Republic Day parade to showcase historic glory of 1971 war

New Delhi, Jan 18: This year the military fly past at the Republic Day parade will features formations to commemorate the moments of India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war.

It would also commemorate the historic Tangali airdrop and the Meghna operation. Nearly 75 different aircraft from the IAF, Army and Navy will take part in the flying display on January 26. These would include the Rafales, Sukhoi-30s, Jaguars, C-130J, Mi-35 gunships, MiG-29K maritime fighters and P-81 maritime surveillance aircraft. This year would witness the largest and grandest display, IAF officials said.

A report in the Hindustan Times said that the Tangali formation will feature the vintage Dakota aircraft along with two Dornier 22 aircraft. The Tangali airdrop took place north of Dhaka and it set the stage for the surrender of the Pakistan Army.

The Meghana formation will commemorate a heli-borne operation during the 1971 war. The IAF choppers played a crucial role in moving troops across the Meghna river in erstwhile East Pakistan.

The tableau of the IAF will display fighter planes attacking the Governor House in Dhaka and a model of the Ghat fighter which played a crucial role in the 1971 war as a result of which Bangladesh was liberated.