Jaisalmer: President Droupadi Murmu will undertake a morning sortie in the Indian Air Force‘s indigenously developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) from Air Force Station Jaisalmer on Feb 27, IAF sources have said. The flight from the strategically significant Jaisalmer air base will mark the first time she flies in an indigenous combat helicopter, underscoring India’s defence indigenisation push.Murmu previously flew in a Rafale from Ambala and a Sukhoi Su-30MKI from Tezpur on April 8, 2023. Later in the afternoon, she will visit the Pokhran Field Firing Range in the Chandhan area as Chief Guest for “Vayu Shakti-2026,” billed as the IAF’s largest-ever air firepower demonstration, featuring precision strike, network-centric warfare systems and integrated combat operations in a day-and-night exercise.The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), developed in India, is described as a major milestone in indigenous aerospace capability and operational versatility.
