New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas on Monday said that the EU-India Security and Defence Partnership will be signed on Tuesday. European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are on a state visit to India and were the chief guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations.
The two leaders will co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on January 27, 2026. Kallas said there is strong momentum for closer cooperation with India and that the European Union is moving swiftly to build on it.
“It is a pleasure to be in New Delhi today and an honor to attend the Republic Day celebration,” she said. As a symbol of the deepening partnership, personnel from EU naval operations Atalanta and Aspides participated in the Republic Day parade for the first time.
“Tomorrow, at the summit, we will take our relationship forward by signing the EU-India Security and Defence Partnership. This will deliver concrete results in areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism,” Kallas said.
The Republic Day parade offered a vivid display of India’s cultural diversity, national progress, and growing military capabilities. For the first time, the parade featured a phased Battle Array format of the Indian Army, including an aerial component.
The reconnaissance segment included the 61 Cavalry in active combat uniform, followed by the High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicle, India’s first indigenously designed Armoured Light Specialist Vehicle. Aerial support was provided by the indigenous Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter and its armed variant, Rudra, flying in Prahar formation.
The combat elements followed with T-90 Bhishma tanks and the Arjun main battle tank moving past the saluting dais, supported by Apache AH-64E and Prachand Light Combat Helicopters. Other mechanized columns included the BMP-II Infantry Combat Vehicle and the Nag Missile System (Tracked) Mk-2.
A Special Forces detachment showcased platforms such as the Ajayketu All-Terrain Vehicle, Randhwaj Rugged Terrain Tactical Transport System, and Dhawansak Light Strike Vehicles. These were followed by robotic dogs, unmanned ground vehicles, and four autonomous unmanned ground vehicles—Nigraha, Bhairav, Bhuviraksha, and Krishna—mounted on vehicles.
The combat support element featured India’s next-generation unmanned warhead systems, Shaktibaan and Divyastra, mounted on specialized high-mobility vehicles. Equipped with advanced technologies, these systems demonstrated surveillance capabilities using swarm drones, tethered drone systems, and the indigenously developed tactical hybrid UAV ZOLT for directing artillery fire.
Their targeting capabilities were reinforced by a range of aerial loitering munitions, including Harop, Mini Harpy, Peacekeeper, ATS extended- and medium-range variants, and Sky Striker, enabling precision strikes across the depth of the battlefield. These platforms are capable of deploying swarm drones, long-range drones exceeding 1,000 kilometers for reconnaissance and strike missions, and loitering munitions for high-precision engagements. (ANI)
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