- The IAF will showcase a special Sindoor formation during the 2026 Republic Day flypast
- The Sindoor formation includes Rafales, Su-30 MKIs, MiG-29s, and one Jaguar aircraft
- The flypast features Prahar and Garud formations with helicopters and 26 total aircraft
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will showcase a special 'Sindoor' formation during the 2026 Republic Day flypast, highlighting India's air prowess. This powerful seven-aircraft formation will feature a mix of India's frontline combat assets, including two Rafales, two Su-30 MKIs, two MiG-29s, and one Jaguar aircraft.
In addition to the 'Sindoor' formation, the display will feature the Prahar and Garud formations. The Prahar formation, flying in battle array, consists of three Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH), two from the Indian Army and one from the Indian Air Force, led by an aircraft carrying the Operation Sindoor flag. The Garud formation will follow immediately behind in a matching battle array.
Overall, a total of 26 aircraft will participate in the flypast this year, including 16 fighter aircraft, four transport aircraft, and nine helicopters.
Operation Sindoor
Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, India launched Operation Sindoor under which precision strikes were conducted deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) starting May 7, 2025. Over the next three days, India destroyed nine high-value terror launchpads that belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Strikes extended hundreds of kilometres inside Pakistan, not just PoJK. India struck targets even in Pakistan's Punjab province, considered a strategic stronghold of Pakistan's military. India struck at sensitive terror hubs such as Bahawalpur, places which even the US had not dared to send its drones.
Inflicted by this heavy damage, Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) pleaded Indian DGMO for a ceasefire that came into effect on the evening of May 10. The Defence Ministry stated that the operation inflicted maximum damage on terrorist infrastructure while ensuring minimum harm to the civilian population.
Operation Sindoor Ongoing
Last week, the Indian Army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, stated that Operation Sindoor is "still ongoing" and that every move of the enemy was being closely monitored.
"Operation Sindoor is still ongoing, and we are keeping a close watch on every move of the enemy," said Dwivedi during an investiture ceremony at the South Western Command in Jaipur.
"Operation Sindoor was the result of this resolve. Within 88 hours, our precision, professionalism and operational superiority forced Pakistan to agree to a ceasefire. This was a clear demonstration of the Indian Army's decisive capabilities in upholding national sovereignty and national interests," he added.
