New Delhi: India is celebrating its 74th republic day on Thursday, January 26. At this Year’s Republic Day Parade, Indian Army would showcase only Made in India Weapons systems, officials said. ‘The weapons to be displayed include the K-9 Vajra howitzers, MBT Arjun, Nag anti-tank guided missiles, BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Akash air defence missiles and the Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles’, a statement said.
Other special features at the parade will be participation of a military contingent from Egypt and newly-recruited Agniveers, women soldiers as part of the BSF camel contingent and a woman officer as leader of the naval contingent of 144 sailors, showcasing the ‘Nari Shakti’. The Navy’s IL-38 aircraft, which served the sea force for over four decades, will fly into history with its last take-off for the parade.
Giving details of Thursday’s R-Day parade, Major General Bhavnish Kumar, Chief of Staff of Delhi Area, said, ‘The parade will start from Vijay Chowk at 10.30 am and the contingents will march right up to Red Fort’. During the pandemic, the traditional route of the parade till Red Fort was curtailed due to restrictions. Maj Gen Kumar said, ‘The focus of this year’s parade is on ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ as most of the weapons systems that will be showcased at Kartavya Path have been indigenously made like main battle tanks Arjun MK-1, K-9 Vajra Self-Propelled Howitzer Guns, BMP, Akash missiles, BrahMos and Nag missiles’.
He said, ‘Besides the mechanised and mounted columns, there will be eight marching contingents of the armed forces this time. Of them, six contingents will be from the Army and one each from the IAF and Navy’. In all, there are 16 contingents, including from police and paramilitary forces. The indigenous 105mm Indian Field Guns will replace the British-era 25-pounder guns, which were used in WWII, for the 21-gun salute. Though these desi guns were used during Independence Day last year, this is first time they will be used on the Republic Day.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has been invited to be the chief guest at celebrations. A 120-member military contingent from Egypt has already been rehearsing along with its Indian counterparts for the R-Day parade. Women officers will also be part of the contingents of Corps of Signals, Army Air Defence and Army Daredevils, Maj Gen Kumar said.
Post Your Comments