The Indian Air Force displayed one of its best ever fly pasts at the recently concluded Republic Day parade. The Republic Day 2023 parade saw 45 aircraft of the Indian Air Force, including the first-ever display of 9 Rafale fighter jets. Apart from this, several fighter aircraft including Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Tejas LCA and cargo aircraft like C-130J Super Hercules were also part of the grand display. However, like every year, the star attraction was the IAF’s Sarang Acrobatics Helicopter Display Team, which is widely regarded as one of the best display teams globally.
The IAF Sarang team carried out practice flights ahead of the main Republic Day parade and has now shared a video on Twitter showing the stunning view from the cockpit of the Dhruv ALH helicopter, which is capturing other choppers in formations. The video shows the Sarang team of the Indian Air Force performing an exercise flypast on the duty path, formally known as Rajpath, where the Republic Day parade takes place.
Happy Republic Day!
On this historic occasion, here’s a glimpse of what the pilots from different cockpits saw as they flew over the duty path.
Jai Hind!#nest #IAF #RepublicDay2023 #Republic day #India #India Gate #Delhi #war Memorial #KartavyaPath @IAF_MCC pic.twitter.com/pXrEFEjkUp– Sarang Helicopter Display Team (@sarang_iaf) January 26, 2023
The IAF Sarang Helicopter Aerobatics Team is one of the few such teams in the world and performs dangerous coordinated stunts in India and abroad, showcasing their exceptional accuracy, precision and flying skills. The IAF Sarang team uses a customized Dhruv ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter) for the stunt and has special red and white livery on the choppers.
Dhruv ALH is India’s most advanced indigenous helicopter being developed and manufactured by HAL. Dhruv has been used for a variety of roles ranging from SAR, Evac and RTR operations in addition to attack capabilities for an attack variant called Rudra. The helicopter is a twin engine chopper that can carry 14 passengers with two pilots and has a cruise speed of 250 km/h.