Army Day 2026: The nation is celebrating 78th Army Day today. Jaipur is all set to host the grand parade showcasing India's military prowess and modern defence capabilities. This event is significant as it marks the first public appearance of the newly raised Bhairav Battalion and is also the first time that the parade is taking place outside the cantonment area.
Where to watch Army Day 2026 parade today?
The Army Day parade will be held at Mahal Road in Jaipur's Jagatpura which is a celebration to display a wide array of weapons, military vehicles, drones and advanced defence systems. The parade can be live streamed from 9:00 AM onwards on YouTube channel of the Indian Army.
History of Army Day
This day commemorates Lieutenant General Kodandera M Cariappa's take over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. On 15 January 1949, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India General Francis Roy Bucher handed over the Indian Army chief's post to Kodandera M Cariappa. From this day onwards, it came to be celebrated in the form of parades and other military shows.
Significance of Army Day
On this day, gallantry awards and Sena medals are also awarded. It marks a tribute to the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens.
Army's artillery, missile and rocket capabilities and launcher systems will be on display today, including the BrahMos cruise missile, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, upgraded BM-21 Grad multi-barrel rocket launcher, the SMERCH system and Universal Rocket Launcher System (URLS), also known as Suryastra. Among air defence capabilities on showcase, indigenous Akashteer system and Igla man-portable air defence system will serve as the highlight of the show, ANI reported.
A number of kamikaze drones will be on display, such as Mini Harpy, Harop, Peacekeeper and Sky Striker, in addition to the Trinetra loitering munition system.
The Army Day parade used to take place in Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi cantonment. Besides Delhi, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Pune have hosted this parade.
All you need to know about inaugural Bhairav Battalion
The unit of the Bhairav Battalion has been raised as a part of the Army's recent restructuring, following Operation Sindoor. Positioned between the Para Special Forces and regular infantry units, the Bhairav Battalion has been introduced to meet modern warfare requirements. Specifically trained for drone-enabled and multi-domain operations, this unit has been setup to provide a prompt and precise offensive solution against enemies' threats to the nation amid rising global conflicts.
"Modern warfare is changing at a very rapid pace. The conflicts of today are hybrid in nature, and one needs to be fully equipped with modern technology to be able to deal with the challenges... The Bhairav battalions have also been created as part of the force restructuring, which has been raised in line with the requirements of modern technology, new thought processes and the new operational requirements," ANI quoted commanding officer of 2 Bhairav Battalion as saying.
