It was a surprisingly pleasant Saturday morning. I can still remember every dent and scratch on the car in front of me. Despite being recently-widened, East Coast Road was crawling with traffic heading towards Tiruvidenthai for the 10th edition of Defexpo 2018.
Reaching the venue after two hours on the road, I didn’t waste a minute. I met head on with a tank fitted with the upgraded Schilka weapon system which boasts to be self-propelled; a low air defence weapon system capable of firing multiple rounds under all weather conditions. Also in the vicinity were artillery guns one generally only see in news casts and films.
The real star was the Arjun battle tank with its big guns and machine guns — children thronged around it to take pictures. It was surreal to witness people take selfies beside machines like this: all sophisticated military hardware capable of a single purpose — destruction.
What’s artillery without intelligence? The outdoor display had various fixed radar systems and a tour inside the LLTR (Low Level Transportable Radar System) which was soon closed due to the crowd.
People also had a chance to get up-close with missiles such as Akash, an air missile; Varunastra, a heavy torpedo; Nirbhay, a sub-sonic cruise missile system.
Action on air
The best was saved for the last. The Tejas advanced light helicopter was cordoned off, but people tried to squeeze their cameras into the area. Fitted with sophisticated vision systems and missiles, this was the crowd-winner. “I had a different perception of the Armed Forces until today. It was exciting to learn how the tax-payers money is being spent,” said MJ Krithikaa, a visitor.
The PAS suddenly announced that people shift their gaze towards the sky. There was a roar of cheers as the audience watched paratroopers descend. The crowd shifted towards the sea for the air show. Moving through, I heard three consecutive explosions with three pillars of water shooting up into the sky.
By the time I got to a vantage point, I had missed the Tejas jets soar by. It was only later that I realised people had to cross through the ECR, effectively blocking the entire stretch for a good one hour. A crowd this size was only expected, because this was a rare chance to witness such aircraft fly close to civilian air space. I just wish the traffic had been better planned.'
Hopes still high, I finally managed to perch on high ground and set my camera up to get real close to the flying mavericks. The coordinated fly-by by the Dhruv Sarang air display team was an impressive spectacle. I eavesdropped on the awestruck children beside me: “Wouldn’t it be awesome if they showered chocolates from the sky? I wish they took us for a ride.”
Sudden surprise
The crowd had begun leaving as the sea and air displays wrapped up, with the National Flag hoisted from a chopper, but then the land show picked up with a cloud of dust. For a moment, ECR looked like the dust storm scene from Mad Max . “The event was a good experience. It was worth the hassle to get here; a well spent half-day,” said Manoj Madhavan, a visitor.
All the halls were completely packed by the time we got back from the air show. The security had to stop entry into the halls until it was cleared. Exhausted and drenched in sweat, I decided to turn back and hit the road before getting caught in traffic again.
When I finally set my hands on a cold beverage, only one phrase stuck in my mind: Si vis pacem para bellum, meaning, ‘If you want peace, prepare for war’.
