Rafale, BrahMos, S-400: Tri-services tableau to display Operation Sindoor action at Republic Day parade

Tri-services tableau will showcase the mock-ups of major weapon systems deployed by the Indian forces during Operation Sindoor in early May.

New Delhi : A tri-services tableau at the Republic Day parade on January 26 will showcase the mock-ups of major weapon systems deployed by the Indian forces during Operation Sindoor in early May to strike terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The S-400 air defence system, credited for guarding India during the military conflict with Pakistan will be displayed in Republic Day parade (PTI)

The tableau, Operation Sindoor: Victory Through Jointness, will put the spotlight on the Indian Navy’s maritime dominance and how it denied the adversary any operational freedom, the role of M777 ultra-light howitzers, the Akash air defence system, and the use of Harop loitering munitions, the defence ministry said on Friday.

“At the heart of the tableau unfolds the strike narrative, reflecting the new normal of India’s national security doctrine — rapid response, controlled escalation and uncompromising accuracy,” it said in a statement, detailing the tableau’s elements.

“A Harop loitering munition eliminates the adversary’s air defence radar, showcasing India’s growing edge in unmanned precision warfare. This is followed by a Rafale aircraft, armed with Scalp missiles, executing a surgical strike on terror infrastructure. The tempo intensifies as the Su-30 MKI, launching the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, destroys hardened aircraft shelters --- an unmistakable demonstration of India’s ability to strike deep, strike fast and strike flawlessly.”

To be sure, the parade will unfold in a new phased battle array format to showcase the military’s wide-ranging capabilities, with weapons and systems including infantry elements, tanks, artillery systems, missiles and airpower being displayed in a sequence that shows how they are deployed in a combat scenario.

The tri-services tableau will seek to depict how the operation reached its pinnacle with the extended reach of India’s integrated air defence network, the ministry said. “The S-400 system, executing the longest-range engagement of the operation at 350 km, neutralises the adversary’s airborne early-warning platform, sending an unequivocal message: India detects first, decides first and destroys first,” it added. The parade will feature a total of 18 marching contingents, 13 bands and 30 tableaux.

The flypast will feature 29 aircraft including seven fighter jets in a formation called Sindoor that has been introduced to depict the role of the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor, the four-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan in early May following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.

The fighters that will be a part of the new spearhead formation include two Rafales, two MiG-29s, two Sukhoi-30s and a Jaguar.

The clash with Pakistan involved fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and a fierce artillery duel.