Paris: Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy will lead the IAF’s 68-member marching contingent at the prestigious Bastille Day parade in Paris, France on July 14, 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the parade as the guest of honour.
Sindhu Reddy will be leading the IAF’s marching contingent as part of IAF’s ‘Nari Shakti’ programme.
Ahead of the Bastille Day parade, a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian armed forces has already left for Paris.
Three Rafale fighter jets of the IAF will also take part in the flypast over the Champs Elysees on the occasion along with French jets.
“The parade will witness a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French counterparts,” the Army said.
PM Modi’s trip to Paris will be special as it will be the first Bastille Day visit by a foreign leader in Macron’s current term, officials said. Earlier, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the Bastille Day parade in 2009.
Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy, who has been serving the IAF for the past 9 years, is a helicopter pilot and flies the Mi-17.
During her journey with IAF so far, she has worked with air force bases in northern, southern India.
She also led the 144-member IAF contingent during Republic Day parade 2023 in New Delhi.
Speaking to Rediff about her IAF journey, the Squadron Leader said, “I always wanted to fly. My dad always encouraged me and made sure I joined the NCC in college which was a motivating factor.”
Besides leading the IAF Republic Day contingent in 2023, Sindhu Reddy had also participated in the IAF’s 2018 marching contingent.
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