JODHPUR: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday took off in the Indian Air Force's frontline combat jet Sukhoi 30 MKI from the air base in Jodhpur.
Dressed in the pilot's G-suit, the country's first woman Defence Minister sat in the rear seat behind the pilot. She is the first full-time woman Defence Minister to fly the sortie.
She is reportedly reviewing the operational preparedness and combat capabilities.
Sukoi-30 MKI is a nuclear-capable aircraft which can penetrate deep into enemy territory.
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She also met the Air Warriors at the Air Force Station in Jodhpur before her sortie on the Sukhoi-30 MKI.
Smt @nsitharaman takes off on the Su-30 MKI #RakshaMantrifliesSukhoi pic.twitter.com/xC51hjeCSa
— Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) January 17, 2018
Jodhpur: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the cockpit of the Sukhoi-30 MKI, before taking off for a sortie. pic.twitter.com/M3k72B56Jv
— ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2018
This sortie comes soon after she visited INS Vikramaditya last week to witness the naval operations and maritime prowess of the Indian Navy.
This flight is being seen as a part of the minister's continued efforts to gauge and review the operational preparedness and combat capabilities of the armed forces.
