Cars, fighter planes at Republic Day ’26 parade: Range Rover Sentinel, Su-30 MKI and more

Image Courtesy: doordarshan/x/themilobserver)

The Republic Day 2026 parade in New Delhi highlighted India’s military might and cultural pride. Along with the marching troops and defense equipment, several special vehicles and Indian Air Force aircraft were also seen on the duty path. Take a look at some of the notable vehicles and fighter aircraft seen during this year’s Republic Day celebrations.

PM Modi’s car: Range Rover Sentinel

One of the most notable vehicles in the parade was the Range Rover Sentinel, which was used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Sentinel is a heavily armored version of the standard Range Rover.It comes with VR8-level ballistic protection, which means it can withstand 7.62 mm armour-piercing bullets. In terms of blast protection, the vehicle is designed to survive grenade blasts from both the top and bottom of the chassis, as well as side blasts of up to 15 kg of TNT. The Sentinel is powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine, producing 380 hp. Even weighing over 4.4 tonnes, it can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in about 10.4 seconds, with a top speed of 193 kmph.

toyota fortunerTata Harrier and Mahindra Scorpio Classic

Apart from the Sentinel, several familiar SUVs were seen as part of the PM’s convoy. These include Toyota Fortuner, Tata Harrier and Mahindra Scorpio Classic. Although these models are available to the public in civilian form, versions used by security forces are typically re-engineered with additional communications equipment, security elements, and mission-specific modifications.

The Toyota Fortuner, which was also seen in Jammer configuration, in its public-spec form is powered by a 2.8-litre diesel engine that produces 204 hp and 500 Nm of torque.The Tata Harrier uses a 2.0-litre diesel engine, which produces 170 hp and 350 Nm. It was also recently launched in its turbo-petrol avatar, producing 170 hp and 250 Nm of torque. Mahindra Scorpio Classic, on the other hand, is powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine that produces 130 hp and 300 Nm. Apart from these, Force Gurkhas and more tactical hardware were also part of the parade. The Force Gurkha Light Strike Vehicle is a 4×4 vehicle designed for military use. Based on the Gurkha platform, it is powered by a 2.6-litre turbocharged diesel engine that produces around 140 hp and 320 Nm, and comes with high ground clearance and locking differential.

The Maruti Suzuki Gypsy remains one of the most recognizable vehicles associated with the Republic Day Parade. While the Army is gradually phasing out the Gypsy in favor of newer vehicles, it continues to appear on special occasions, including the Republic Day 2026 parade. The army-spec Maruti Gypsy is powered by a 1.3-litre petrol engine that produces 80bhp and 103 Nm of torque. The SUV comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox and 4WD system.

Indian Air Force flypast spoils the gathering

The Indian Air Force flypast conducted under Operation Sindoor featured a combination of frontline fighter aircraft that represent the core of India’s combat aviation strength.

Rafale fighter aircraft were also part of this formation. Powered by twin Snecma M88 engines, each generating approximately 50 kN of thrust, the Rafale is capable of speeds in excess of Mach 1.8 and is equipped for air superiority, ground attack and reconnaissance missions.

Sukhoi Su30-MKI

Also flying were the IAF’s backbone Sukhoi Su-30 MKI. This twin-engine fighter aircraft uses the AL-31FP afterburning turbofan engine, giving it exceptional maneuverability and a top speed of more than Mach 2. It has the capability to carry a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.

The formation also includes the MiG-29, a twin-engine air superiority fighter aircraft powered by RD-33 turbofan engines. Each engine produces approximately 81 kN of thrust with afterburner, allowing the jet to reach speeds of up to Mach 2.25. Along with this there was also SEPECAT Jaguar. It is powered by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adore engines, each generating approximately 32.5 kN of thrust. The Jaguar is optimized for low-level entry missions and has a top speed of approximately Mach 1.6.