New Delhi: The stage is all set for the military contingent, comprising all three services, to take part in the Bastille Day celebrations in France on July 14. A video shared by news agency ANI revealed the first look of the Indian Air Force’s Rafale jets that will participate in the parade.
Taking to Twitter, France's ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain had said, "A warm welcome to France for the Indian Rafale jets that will soar in the skies of Paris on Friday for #BastilleDay!"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour of the event and his visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership.
It is to be noted that a woman officer of the Indian Air Force, Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy, an Mi-17 pilot, will lead IAF’s marching contingent at the parade.
Speaking to ANI, she said, “It is a moment of tremendous pride for us since we will be representing our country as well as our Force on a foreign land in front of our PM who will be witnessing the parade...I will be commanding the Air Force's contingent which comprises 77 personnel of which 68 will be marching.”
Group Captain Abhishek Tripathi, Commanding Officer of 101 Squadron (Rafale) and the leader of the formation to take part in Bastille Day Flypast said, "It is a matter of pride for us that we have brought Rafale to France once again. PM Modi will be the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day parade and we will be a part of the opening formations of the Flypast...It (Rafales) has the best of the avionics which all the fighters in the world have, even better than them...To summarise, it is a very compact, extraordinary, powerful, extremely agile and very discreet machine."
Group Captain Anindo Sur (Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry)) said, "It is very prestigious for us to fly so far, close to 4500 miles. Our aircraft did not land anywhere in the middle, we did air-to-air refuelling. We flew continuously for over 10 hours - for the first time ever any aircraft has flown so long from India. For us, it is an amazing feeling...We have done two practice sorties, tomorrow is the D-Day for us...We have four aircraft, all four of which will fly.”
The French National Day, or Bastille Day, holds a special significance for France as it marks the storming of the Bastille prison during the French Revolution in 1789. The Bastille Day parade is the highlight of the celebrations.