The Indian Air Force (IAF) will stage a dazzling display of around 80 aircraft in Chandigarh on October 8 to celebrate its 90th anniversary. The flyover is planned over Sukhna Lake where a large number of people can come and witness fighter jets such as Rafale, Su-30 and Mirage 2000. With 80 aircraft, some lively and varied formations for the flyover can be expected. Details of the number of aircraft and formations for the upcoming IAF Day celebrations were shared by air force authorities on Tuesday.
The parade will be held at the IAF station on the morning of October 8. Later in the day, President Droupadi Murmu will preside over a flyover at Sukhna Lake. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will also be present on the occasion. The Indian Air Force has decided to celebrate this year’s annual Air Force Day parade and fly-by in Chandigarh. Rehearsals for the air show of various aircraft have already begun. A new combat uniform will also be unveiled at this year’s IAF Day.
While some formations are expected before the arrival of the President, some will take place after her arrival at the lake. People will also witness the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) ‘Prachand’ which was inducted by the IAF on Monday. It was developed primarily for warfare in the mountains. Prachand will be part of the flyover in a formation of three aircraft.
It was introduced to the IAF at a ceremony in Jodhpur in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief VR Chaudhari. The induction of Rafale aircraft began in September 2020, when the first batch of five Rafale aircraft were inducted into the 17th “Golden Arrows” squadron of the Indian Air Force after arriving at Ambala Air Force Station from France on 27 July 2020.The formations will also include ‘Sekhon’ named after IAF Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Sekhon who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously.
Living and changing formations:
Vintage and current modern aircraft like Rafale, Prachand, Mi-35, Su-30, Jaguar, Mi-17, Chinook, Apache, Howard and Dakota will display various formations including Akashganga, Ensign, Eklavya, Trishul, Mehar, Shamsher, Vajra , Sarang and Suryakiran, on a fly-by.
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