Bhairav Commandos on Republic Day: A new unit of the Indian Army called the Bhairav light commando battalion will be seen for the first time at the Republic Day Parade on January 26. This unit is very new and was created by the Army to “bridge the gap” between normal infantry soldiers and special forces. Right now, the Army has two Bhairav battalion units. The battalion was raised in October last year and already took part in the Army Day Parade, which was held in a civil area in Jaipur on Thursday.
Even though many powerful military machines will be shown, the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will not fly in the parade this year. Senior Army officers said that many major Indian Army assets, including ones made in India, will still be part of the event.
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The Defence Secretary, R.K. Singh, spoke about why Tejas will not be there. When he was asked if a Tejas crash in November during a demo show at the Dubai Air Show had anything to do with it, he said that some of the best platforms are being shown. He added that some platforms are included and some are not and there is “no particular reason,” according to PTI.
Aircraft and Missiles
The flypast during the parade will have many aircraft and helicopters. People will see Rafale, Su-30, P8I, MiG-29, Apache, LCH, ALH, and Mi-17 helicopters flying in different shapes in the sky.
Transport planes like the C-130 and C-295 will also be part of the show. On the ground, strong defence systems like BrahMos, Akash missile system, MRSAM, ATAGS, Dhanush gun, and Shaktiban will roll down Kartavya Path. Some drones will also be shown in a static display.
Battle-Style March
This year, the Army is doing something new. The military vehicles and soldiers will move in a “phased battle array formation.” This means they will move like they do in real war situations. First will be units that look for enemies, then other groups like logistics and soldiers wearing full battle gear. Officials said this new idea is meant to make the parade more exciting and easier to understand for people watching.
New Traditions
The defence ministry said, “The Republic Day Celebrations 2026 at Kartavya Path on January 26, 2026, will be a unique blend of the 150 years of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, India’s military might and cultural diversity.” Paintings made by Shri Tejendra Kumar Mitra in 1923 will be displayed along Kartavya Path. These paintings show the verses of ‘Vande Mataram’ and were published in the ‘Bande Mataram Album’ (1923).
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This year, there is also a change in how seating areas are named. Words like VVIP will not be used anymore. Instead, enclosures are named after Indian rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, and Narmada.
For the Beating Retreat Ceremony on January 29, the enclosures will be named after Indian musical instruments such as ‘Bansuri’, ‘Sarod’ and ‘Tabla’. The chief guests at the parade will be the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa.
