India’s Republic Day this year will witness the “grandest flypast ever” in New Delhi on January 26th, 2022, an official from the Indian Air Force said. This year’s Republic Day will also mark ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’, an initiative to commemorate “75 years of progressive India.”

Here is all you need to know about the air show scheduled for January 26th:

-The Republic Day parade will feature 75 aircraft– including those from the Air Force, Navy and Army.

-Five of India’s newly acquired Rafale jets will fly in a Vinaash Formation over New Delhi‘s Rajpath during the parade.

-The Varuna formation will be formed by the Indian Navy’s  P-8I surveillance aircraft and MiG29K, according to Indian Air Force PRO Wing Commander Indranil Nandi.

-In order to mark the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav, 17 Jaguar fighter aircraft will take the shape of the number 75.

Read More: ‘Profoundly shocked’: Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi over Republic Day tableau rejection

Last year, India’s flypast was relatively downsized. The Rafale fighter aircraft, however, was featured in the January 26 parade and formed the ‘Vertical Charlie’ formation. 

Wing Commander Indranil Nandi revealed that 38 Indian Air Force aircraft and four from the Indian Army were used in the flypast.

This year’s Republic Day celebrations will also be different in one more way. Instead of January 24, the celebrations will begin a day earlier in order to include India’s freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary, which was earlier celebrated as Parakram Diwas.

According to media reports citing government officials, nearly 24,000 people are likely to be allowed to view the Republic Day parade in a non-virtual format due to the spread of COVID-19 in New Delhi. Moreover, no foreign dignitary is expected to be invited to the January 26 parade.