Indian Air Force contingent participates in Bastille Day parade as PM Modi joins the program

Paris: Indian military contingent marched to the tune of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ while Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) took part in a flypast over the Champs-Elysees at the Bastille Day parade. The Punjab Regiment led the march and was followed by the Indian Navy and then the Air Force in the annual parade to mark the historic fall of the Bastille in 1789. The Punjab Regiment was led by Captain Aman Jagtap, who was an Indian. The Naval contingent was led by Commander Vrat Baghel. The Indian Air Force contingent was commanded by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was present as the guest of honor at the event, took the salute of the Indian contingent marching down the Champs-Élysées. In a happy moment for India, the Indian Air Force’s Rafales soared into the skies over the Champs-Élysées, leaving onlookers in awe.

French President Emmanuel Macron, First Lady Brigitte Macron topped the dignitaries attending the Bastille Day military parade on Friday. French fighter jets leading the flypast left a trail of smoke in the colors of the French national flag – red, blue and white – lighting up the sky over the Champs-Élysées.

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Both the Indian and French armies marched with trumpets and drums. Macron received a guard of honor as he arrived ahead of the military parade. Ahead of the parade, PM Modi and the French President warmly hugged each other when they arrived for the Bastille Day Parade at the Champs-Elysées in Paris.
The Champs-Élysées was painted in the colors of the French flag.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries. The Bastille Day parade is one of the highlights of the day’s celebration which marks the anniversary of the assault on the Bastille prison, an ancient royal fortress, during the French Revolution in 1789.

This year’s Bastille Day parade featured 6,300 soldiers in various marching contingents. It consisted of a tri-services contingent of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. The Indian Army was represented by the Punjab Regiment. Soldiers of the regiment have participated in both the world wars, having been awarded 18 battle and theater honors in the first war.

The Punjab Regiment took part in an offensive near Neuve Chapelle in France in September 1915 during World War I. The regiment also won 16 Battle Honors and 14 Theater Honors in World War II. Earlier, the Ministry of Defense said in a press release, “The Indian Army contingent consisting of 77 marching personnel and 38 band members is led by Captain Aman Jagtap. The Indian Navy contingent is led by Commander Vrat Baghel and.” The Indian Air Force contingent is led by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy. Rafale fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force will also be a part of the flypast during the parade.”

It added, “The army contingent is being represented by the Punjab Regiment which is one of the oldest regiments of the Indian Army. Soldiers of the regiment participated in both the World Wars as well as in the post-independence campaigns Is.”