New Delhi: India will be celebrating its 75th Republic Day this year on Sunday. Preparations are going in full swing. All three wings of the defence forces — Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy — and personnel from other paramilitary forces will showcase their power at the ‘Kartavya Path’ on January 26. There will be a total of 40 IAF aircraft participating in the Republic Day celebrations.
All these aircraft will enthral the audience with their breathtaking 12 different formations during the fly-past over Delhi. These aircraft will fly down to Delhi from 10 different airbases across the country, including Jodhpur, Ambala, Bikaner and Agra.
Fighter Jets And Formations:
A total of 40 aircraft including 11 transport and seven helicopters will participate in the fly-past. The parade will begin with the Flag Formation. It will feature four Mi-17 helicopters, with one chopper carrying the national flag, while the other three will be carrying flags of three defence service wings, reported The Financial Express.
Other formations will include:
– Five Jaguar aircraft in Amrit Formation
– Three MiG-29s in the Katar Formation
– Six Rafale jets in Vajrang Formation
– Three Sukhoi-30s in Trishul Formation
Meanwhile, two Sukhois will be accompanied by a reconnaissance aircraft. Netra.
IAF’s Baaz Formation (File image) | ANI
This year, two C-295 transport aircraft built under the Make in India initiative will also reportedly participate in the Republic Day celebrations 2025. As per the Financial Express report, these C-295 aircraft along with three Dornier aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard will be part of the Rakshak Formation. Additional Dornier aircraft and an AN-32 will be part of Sutlej Formation. The C-17 Globemaster, India’s largest military transport aircraft will also showcase its capabilities during the Republic Day fly-past.
HAL’s Dhruv Chopper and LCA Tejas Not To Be Part Of The Republic Day Celebrations:
This year, HAL Dhruv and LCA Tejas will not participate in the fly-past. As per the Financial Express’s report, Tejas jets are excluded from the celebrations due to their single-engine configurations, while the ALH Dhruv helicopter, which has been grounded for safety reasons.
Air Force Marching Contingent:
The IAF’s marching Conti gent will have four officers and 144 participants, reported India Today. Agniveers will also be part of the Air Force musical band.
