Six Indians and six Nepalis will be part of the 95-member French Foreign Legion contingent that will march on the Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Republic Day. French President Emmanuel Macron is the chief guest at the parade this year.
The French marching contingent will be accompanied by a 33-member French military band. “It is a pleasure and honour to be here... We have already done two training, so we should be ready for Republic Day,” Captain Noel Louis, Unit Commander of Second Foreign Infantry Regiment, said in a media interaction on Tuesday.
Two Rafale fighter jets and one Airbus-330 multi-role tanker transport aircraft of the French Air and Space Force will be part of the flypast.
For the first time
An advanced radio frequency monitoring system, drone jammers, and medium-range surface-to-air missile will be on display for the first time at the parade on Friday, Major-General Sumit Mehta, Chief of Staff of Army’s Delhi Area, said.
An all-woman tri-services contingent will also take part in the parade for the first time, Major-General Mehta said. The contingent has women personnel from the Army’s Corps of Military Police, the Navy, and the Air Force.
On July 14, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest at the French Bastille Day parade, which saw a 242-member Indian tri-service contingent marching on Champs-Élysées. Rafale jets of the Indian Air Force also took part in the flypast.
Published - January 23, 2024 10:51 pm IST
