0 Comment(s) *
* The moderation of comments is automated and not cleared manually by indianexpress.com.
Along with the Air Force jets, transport planes and helicopters, the flypast will also include aircraft of the Navy and Army’s aviation wing. (File Photo) The flypast on this year’s Republic Day will be the largest that the country has seen till now with 75 aircraft from the three services participating to mark 75 years of Independence. Further, the Air Force will also pay homage to its personnel and operations for the 1971 War, as India commemorated 50 years of victory over Pakistan and liberation of Bangladesh.
Along with the Air Force jets, transport planes and helicopters, the flypast will also include aircraft of the Navy and Army’s aviation wing. The Air Force will bring out all its fighter jets, including Rafale, Su-30mki, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Jaguar and Mig 29, it will also have its Apache, Chinook, Mi-17v5 helicopters. Air Force’s vintage aircraft like Dakota, Dornier and Gnat, which is also called Sabre Slayer for shooting down Pakistan’s Sabre fighter jets, will also be featured. From the Navy, MiG 29 and P8I surveillance aircraft will participate, and from the Army, the weaponised Advanced Light Helicopter Rudra will be part of the flypast formations.
The two formations dedicated to the 1971 War are Tangail and Meghna. During the war, a Dakota plane used to drop Army soldiers across the enemy lines in a place called Tangail, will be part of the flypast. It will be flanked by a Dornier 228 and a C130-J.
The other formation, Meghna, is named after the river near Dhaka. Thousands of Indian Army personnel aboard Air Force’s helicopters were transported across the river, which became elemental to take Dhaka. The formation will include Chinook and Mi-17v5 helicopters.
The Air Force will also have a tableau in the parade, which will showcase a Mig-21 plane attacking the Governor’s House in Dhaka in the 1971 War, along with other systems of the Air Force.
The missiles on display will include Scalp, Meteor and Mica on Rafale.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
