Tactical ballistic missile Pralay & long-range Pinaka rocket system to be part of Republic Day parade

Tactical ballistic missile Pralay and long-range Pinaka rocket system will be showcased at the upcoming Republic Day parade in the Capital, with focus on indigenously developed systems.

This will be the first time that Pralay surface-to-surface missile will feature at the parade. With a range of 500 km, the missile is meant for a conventional strike against high-value enemy targets and has been deployed on the border with China.

The Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher is an indigenous success story, with several systems in operation with the Army and an export order already executed with Armenia. Efforts are on to increase the range of the rockets to 75 km and then to more than 150 km.

The parade will also feature a marching contingent of Indonesian troops to honour the chief guest for this year’s event, Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto. This will consist of a 160-member Indonesian military contingent and a 190-member band contingent, defence secretary RK Singh said on Monday.

The parade will have 18 marching contingents, 15 bands and 31 tableaux from different states, ministries and security forces. States including Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab will have tableaux. A total of around 77,000 people will witness the parade this year, which will include 10,000 special invitees chosen by the government.

The flypast this year will consist of several fighter jets, transport aircraft and attack helicopters. Notable by their absence this year will be the indigenous advanced light helicopters that are currently grounded after a fatal crash involving a coast guard aircraft. The cause of the crash is being investigated, with the suspected faulty transmission system being sent to Bengaluru for detailed analysis. Fighter jets, including Su30MKI and Rafales, will be part of the flypast while the light combat aircraft will be missing from action this year.