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When President Droupadi Murmu took flight in a Rafale jet alongside Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh- the same pilot Pakistan once falsely claimed to have captured it wasn’t just a sortie. What message was India really sending?
The sortie lasted about 30 minutes.
Ambala: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday took a historic sortie in a Rafale fighter jet at the Ambala Air Force Station: a symbolic moment that went far beyond a ceremonial flight.
Her co-pilot for the day was none other than Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, India’s first woman Rafale pilot and the same officer Pakistan’s media had once falsely claimed to have captured.
The powerful image of the President standing beside Singh calm, confident, and smiling in her G-suit delivered what many interpreted as a firm message to Pakistan: India’s women in uniform are not just breaking barriers, but also dismantling propaganda.
A Historic Flight Over Ambala Skies
On October 29, President Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, experienced firsthand the Rafale’s advanced combat capabilities. She flew alongside Group Captain Amit Gehani, while Air Chief Marshal AP Singh led the formation in another Rafale.
The sortie lasted about 30 minutes, covering nearly 200 kilometres. The aircraft flew at an altitude of around 15,000 feet and reached speeds of up to 700 km per hour.
Dressed in a full flight suit, President Murmu waved from the cockpit before takeoff, marking a rare and empowering moment for India’s defence establishment.
President Droupadi Murmu took a sortie in a Rafale aircraft at Air Force Station, Ambala, Haryana. She is the first President of India to take sortie in two fighter aircrafts of the Indian Air Force. Earlier, she took a sortie in Sukhoi 30 MKI in 2023. pic.twitter.com/Rvj1ebaCou
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 29, 2025
President Murmu’s Message of Pride
After landing, President Murmu expressed her admiration for the Indian Air Force’s precision and professionalism.
“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 and the entire team of Air Force Station Ambala for organising this sortie successfully,” she said in an official statement shared on X (formerly Twitter).
This was not the President’s first flight experience in April 2023, she had flown in a Sukhoi Su-30MKI from the Tezpur Air Base in Assam. But this sortie, observers noted, carried deeper strategic symbolism.
Background: Pakistan’s False Claims During Operation Sindoor
The sortie came months after Pakistan’s disinformation campaign following Operation Sindoor, India’s military retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in May, which claimed 26 lives.
In the aftermath, Pakistani media had peddled baseless claims that their forces had “captured” an Indian Rafale pilot naming her as Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh. The rumours were quickly debunked by India’s armed forces, which released evidence showing that not only was Singh safe and on duty, but Pakistan had also lost several of its own aircraft in the confrontation.
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According to the Indian Air Force, Pakistan lost six planes during the exchange, including four American-made F-16s and two Chinese-origin JF-17s. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh had described the losses as “a decisive demonstration of India’s air superiority.”
Symbolism and Strength
By choosing to fly in a Rafale- the pride of the Indian Air Force’s fleet alongside the very officer once used in Pakistan’s misinformation campaign, the President underscored India’s unwavering confidence in its armed forces.
The image of Murmu with Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh has since gone viral on social media, celebrated as a moment of quiet defiance and national pride a fitting response to propaganda, delivered not through words, but through action.
