PRESIDENT MURMU TAKES TO THE SKY

President Murmu’s sortie aboard a Sukhoi Su-80 MKI fighter jet made her the third President, and second woman President, to participate in such a fighter sortie

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On April 8, 2023, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, embarked on a sortie aboard a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam. In her role as Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, the President took to the skies for a duration of roughly 30 minutes, surveying the Brahmaputra and Tezpur valley while taking in a view of the Himalayas, before returning to the Air Force Station.

The aircraft was piloted by Group Captain Naveen Kumar, the Commanding Officer of the 106 Squadron. Throughout the duration of the sortie, the aircraft maintained an altitude of roughly two kilometers above sea level, reaching speeds of approximately 800 kilometers per hour. The President was also provided with a comprehensive briefing on the operational capabilities of the aircraft and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

After her sortie, the President shared her feelings by writing a brief note in the visitor’s book, “It was an exhilarating experience for me to fly in the mighty Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force. It is a matter of pride that India’s defence capabilities have expanded immensely to cover all the frontiers of land, air and sea. I congratulate the Indian Air Force and the entire team of Air Force Station Tezpur for organising this sortie.”