New Delhi: India's 77th Republic Day was celebrated with a spectacular display of military prowess and cultural diversity at Kartavya Path. The parade showcased India's growing strength in indigenous defense technology, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) being a major highlight.
President Droupadi Murmu led the celebrations, with Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, attending as chief guests. The theme for this year's Republic Day was "150 Years of Vande Mataram" and "Samriddhi ka Mantra: Aatmanirbhar Bharat".
The LR-AShM, designed for the Indian Navy, is a hypersonic glide missile capable of engaging both static and moving targets. It is designed to carry various payloads and has indigenous avionics and sensor packages. The missile follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory, reaching hypersonic speeds starting at Mach 10 and maintaining an average of Mach 5.0 with multiple skips. Its low-altitude flight and high maneuverability make it difficult to detect by enemy radars. The missile is powered by a two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor system. According to the Ministry of Defence, enemy ground and ship-based radars cannot detect the missile during most of its trajectory. The system is believed to have a range of around 1,500 km in its current configuration. Its debut marked the first official visual confirmation of the program.
The parade also featured the S-400 air defense system, BrahMos, and Akash weapon systems, rocket launcher 'Suryastra'. The S-400 air defense system was credited for guarding India during the military conflict with Pakistan and was effectively deployed during Operation Sindoor. Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh confirmed that India's S-400 shot down five Pakistani fighter jets during Operation Sindoor.
Other key weapon systems on display included the Main Battle Tank Arjun, DHANUSH 155 mm, and the AMOGH Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS). The Dhanush Gun System and Amogh Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) reflected the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and technological self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
The Indian Armed Forces displayed a tri-services tableau titled "Operation Sindoor: Victory Through Jointness", reflecting strength, unity, and the protection of national sovereignty through updated defence capabilities. The parade showcased a phased Battle Array Format of the Indian Army, including the aerial component. The Combat Support Element consisted of India's new generation unmanned warhead arsenal showcased through SHAKTIBAAN and DIVYASTRA.
The fly-past included 29 aircraft, including Rafales, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29 and Jaguar aircraft. The ceremony concluded with the national anthem and the release of balloons.
In addition to the parade, DRDO's tableau will be showcased at Bharat Parv at Red Fort from January 26 to 31. The theme of the tableau is 'Naval Technologies for Combat Submarines'.
