IL 38 Aircraft of Indian Navy to fly first & final time over Kartvya Path on R-Day
The aircraft was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1977 and remained a formidable air asset throughout its service life.
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New Delhi, Jan 18: After completing 44 glorious years of service to the nation, IL 38 aircraft of the Indian Navy will be flying over the Kartvya Path for the first and last time on Republic Day this year. R-Day fly-past will comprise 45 Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, one from the Indian Navy and four helicopters from the Indian Army, said Wing Commander Indranil Nandi.
Among the different formations by the IAF officers, Bheem formation will be new this year. It will be comprised of 40 deg Pitch-UP and SU-30 streaming fuel by three aircraft. There will be a total of 13 formations like arrow, abreast, arrowhead, diamond and others by aircraft like Mig-29, Rafale, Jaguar, SU-30 etc, he said. IL 38SD aircraft of the Indian Navy was decommissioned on January 17, 2022, after completing 44 glorious years of service to the nation.
Indian Navy Ilyushin Il-38 "Dolphin, a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft will be participating in the #RepublicDay2023 parade for the first and probably the last time. It has served for 42 years in the force.
— Anish Singh (@anishsingh21) January 18, 2023
#RepublicDay @AsianetNewsEN pic.twitter.com/673aRnc7g2
The aircraft was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1977 and remained a formidable air asset throughout its service life. The IL 38 was an all-weather aircraft with long endurance and substantial operating range. The proceedings of the Republic Day Parade at Kartavyapath will commence with the unfurling of the National Flag and presenting of the Rashtriya Salute to the President of India. The President would be assisted in the unfurling of the National Flag by Fit Lt Komal Rani.
The air warriors participating in the R-Day parade have been selected through a stringent process from across the Air Force. The contingent undergoes an intensive practice session every day starting in the early hours of the day. The contingent will consist of four officers and 144 air warriors marching in a Box formation of 12 Rows and 12 Columns. The Contingent will be led by Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy with three supernumerary officers Flt Lt Ayush Agarwal, Flt Lt Tanuj Mailk and Fit Lt Pradhan Nikhil.