Republic Day Parade 2017: Made in India howitzer Dhanush, INS Chennai and Aircraft Tejas to be showcased for the first time

The Republic Day Parade will demonstrate capabilities and operational readiness of Army, Navy and Air Force.

New Delhi, Jan 24: India will celebrate its 68th Republic Day on January 26. The Republic Day Parade will demonstrate capabilities and operational readiness of Army, Navy and Air Force. India’s first indigenous, long-range artillery gun ‘Dhanush’ will be showcased for the first time in the Republic Day Parade on January 26. The Indian Navy will display the Kolkata-class stealth guided missile destroyer INS Chennai as well as indigenously-made Scorpene submarines on its tableau. Indian Air Force’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will make its debut run in the Republic Day Parade this year.

Dhanush:

Manufactured by Jabalpur-based Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), artillery gun ‘Dhanush’ possesses a strike range of 38 km. The 155-mm ‘Dhanush’ is an improved version of Bofors 39-calibre field gun. The howitzer is by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The Army has placed an order of 144 pieces of ‘Dhanush’ after testing the guns. The Indian made artillery gun is the first to be acquired by the Army since the Bofors scandal in the 1980s.

Tejas:

Indigenously developed Tejas fighter jet will also make its debut run in the Republic Day Parade. The Light Combat Aircraft was inducted in the Indian Air Force in July 2016 with two aircraft. At the Air Force Day, on October 8, 2016, the flight by Tejas included a steep pull right after the takeoff, that demonstrated the aircraft’s ability to climb rapidly to desired altitude, with the aircraft standing vertical in air to the awe of the spectators. As a single-engine, multi-role supersonic fighter, Tejas can fly at 1,350 km per hour.

Tejas is compared with the world’s best fighters, including French Mirage 2000, American F-16 and Swedish Gripen. The aircraft weighs 8.5 tonnes and can carry three tonnes of weapons, including air-to-air missiles, laser guided bombs, guns, conventional/retarded bombs and beyond visual range missiles. Besides Tejas, the flypast will include Su-30 aircraft in Trishul formation and also a high speed run by a single Su-30, followed by vertical Charlie, which means the aircraft will virtually stand in the air.

INS Chennai:

The Indian Navy’s tableau will display a model of INS Chennai, the third ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided missile destroyers, flanked on both sides by Kalvari-class Scorpene submarines — Kalvari and Khanderi. All three have been made in India. In the front of the tableau will be lethal Marine Commandos proceeding for action. The marching contingent of the Navy will be led by a woman officer — Lt Cdr Aparna Nair — as the contingent commander and Lt Mandar Kulkarni, Lt Tanu and Lt Vasu Yadav as platoon commanders. (With Agency inputs)