Jaipur, February 27, 2026 : President Droupadi Murmu on Friday undertook a historic 25-minute sortie as co-pilot in the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) ‘Prachand’ near the India–Pakistan border in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, becoming the first Indian President to fly in an attack helicopter.
Clad in an olive-green flying suit and helmet, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces boarded the indigenously developed combat helicopter at the Indian Air Force station in Jaisalmer after being briefed by the captain. She waved from the cockpit before take-off.
During the sortie, which flew over the strategic Pokhran Firing Range, President Murmu delivered a message to the nation from the cockpit.
“Prachand helicopter is a powerful symbol of self-reliance. At this moment, I am flying over Jaisalmer district. I extend my heartfelt greetings and deepest gratitude to our brave soldiers. A warm salute to you — Jai Hind, Jai Bharat,” she said.
The President is also scheduled to witness the Indian Air Force’s firepower demonstration ‘Vayu Shakti’ later in the evening, showcasing day-dusk-night combat capabilities.
IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh welcomed the President at the airbase.
A Milestone in Military Engagements
With this sortie, President Murmu added another milestone to her engagements with frontline military platforms. In October last year, she flew in a Dassault Rafale at the Ambala Air Force Station. Earlier, in April 2023, she undertook a 30-minute sortie in a Sukhoi Su-30MKI at Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam, flying over the Brahmaputra valley with a view of the Himalayas.
She now becomes the first Indian President to have flown in both fighter jets and an attack helicopter of the IAF.
About LCH ‘Prachand’
The LCH ‘HAL Light Combat Helicopter’—meaning “fierce”—is India’s first indigenously designed and developed combat helicopter, built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Equipped with advanced avionics, stealth features, night-attack capability and a formidable weapons package including air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, rockets and a 20 mm gun, the LCH significantly enhances India’s combat preparedness, especially in high-altitude and border operations.
The helicopter was formally inducted into the IAF in October 2022, a ceremony attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who had also flown a sortie in the platform.
President Murmu’s flight near the western border underscored India’s growing self-reliance in defence manufacturing and its commitment to strengthening frontline military capabilities.
