Defence
Watch: Five Formations Flown By The IAF On Republic Day This Year
Netra Formation comprising a AEW&C - Netra in the center flanked by four Rafale multi role fighters. (Indian Air Force/Twitter)
Every 26 January, India celebrates “Republic Day” commemorating the adoption of the Indian constitution.
As a part of the celebration, a parade and a flypast ceremony are conducted on the Kartavya-Path by the Army, Navy and Air Force, among other services, like the paramilitary and police forces.
The Flypast ceremony is the main attraction of this event, where various Indian Air Force (IAF) jets, helicopters and transport aircraft zip past the audience in various formations. Here are the five most popular formations this year.
1) The Prachand Formation
This formation comprises a mad-in-India Prachand attack helicopter flanked by two US-built AH-64E Apaches helicopters which were further flanked by two more HAL-built Rudra attack helicopters.
Also called the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Prachand is the first-ever dedicated attack helo, to be designed and built in the country.
The Army and Air Force inducted their first units of the LCH last year. While the IAF inducted its first LCHs at Jodhpur in October 2022, the Indian Army had quietly raised its first unit of the Made-in-India attack helicopter — 351 Army Aviation Squadron — at Bengaluru in June 2022.
2) The Trishul Formation
This formation comprises 3 Sukhoi-30 MKI. The Su-30 MKI is the air force's primary air superiority fighter, with more than 260 aircraft in service.
The Russian-origin fighter, acquired in multiple batches since the late 1990s, forms the backbone of the IAF’s fighter fleet currently.
3) The Netra Formation
This formation has one indigenously developed Netra AWACS in the middle and was flanked by four newly acquired French Dassault Rafale.
The aircraft is based on the Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft and is equipped with a radar that can detect and track aircraft and other airborne objects at long ranges. The Netra system is designed to provide air surveillance and command and control capabilities to the Indian Air Force. It is also capable of providing real-time information to ground-based air defense systems.
4) The Tiranga Formation
This formation has 5 Indian-designed and developed Dhruv helicopters. This formation was led by the Sarang Helicopter Display Team.
5) The Baaz Formation
This formation had three Mig-29 multirole fighters. The IAF acquired the Mig-29 in the 1980s the Russia.
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