The 71st Republic Day parade on Rajpath on 26 January 2020 saw many firsts which included:
- Dhanush’ gun system: The ‘Dhanush’ gun system, commanded by Capt. Mrigank Bharadwaj, was part of the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath for the first time. The 155mm/45 Caliber Dhanush gun system is a towed Howitzer designed indigenously by the Ordnance Factory Board. The gun with a maximum range of 36.5 km has the capability of automatic gun alignment and positioning.
- PM paid homage at National War Memorial: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the newly built National War Memorial on the Republic Day for the first time instead of the Amar Jawan Jyoti beneath the India Gate arch.
- Captain Tanya Shergill: Captain Tanya Shergill, a fourth generation officer with the Army’s Corps of Signals led an all-men contingent at the march past in Rajpath.
- Jammu and Kashmi at a UT: Jammu and Kashmir took part in the Republic Day parade for the first time as a Union Territory
- ASAT: DRDO showcased Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASAT) – Mission Shakti. On March 27, 2019 the DRDO shot down a live satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of 300 km using a modified interceptor of the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system in ‘hit to kill’ mode with 10-cm accuracy.
- Chinook and Apache: The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) newest inductions, Chinook heavy lift helicopters and Apache attack helicopters, also made their debut during the flypast.
- CRPF daredevil stunts : A contingent of women bikers of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) performed daredevil stunts for the first time.
- Trishul formation: The fly-past – the grand finale and the most keenly awaited segment of the parade – saw the ‘Trishul’ formation by three advanced light helicopters
