Earlier, Former Presidents Pratibha Patil and APJ Abdul Kalam had also flown in the fighter. In 2003, then defence minister George Fernandes became the first VIP to take a fighter sortie. In May 2016, Union minister Kiren Rijiju joined the elite list.
As India's first woman defence minister, Ms Sitharaman has spent a lot of time travelling to Army, Air Force and Navy bases to understand their operations. A few days ago, she was onboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in the Arabian sea to witness the operations of the MiG-29 fighter off the deck of the ship and other Naval exercises.
Nirmala Sitharaman was the second woman leader after Pratibha Patil to fly on a fighter jet.
For her sortie, Ms Sitharaman wore a flight overall and a G-Suit, or anti-gravity suit, which ensures comfort when the jet takes tight turns. She also wore a helmet with an oxygen mask. The Minister took the rear seat of the fighter and was in constant communication with the pilot in front through an intercom.
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The Sukhoi-30 MKI has nuclear strike capability and can penetrate deep in enemy territory.The twin-jet fighter was developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force.
