'Air Chief Marshal AP Singh...' Who All Accompanied President Murmu On Her Historic Rafale Flight?

Ambala: As President Droupadi Murmu became the first President of India to fly on a Rafale fighter jet on Wednesday, she was accompanied by Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who flew in a separate aircraft from the same fleet. The Air Chief Marshal is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot with more than 5,000 hours of service flying on a variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Indian Air Force's No.17 Squadron, which played a crucial role in the 1999 Kargil War, took part in the President's sortie at the Air Force Station in Haryana's Ambala. The squadron, also known as the ‘Golden Arrows’, actively participated in the event.

The President's aircraft was piloted by Group Captain Amit Gehani, Commanding Officer of No. 17 Squadron 'Golden Arrows'. Earlier this month, Gehani received the prestigious Unit Citation for his squadron's performance during ‘Operation Sindoor’.
 

Interestingly, the President also posed with Squadron leader Shivangi Singh at the Ambala Air Force base. IAF pilot Singh had made headlines during ‘Operation Sindoor’, when Pakistan spread a false propaganda about capturing her as a prisoner of war near Sialkot after shooting down her fighter jet. The President's meeting with her in Ambala today has debunked the false claim made by the neighbouring country. Notably, Shivangi Singh is the first woman pilot to fly Rafale fighter jet. Singh was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 2017. Before flying the Rafale jet, she flew the MiG-21 Bison aircraft.

The President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, covered almost 200 kilometres on the Rafale jet, following which she said, “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 and the entire team of Air Force Station, Ambala, for organising this sortie successfully.”

Manufactured by French company Dassault Aviation, Rafale fighter jets were used in ‘Operation Sindoor’ to carry out strikes on terrorist bases in Pakistan.
 

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