Registering it as a historic and maiden sortie, President Droupadi Murmu, Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, flew a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam on Saturday.
According to the statement of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President flew the sortie for nearly 30 minutes covering Brahmaputra and Tezpur valley with a view of Himalayas before returning to the Air Force Station. President Murmu is the third President and second woman President to have flown such a sortie.
The Sokhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft was flown by Group Captain Naveen Kumar, Commanding Officer of the 106 Squadron, which took the height of around two kilometers above sea level with the speed of about 800 kilometers per hour.
Later, President Murmu expressed her feelings by writing a note in the visitor’s book. “It was an exhilarating experience for me to fly in the mighty Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force,” she said and added that India’s defence capabilities have expanded hugely, covering all frontiers of land, air and sea.
Writing the visitor’s book, the President congratulated the Indian Air Force and the entire team of Air Force Station Tezpur for organizing such a sortie.
Briefing on the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force and the aircraft, Murmu expressed satisfaction on the operational preparedness of the IAF.
The sortie in the Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft taken by President Murmu is seen as a part of her efforts to remain engaged with the armed forces being the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.
Earlier, the President visited INS Vikrant in March 2023, where she interacted with officers and sailors on board of the indigenously built aircraft.