India Uses Republic Day for ‘Spectacular’ Show of Homemade Weapons

India used its 74th Republic Day celebration to showcase domestically-produced weapons, even replacing the old British guns used for the traditional 21-gun salute with indigenously-produced 105mm field guns.

The Times of India (TOI) noted the British guns were unofficially retired on India’s Independence Day last year, but Thursday marked the first Republic Day where Indian guns were used. Republic Day commemorates the adoption of the Indian Constitution in January 1950, while Independence Day is celebrated on August 15 to mark India gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1947.

“We are transitioning towards indigenization, and the time is not far when all our equipment will be ‘swadeshi’. All equipment from the Army that will be showcased during the 74th Republic Day celebrations are made in India,” Maj. Gen. Bhavnish Kumar, chief of staff for the Delhi area, said in advance of the parade. 

“Swadeshi” is an Indian movement to express national pride and independence by using Indian-made goods instead of foreign products.

After laying a wreath at the National War Memorial and paying tribute to India’s fallen soldiers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his guest of honor, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, oversaw a parade TOI described as a “spectacular” salute to India’s “military prowess and cultural diversity.”

Modi’s administration launched an initiative in March 2021 called Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (a Hindi phrase that celebrates the “nectar of freedom”) which built up to the 75th anniversary of the constitution with two years of special events. The nectar of freedom is meant to be the combination of economic strength, military prowess, and cultural energy expressed by the Republic Day parade.

Another theme of the parade was Nari Shakti, or “women’s power.” Several female military contingents were highlighted, including the world’s first all-female police battalion, and the first all-woman platoon of camel-riding border police. Female officers took prominent positions on many of the new military vehicles included in the Republic Day review.

The India Times listed some of the indigenously-produced equipment displayed in the parade:

Indian Army has seen a giant leap with the acquisition of platforms like the Akash Missile System, satellites, Modular Bridges, towed guns, utility helicopters, electronic warfare system, and surface-to-air missiles.

This year, India only showcased its major Made-in-India weapon systems, highlighting India’s indigenization power.

India’s pompous show of its defense included 21 Gun Salute through ‘Made in India’ 105 mm Indian Field Guns, recently inducted LCH Prachand, the K-9 Vajra howitzers, MBT Arjun, Nag anti-tank guided missiles, Akash air defense missiles, and the Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles.

The Akash is a medium-range supersonic surface-to-air missile that can be launched from mobile platforms. It was developed as a potential competitor to the U.S. Patriot missile system.

The Prachand is a light combat helicopter that can take off and land at very high altitudes. The Arjun is a main battle tank with a computerized fire control system and high maneuverability, nicknamed the “desert Ferrari” by its promoters. 

The Nag (short for “naga” or cobra) is a fire-and-forget anti-tank missile roughly comparable to the American-built Javelin. The TATA Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle (QRFV) is a 4×4 armored personnel carrier with advanced land-mine protection that can carry up to 14 personnel. It is also available in a law-enforcement version for police tactical units.

Most of these Indian-made weapon systems were debuted or deployed during the past two years. The helicopter, tank, and armored personnel carrier were designed with India’s special terrain challenges in mind. Some of the weapons were intended for export, especially the Akash surface-to-air missile.