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The newly raised Bhairav Light Commando Battalion will make its maiden appearance at the Republic Day Parade this year, even as the Army is set to showcase its key assets in a first-of-its-kind “phased battle array formation” on Kartavya Path, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on Friday.
Briefing reporters at South Block on the 77th Republic Day celebrations, Singh said the Bhairav unit, raised in October last year to “bridge the gap” between infantry and Special Forces, had earlier participated in the Army Day Parade in Jaipur on January 15 and will now march in its first Republic Day parade.
As part of a new format introduced this year, major Army platforms, largely indigenous, will move down the ceremonial boulevard in a sequence that mirrors actual battlefield deployment. It will begin with reconnaissance elements, followed by combat systems, logistics and accompanying personnel in battle gear, Singh explained.
“The aerial component will also be displayed in battle array formation,” he added, describing the change as a move to make the parade more interesting, realistic and engaging for spectators.
On the flypast, Singh said that barring the indigenous LCA Tejas, the line-up would largely feature regular assets, including Rafale, Su-30, P-8I, MiG-29, Apache, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Mi-17, as well as transport aircraft C-130 and C-295 in different formations.
Key defence platforms to be showcased on Kartavya Path include the BrahMos cruise missile, Akash air defence system, Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM), Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Dhanush artillery gun, Shaktiman vehicles and a static display of select drones, he said in response to BharatShakti’s question.
This year’s parade will be attended by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa as Chief Guests. A small naval contingent from the European Commission will also take part in the march-past.
The theme of this year’s celebrations is “150 years of Vande Mataram”. Enclosure backdrops along Kartavya Path will feature old paintings depicting the opening stanzas of the national song, while floral arrangements at the main stage will pay tribute to its composer, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
In a departure from past practice, the Defence Secretary said the terms “VVIP” and other similar labels would no longer be used for seating enclosures. Instead, all enclosures have been named after Indian rivers.
According to the Ministry of Defence, 18 marching contingents and 13 military bands will participate in the parade, which is expected to last about 90 minutes.
A total of 30 tableaux – 17 from states and Union Territories and 13 from various ministries and services – will roll down Kartavya Path this year.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
