From a woman officer assisting the President in unfurling the tricolour to the first and final run of the IL-38 maritime reconnaissance aircraft that served the nation for 42 years, the Indian Air Force is all set for the Republic Day Parade on January 26.
In a press briefing, the force shared its detailed plan for celebrations, which also includes participation of nine Rafale jets.
The start of the parade
Air Commodore Aditya Jain, while briefing the media, said: “The Republic Day Celebrations will commence with the Homage Ceremony at the National War Memorial where the prime minister will lead the nation in paying homage to those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. An inter-service inner guard will be formed comprising seven personnel from each service. The IAF is the lead service this year and the guard will be commanded by Sqn Ldr Akash Ganghas.”
The Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path will commence with the unfurling of the National Flag and presenting the Rashtriya Salute to the President of India. “The President would be assisted in the unfurling of the National Flag by Flt Lt Komal Rani,” Jain said.
He added: “For the marching contingent, the air warriors have been selected through a stringent process from across the force. The contingent undergoes an intensive practice session every day starting in the early hours of the day. The contingent will consist of four officers and 144 air warriors marching in a box formation of 12 rows x 12 columns.”
This year, the IAF band contingent will consist of 72 musicians and three drum majors. The band will be led by Warrant Ashok Kumar who has the distinction of participating in the contingent for the past 26 years and leading it for the past 16 years.
The famous martial tune ‘Sound Barrier’ composed by MWO JA George VSM and ‘Ladakoo’ composed by Flight Lt LS Rupachandra will be played as the IAF contingent marches past the President.
IAF Tableau
According to the IAF, a rotating globe placed on the tableau will highlight the force’s expanded reach whereby it has been able to render humanitarian aid across borders as well as conducted flying exercises with air forces of friendly foreign countries.
Among the attractions on display will be Netrai, an Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft that carries indigenous payloads. Having enmeshed linkages with the GSAT-7A, the IAF’s 1ACCS (as depicted by the operator on the console) and other flying platforms will depict how well the IAF has embraced NCW across multiple domains. The LCA Tejas MK-II will also be on display.
The Special Forces (Garuds) and their specialist equipment have added strength to the force’s combat capability. Their performance proved crucial in the safe recovery of Indians from a disturbed country in the recent past. The R-Day fly-past will comprise 45 aircraft.
The IAF has said plans are in the works to fit all aircraft with indigenous electronic warfare suites. The manufacturing facility in India would not only cater to IAF’s requirement but also make India a net defence exporter.
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