednesday, the Supreme Commander of the country took a half-hour flight in Rafale at Ambala airbase.
Murmu has also flown Sukhoi
In the year 2023, the President flew in a Sukhoi fighter plane from Tezpur Airbase (Assam). In the first phase of Operation Sindoor (night of 6-7 May), Rafale fighter planes bombed and destroyed the headquarters of terrorist organizations Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan. In the second phase of the operation, on the night of 9-10 May, the Air Force destroyed 11 airbases of Pakistan using BrahMos missiles from Sukhoi fighter jets.
Guard of honor given to Draupadi Murmu
On Wednesday morning, President Murmu reached Ambala airbase, where he was given a guard of honour. After this the President met the air warriors deployed at the airbase. The Golden Arrow (17th) squadron of Rafale fighter aircraft deployed at Ambala airbase played an important role in Operation Sindoor. During this, the Supreme Commander was given a briefing about Rafale, Ambala Airbase and the operational capabilities of the Air Force in the presence of Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.
This month, on the occasion of Air Force Day (8 October), the Air Chief Marshal honored the Golden Arrow Squadron with a citation for playing an important role in Operation Sindoor. On the occasion of Independence Day, the government had announced the award of Vir Chakra to the (then) Commanding Officer (CO) of the Golden Arrows, Group Captain Ranjit Singh Sidhu. When Rafale fighter aircraft came to India from France for the first time in the year 2020, the first squadron was deployed at this Ambala airbase (the second squadron is deployed in Hasimara, West Bengal).
Group Captain Amit Gehani, the current Commanding Officer (CO) of the Golden Arrow Squadron, flew in the Rafale fighter with the Supreme Commander. According to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the aircraft flew at a speed of 700 kilometers per hour at an altitude of about 15 thousand feet. The President traveled about 200 kilometers by air in half an hour.
He also flew with the President
Group Captain Gehani and the Air Force Chief, at the same time as the President, also flew in Rafale from Ambala airbase. After take-off, the President expressed his sentiments by writing a brief note in the visitor’s book at the airbase. In the visitor’s book, the President wrote, ‘I am extremely happy to come to Air Force Station Ambala for my first flight on the Rafale aircraft of the Indian Air Force. Flying on Rafale is an unforgettable experience for me.
The Supreme Commander wrote that ‘This first flight on the Prabal Rafale aircraft has filled me with a new sense of pride in the defense capabilities of the nation. I congratulate the Indian Air Force and the entire team of Air Force Station, Ambala for the successful conduct of this flight. Before Draupadi Murmu, the then President APJ Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil had flown in Sukhoi fighter aircraft. But Draupadi Murmu has registered her name in history by flying in Rafale with Sukhoi.