After the Army, 72 personnel of the Indian Air Force and 68 member contingent of the Indian Navy will participate in the Bastille Day parade in France, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest.
A flying contingent of four Rafale fighters, two C-17 Globemasters and 72 IAF personnel departed for Paris on Friday to participate in parade on July 14, an IAF spokesperson said. The IAF marching contingent is commanded by lady officer Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy, an accomplished helicopter pilot.
“The fly past and marching by the IAF air warriors on Bastille Day follows a long association that the two nations share, especially in the field of the air power. Many Indians like Welinkar, Shivdev Singh, HC Dewan & Jumbo Majumdar have fought over the skies of France during the two World Wars,” stated the spokesperson. According to the IAF, some, like Jumbo Majumdar, were also decorated for their heroic action, over the Falaise Gap, during the terminal phase of World War II. Similarly, the IAF has flown French platforms from Ouragan to now Rafale.
The Indian Navy marching contingent of four officers and 64 sailors has already reached France to participate in the parade of Bastille Day, France’s national day. The contingent will be led by Cdr Vrat Baghel, a Gunnery and Missile Warfare specialist who has sailed on the French Ship BCR Var during Exercise Varuna, informed the Navy’s spokesperson. He will be followed by his deputies, Lt Cdr Disha Amrith, the lady officer who led the Indian Navy Contingent at the Republic Day parade 2023, Lt Cdr Rajat Tripathi and Lt Cdr Jittin Lalitha Dharmaraj, the spokesperson pointed out.
The Indian Navy will also be represented by INS Chennai, an indigenously designed guided missile destroyer, which will be deployed to France from 12 – 16 Jul 23. The ship’s crew will represent India at the Bastille Day celebrations at Brest, France.
“The two countries enjoy deep ties in the maritime domain which extend to their navies as well. Indigenous construction of the Project 75 Scorpene class submarines by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in collaboration with Naval Group, France, has enhanced Naval capability and paved the way for future programmes,“ the spokesperson emphasised.