Union defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday undertook a sortie in the IAF’s frontline combat jet Sukhoi 30 MKI from the air base in Jodhpur.
The country’s first woman defence minister sat in the rear seat behind the pilot and was wearing the pilot’s G-suit.
“She is reviewing the operational preparedness and combat capabilities,” defence sources said.
“Very proud and thankful that I’ve gone through this experience because it actually tells me with what rigor, practice, what level of readiness and how quickly they (defence personnel) have to respond to situations. It was eye-opening and memorable,” said Sitharaman after the sortie.
The Sukoi-30 MKI is a nuclear-capable aircraft which can penetrate deep into enemy territory.
{{/usCountry}}The Sukoi-30 MKI is a nuclear-capable aircraft which can penetrate deep into enemy territory.
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