India on Monday showcased its cultural heritage, economic development and military might on the 77th Republic Day, including warplanes, indigenously-made missiles and deadly weapons used during Operation Sindoor. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen graced the ceremony as chief guests. It was a military display as well as an important diplomatic moment.
The annual military parade showcased India’s strategic autonomy and diverse sources of defense equipment, showcasing US-made military systems as well as Russian-origin military systems. Although the theme of the event was on the completion of 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, the Indian Army’s Operation Sindoor also got prominence in the parade on the duty path in the national capital.
The President of the European Union graced the ceremony
The parade started after President Draupadi Murmu along with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Union arrived on the duty path riding on a traditional carriage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, many other Union Ministers, top military officers of the country, foreign diplomats and senior officials were present on the path of duty during this period.
These missiles including BrahMos were seen
PM Modi said on social media after the ceremony, ‘The Republic Day parade showcased India’s strong security apparatus, which shows the country’s preparedness, technical capability and unwavering commitment towards the security of its citizens.’ Major weapon systems displayed in the parade included BrahMos supersonic missile and Akash weapon system, rocket launcher system ‘Suryastra’, main battle tank Arjun, Dhanush cannon and Divyastra.
Before the start of the parade, President Murmu presented India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashok Chakra, to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. Shubhanshu Shukla created history by reaching the International Space Station (ISS) in June last year and became the first Indian to achieve this prestigious feat.
India’s cultural diversity was shown
About 100 artists started the parade through a presentation based on the theme of ‘Unity in Diversity’. In this presentation, a grand display of various musical instruments was shown, which reflected the unity and rich cultural diversity of the country. The parade was led by Parade Commander Lieutenant General Bhavneesh Kumar, who is the General Officer Commanding Delhi Area.
The world saw the weapons used in Operation Sindoor
A major attraction was the tri-service tableau displaying replicas of major weapon systems deployed by the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor in early May. A glass-encased Integrated Operation Centre, showcasing the operations of Operation Sindoor with the use of weapon systems like BrahMos and S-400, won applause on the duty path.
The deadly attack on the enemy was done through BrahMos missile, Akash missile system and S-400 provided security cover during the 7-10 May conflict with Pakistan. For the first time, the parade showcased the Indian Army’s phased ‘Battle Array Format’, which also included an aerial component. 61 Cavalry was in combat attire.
T-90 Bhishma tank, Apache helicopter seen on the salute stage
After this came ‘High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicle’. To provide air support, the indigenous Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and its armed variant, Rudra, were in Prahar formation, demonstrating battlefield shaping skills. After this, the combat squad was seen on the salute stage with T-90 Bhishma and main battle tank Arjun along with air support of Apache AH-64E and Prachanda Light Combat Helicopters. Apart from this, BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicle along with Nag Missile System (Tracked) MK-2 were also seen in the tableau.
After this came a squad of Special Forces, which included Ajayketu All-Terrain Vehicle, Randhawaj Rugged Terrain Tactical Transport System and Dhwank Light Strike Vehicle. They were followed by robotic dogs, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and four autonomous unmanned ground vehicles. India’s new generation drones were displayed, which were Shaktiban and Divyastra. These were kept on special vehicles.
European Union’s military contingent participates in the parade
The contingent of the newly formed Bhairav Battalion also attracted attention in the parade. This battalion is a specialized assault infantry unit, intended to bridge the gap between conventional infantry and special forces capabilities. A military contingent from the European Union was also involved in the parade. It also served as the military staff flag and flags of the group’s naval operations, Operation Atalanta and Aspides. This was the European Union’s first participation in such an event outside Europe.
The Indian Navy contingent comprised 144 young personnel, led by Lieutenant Karan Nagyal as the contingent commander. Lieutenant Pawan Kumar Gandi, Lieutenant Preeti Kumari and Lieutenant Varun Dreweria were involved as platoon commanders.
What was special in the Navy’s tableau?
This was followed by the naval tableau, which presented a clear illustration of the theme ‘Strong Navy for a Strong Nation’. It depicts a 5th century ship, now recreated as INSV Kaundinya. The main indigenous military systems were depicted in the tableau. These included aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and Udayagiri. The circumnavigation path of INSV Tarini was imaged as part of the Navika Sagar Parikrama-II campaign.
Apart from the naval personnel, young cadets of the Sea Cadets Corps, an NGO teaching basic maritime skills to the youth in Mumbai, also participated in the parade. These cadets were seen marching with the tableau.
These fighter jets including Rafale did the fly-past
The Indian Air Force contingent included four officers and 144 airmen. Its commander was Squadron Leader Jagdish Kumar, with Squadron Leader Nikita Chaudhary as the supernumerary officer, Flight Lieutenant Prakhar Chandrakar and Flight Lieutenant Dinesh as supernumerary officers.
The marching contingent was accompanied by an exciting fly-past by two Rafale jets, two MiG-29, two Sukhoi-30 and one Jaguar aircraft in ‘Spearhead’ formation, symbolizing the ‘Sindoor Formation’.
Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) showcased its hypersonic glide missile LR-ASHM. It is capable of engaging stationary and moving targets and is designed to carry various payloads. It is the first missile of its kind with indigenous avionics system and high accuracy sensor package.
A total of 30 tableaux were included in the parade.
There were a total of 30 tableaux in the parade. Of these, 17 were from states and union territories and 13 were from various ministries and departments. Through the tableaux, a unique view of the country’s rapid progress due to completion of 150 years of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ and increasing self-reliance in various fields was presented. Motorcyclists from the Central Reserve Police Force and Sashastra Seema Bal, part of a joint team of ‘daredevils’, enthralled the audience with their stunts.
29 aircraft showed India’s strength in the air
A total of 29 aircraft participated in the aerial display, one of the most eagerly awaited events of the parade. These aircraft included 16 fighter jets, four transport aircraft and nine helicopters. These included Rafale, Sukhoi-30 MKI, MiG-29 and Jaguar aircraft. Also present were strategic aircraft like C-130 and C-295 and P-8I aircraft of the Indian Navy. The parade included Arjan, Vajrang, Varun and Vijay formations.
Around 10,000 special guests from different areas were invited to watch the parade. This year, the venues earmarked for the parade were named after the rivers that flow across the country – Beas, Brahmaputra, Chambal, Chenab, Gandak, Ganga, Ghaghra, Godavari, Indus, Jhelum, Kaveri, Kosi, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Pennar, Periyar, Ravi, Sone, Sutlej, Teesta, Vaigai and Yamuna.