In her second sortie in a combat aircraft, President Droupadi Murmu flew in a Rafale fighter jet, which is also the IAF’s newest warplane. On a smoggy Wednesday morning, the plane took off from the Ambala airbase as Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, flew alongside her in a separate aircraft.

The 35-minute sortie -- with the call sign Golden Arrow One and piloted by Group Captain Amit Gehani, Commanding Officer of No. 17 Squadron -- covered about 200 km over parts of Haryana. The aircraft flew at an altitude of about 15,000 feet and at a speed of about 700 km per hour.

“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 a

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