President Murmu Becomes First President to Fly in Rafale Jet:
President Droupadi Murmu took a 30-minute sortie in the Rafale fighter jet on October 29, 2025, from Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana. This made her the first President of India to fly in the Rafale, and notably, the only one to have flown in two different Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft—the Rafale and the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI.The sortie is a symbolic reaffirmation of her position as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. Earlier, on April 8, 2023, President Murmu had taken a sortie in a Sukhoi Su‑30 MKI from Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam. With the Rafale flight, she set a precedent by becoming the first Indian head of state to experience both frontline jets of the IAF.
