India showcases military might and state-of-art equipment in Republic Day parade

NEW DELHI: The 67th Republic Day parade showcased India’s military might and state-of-the-art equipment, with French President Francois Hollande gracing the occasion. The 35th Infantry French contingent marched alongside Indian troops for the first time in the history of the parade. The Army floated two tableaus this time, one especially for ex-servicemen to highlight the efforts of the veterans in supporting the larger armed forces community. The tableau had several prominent members from the ex-servicemen community.

The Navy decided to focus on its ‘ Make in India’ efforts with its tableau marking several indigenous platforms for the national and international community to see.

The Indian Air Force on the other hand fielded a tableau titled ‘Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations by IAF: In Service of the Nation and Beyond’, to showcase the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief it has been carrying out. The flying force displayed three models from the IAF transport fleet that performed a crucial role in relief operations this year: the C-17, the C-130 and the MI-17V5.

Another highlight of the event was the dog squad that marched after more than two decades. As reported by ET, the contingent of service dogs marching alongside their trainers was a tribute to the sacrifice made by the animals in harsh terrains across J&K and the northeast. Along with this the BSF camel regiment consisting of 56 camels was also part of the parade.

Some of the weapons on display included Akash weapon system, the Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the BrahMos Missile System, the T-90 Bhishma tank, the Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP II and the Integrated Communication Electronic Warfare System.