Hypersonic Missile on Republic Day Parade: India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on January 26 with a grand parade at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. The parade showed the country’s rich culture, many traditions, and strong military power. Big crowds watched as soldiers, weapons, and vehicles moved proudly down the road.
European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were the chief guests at the parade. India used the moment to show its defence strength with marching troops, missiles, tanks, and many home-built weapons. From ground vehicles to flying jets, the parade made it clear that India is serious about its national security.
Germany Places New Order for METEOR Missiles With MBDA
Army Power on Full Display
For the first time ever, Indian Army soldiers marched in a special style called a “phased battle array formation.” This showed how troops move during real combat. The 61 Cavalry led the reconnaissance part while wearing full combat uniforms. The weapons and vehicles were shown in the same order they would appear in a real battle.
India also showed its first locally designed High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicle. This vehicle is built on the Takshak platform. It has Battle Field Surveillance Radars that can spot people, vehicles, and even helicopters flying low. The vehicle also uses drones to watch blind areas and has strong communication systems and anti-drone guns. With strong armour, 4×4 movement, and a flexible design, it can handle deep missions and use Anti-Tank Guided Missiles and a tethered drone.
The parade also featured the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv. Made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Dhruv helicopters are used in mountains, deserts, seas, and war zones.
Heavy machines like T-90 Bhisma tanks and the Arjun Main Battle Tank rolled past the stage. Apache attack helicopters and Prachand light combat helicopters gave air support. Other systems included the BMP-II Sarath vehicle and the Nag Mark 2 missile. India also showed weapons like BrahMos, Akash, MRSAM, ATAGS, Dhanush, Divyastra Battery, and drones. The Akash and Abhra systems were described as reflecting “India’s growing indigenous strength in air defence”.
A special display showed Operation Sindoor with BrahMos attacks and missile defence systems forming a shield, showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sudarshan Chakra vision.
ST Engineering Wins Major Singapore Deal for Terrex s5 Vehicles
Missiles and Jets Show
For the first time, the flypast happened in two parts. A total of 29 aircraft took part, including fighter jets, transport planes, and helicopters. Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, and Jaguar jets flew in strong formations along with C-130, C-295, and Navy P-8I aircraft.
A big first was the display of the Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile by DRDO. This missile starts at Mach 10 and flies at about Mach 5. It can hit targets up to 1,500 kilometres away in just 15 minutes.
India showcased its growing military strength at the Republic Day Parade with hypersonic missiles, drones, tanks, fighter jets, and indigenous weapon systems, highlighting strong defence readiness and rising self-reliance.
A senior DRDO scientist said, “All classes of warships can be neutralised with the missile. This variant and the upcoming ranges will be a key asset for sea denial operations, which prevent an adversary from using a maritime area for military or commercial purposes. This capability will be crucial for the strategically significant Indian Ocean region. Army and Air Force versions of these missile and ship-fired versions for the Navy are also said to be either under consideration or under development. With its versatility, it could well place India in the hypersonic arms domain.”
India also showed the Suryastra rocket system for the first time which can strike targets up to 300 km away and fire different types of rockets. New units like the Shaktiban Regiment and Bhairav Light Commando Battalion also made their first appearance, making this Republic Day parade truly special.
