Republic Day parade 2022: 25 tableaux, 16 marching contingents, 17 military bands

New Delhi, Jan 23: This year's Republic Day parade will have 16 marching contingents, 17 military bands and 25 tableaux of various states, departments and armed forces, the Indian Army said in a statement on Saturday.

The Army will be represented by a mounted column of cavalry, 14 mechanised columns, six marching contingents and a flypast by advanced light helicopters of its aviation wing at the Republic Day parade-2022 (RDP-2022), it said.

The mechanised columns of the Army will show one PT-76 tank, one Centurion tank, two MBT Arjun MK-I tanks, one OT-62 TOPAS armoured personnel carrier, one BMP-I infantry fighting vehicle and two BMP-II infantry fighting vehicles, it stated.

One 75/24 Pack howitzer, two Dhanush howitzers, one PMS bridge-laying system, two Sarvatra bridge-laying systems, one HT-16 electronic warfare system, two Taran Shakti electronic warfare systems, one Tiger Cat missile system and two Akash missile systems will also be part of the mechanised columns at RDP-22. PT-76, Centurion tank, OT-62 and 75/24 Pack howitzer played a major role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war in which India defeated Pakistan.

The war led to the creation of Bangladesh. The six marching contingents of the Indian Army at RDP-2022 will be of Rajput Regiment, Assam Regiment, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, Sikh Light Infantry, Army Ordnance Corps Regiment and Parachute Regiment, according to the statement.

One marching contingent each of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy will also participate in RDP-2022, the statement said.

From the central paramilitary forces, five marching contingents of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Police Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Border Security Force (BSF) will participate in RDP-2022, it stated.

Overall, there will be 16 marching contingents from armed forces, central paramilitary forces, Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS) along with 17 military bands, pipes and drum bands at the parade, it noted.

Two Param Vir Chakra awardees and one Ashok Chakra awardee will also participate in this year's parade. Before the commencement of RDP-2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the nation in paying homage to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial, the statement said.

Republic Day Parade-2022 will begin at 10.30 am and end at 12 noon, it said.

Twenty-five tableaux of various states, departments and armed forces will be part of RDP-2022, it said. Two teams -- one male team of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and one female team of Border Security Officer (BSF) -- will do the motorcycle display.

Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, General Officer Commanding Delhi Area, will be the parade commander and Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff Delhi Area, will be the second-in-command of the parade, the statement said. RDP-2022 will march from Vijay Chowk to the National Stadium through the traditional route of Rajpath, it said.