Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday undertook a sortie in the indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter ‘Prachand’ near the India–Pakistan border in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district.The helicopter took off from the Indian Air Force station in Jaisalmer, where the President was briefed by the captain before the flight. Wearing an olive-green flying suit and helmet, Murmu was seen waving from the cockpit before departure.LCH ‘Prachand’ is India’s first indigenously designed and developed combat helicopter and has been built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).The helicopter is designed for operations across a wide range of terrains, including deserts and high-altitude regions. With the ability to operate at altitudes of over 5,000 metres, it is particularly suited for deployment along India’s mountainous borders.Equipped with advanced avionics, stealth characteristics and night-attack capability, the helicopter carries a range of weapons including air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, rockets and a 20 mm gun. The platform significantly strengthens the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force.Later in the day, Murmu is scheduled to attend the Indian Air Force’s major firepower demonstration ‘Vayu Shakti’ at the Pokhran Field Firing Range near the India–Pakistan border.This is not the first time the President has undertaken a military sortie. In October last year, Murmu flew in a Rafale fighter aircraft at the Air Force Station in Ambala, becoming the first Indian President to have flown in two different fighter aircraft of the IAF.Earlier, in April 2023, she had undertaken a sortie in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft from the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam. The 30-minute flight covered areas over the Brahmaputra and Tezpur valley and offered views of the Himalayan region.
