Republic Day 2022: Indian Army To Showcase Weaponry From 1971 War During R-Day Parade

The parade, that will begin at 10.30am this year, will be kicked off after the arrival of Parade Commander, Lt Gen Vijay Kumar Mishra and Major General Alok Kakkar, the second in command.

Indian Armed Force Personnel With Battle Tanks During Rehearsals For The Upcoming Republic Day Parade. (Getty Image)

New Delhi: On the occasion of the 73^rd Republic Day Parade this year, the Indian Army is set to showcase its strength as well as the vintage tanks and cannons that were used in the 1971 war against Pakistan.

A total of 16 marching contingents of all the three wings of the Army and the central paramilitary forces will march past the dignitaries – the President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister – on the Rajpath.

The parade, that will begin at 10.30am this year, will be kicked off after the arrival of Parade Commander, Lt Gen Vijay Kumar Mishra and Major General Alok Kakkar, the second in command.

The 90-minute parade, that will start by showering of flowers from helicopters, will include fly-pasts by the Army, Air Force and Navy. However, before the start of the parade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach the National War Memorial to pay tributes to the soldiers who made their supreme sacrifice for the country.

The PT-76 and Centurion tanks, that razed the Pakistani army in the 1971 war, will be among the first to be showcased in the parade on the Rajpath. This vintage tank is no longer a part of the army's war fleet and has been specially called for the parade from the museum.

Apart from this, a 75/24 vintage cannon and Topak Armored Personal Carrier Vehicle will also be a part of the parade. The 75/24 cannon was India's first indigenous artillery gun and it took part in the 1965 and 1971 wars.Apart from the vintage military hardware, a total of 14 mechanised cannons, including modern Arjun Tank, BMP-2, Dhanush Cannon, Akash Missile System, Savatra Bridge, Tiger Cat Missile and Tarang Electronic Warfare System will also be present in the Republic Day parade.

This year, the parade has a total of six marching contingents, including the 61 Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army which includes Rajput Regiment, Assam Jackalai, Sikhlai, AOC and Para Regiment.

Apart from this, marching teams and bands of the Air Force, Navy, CRPF, SSB, Delhi Police, NCC and NSS will also take part.Along with this, 'Seema Bhavani' of BSF and ITBP squad will be seen performing bike stunts. Seema Bhavani is a squad of women soldiers of BSF.

A total of 25 tableaux will be there on the Rajpath this year, that includes 12 states and union territories, nine central ministries and departments, two DRDOs, one each from the Army, Air Force and Navy.