'Mission Shakti', military might and diversity to be on display

Anti-satellite weapon -- Mission Shakthi developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) -- Army's battle tank Bhishma, infantry combat vehicles, Air Forces' newly inducted Chinook and Apache helicopters, in addition to tableaux depicting Akash and Astra missiles and Navy's prowess will be showcased during the 90-minute parade, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday.

Twenty two tableaux, 16 from states and Union Territories and six from various Ministries and Departments depicting the nation's rich cultural heritage and economic progress, will roll down the Rajpath.

School children will convey age-old message of yoga and spiritual values through dance and music and Indian Air Force aircraft will thunder in the sky projecting the air power.

President Ram Nath Kovind will host this year's chief guest President of the Federal Republic of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro.

The relations between India and Brazil are based on a common global vision, shared democratic values and a commitment to foster inclusive economic growth for the welfare of the people of both countries.

The Republic Day Parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial near India Gate.

He will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the martyrs by laying a wreath. This is for the first time that the Prime Minister will pay homage to martyrs at the National War Memorial instead of Amar Jawan Jyoti. Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the parade.

As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute.

The parade will commence with the President taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Asit Mistry, General Officer Commanding, Headquarters Delhi Area. Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.

The proud winners of the highest gallantry awards will follow.

They include the winners of the Param Vir Chakra and the Ashok Chakra. The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy.

The first contingent in uniform of the erstwhile Gwalior Lancers will be 61 Cavalry led by Captain Deepanshu Sheoran. The 61 Cavalry is the only active serving horse cavalry regiment in the world. It was raised on August 1, 1953 with the amalgamation of six state forces' cavalry units.

The Indian Army will be represented by a Mounted Column of 61 Cavalry, eight mechanised columns, six marching contingents and fly-past by Rudra and Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters of the Army Aviation.

Indigenously-developed Main Battle Tank of the Indian Army, T-90 Bhishma, Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) Ballway Machine Pikate (BMP)-II, K-9 VAJRA-T, Dhanush Gun System, newly-inducted five-metre Short Span Bridging System, Sarvatra Bridge System, Transportable Satellite Terminal and Akash weapon system will be the main attraction in the mechanised columns.

The other marching contingents of the Army will include the Parachute Regiment, the Grenadiers Regiment, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment, the Kumaon Regiment and the Corps of Signals.

The Combined Band of the Armoured Corps Centre & School, Madras Engineers Group & Centre and Artillery Regimental Centre, the Combined Band of 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre, 39 Gorkha Training Centre, Kumaon Regimental Centre and Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre will also march past the saluting dais.

Marching for the first time on Republic Day will be the contingent of the Corps of Army Air Defence. It will be followed by Combined Band of Bengal Engineers Group & Centre, Brigade OF Guards Training Centre, 3 Electronics & Mechanical Engineers Centre and Madras Regimental Centre.

The Naval contingent will comprise 144 young sailors led by Lieutenant Jitin Malkat as Contingent Commander. It will be followed by the Naval Tableau titled 'Indian Navy -- Silent, Strong, and Swift'.

The front part of the tableau showcases the might and fire power of Navy in all three dimensions, while the next part exhibits the Navy's commitment to nation building.

The Air Force contingent, comprising of 144 air warriors, will be led by Flight Lieutenant Shrikant Sharma. The Air Force tableau showcases scaled-down models of the Rafale aircraft, the Tejas aircraft, the Light Combat Helicopter, the Akash Missiles System and the Astra missiles.

The Veterans' tableau, marking the recognition and respect to the soldiers' selfless service to the nation, will showcase the theme 'Force behind the Force'.

One of the main highlights will be the marching contingent of DRDO that will showcase Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASAT) -- Mission Shakti. ASAT (Anti-Satellite) weapons play a critical role in providing the necessary strategic deterrence. Mission Shakti, India's first Anti-Satellite (ASAT) mission, was a major breakthrough in demonstrating the nation's Anti-Satellite technology.

"The second equipment of DRDO will be the Air Defence Tactical Control Radar (ADTCR) used for volumetric surveillance, detection, tracking and friend/foe identification of aerial targets of different types and transmission of prioritised target data to multiple command posts/weapon systems," the ministry said.

The Indian Coast Guard marching contingent will be led by Deputy Commandant Gaurav Sharma. The motto of the Indian Coast Guard is 'Vayam Rakshamah' meaning 'We Protect'.

The contingents of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Delhi Police and Border Security Force (BSF) will also march past the saluting dais.

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Boys Marching contingent will be led by Commander Junior Under-Officer Charandeep Singh Bhaduria, NCC Directorate Uttar Pradesh, while the Girls contingent will be headed by Senior Under-Officer Shreeshma Hegde, NCC Directorate, Karnataka and Goa.

The National Service Scheme (NSS) contingent comprising 148 volunteers will also take part. The Massed Pipes and Drums Band of the Indian Army will also be on display.

Sixteen tableaux from various states/union territories will be showcased during the parade, depicting the geographical and rich cultural diversity of the country.

Six tableaux from different ministries and departments will showcase various far-reaching reforms of the government, including 'Startup India', 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna' and 'Jal Jeevan Mission'. The glorious past and vibrant future of the Kolkata Port Trust is the theme of the tableau of Ministry of Shipping.

The proud winners of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar will follow in Jeep. The children were conferred the award for exceptional achievements in the fields of bravery, social service, art and culture, sports and innovation.

It will be followed by children's pageant comprising over 600 participants.

For the first time, a contingent of women bikers of CRPF will perform daredevil stunts. The contingent will be led by Inspector Seema Nag who will be seen saluting while standing atop a moving motorcycle.

The grand finale and the most keenly awaited segment of the parade, the Fly Past, will comprise 'Trishul' formation by three ALH helicopters.

It is for the first time that a "Tri-service Formation" is taking part in the Republic Day Parade. It will be followed by the 'Vic' formation of Chinook helicopters, used for airlifting diverse loads to remote locations.

Apache helicopters, Dornier aircraft, C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, Netra, an Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft and the 'Globe' formation comprising three C-17 Globemasters are some of the other highlights.

Five Jaguar Deep penetration strike aircraft and five MiG-29 Upgrade Air Superiority Fighters in 'Arrowhead' formation will enthral the audience before the exhilarating 'Trishul' manoeuvre by Su-30 MKIs.

The parade will culminate with a Su-30 MKI splitting the sky with a breath-taking 'Vertical Charlie' aerobatic manoeuvre.