The Indian Air Force will introduce a new disruptive pattern combat uniform for its personnel on October 8, Air Force Day

“The new uniform will have a digital camouflage pattern and a different fabric and design. It will be unveiled by the Chief of the Air Staff at the Air Force Day Parade in Chandigarh,” said an IAF officer.

The new uniform will be somewhat similar to the new digital pattern introduced by the Army in January this year. “The colors and shades of the new IAF uniform will be a little different, more conducive to the Air Force working environment,” the officer said.

Currently, the Luftwaffe ground service camouflage pattern is similar to that used by the Army in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the IAF’s Garud Special Forces use a digital pattern.

Up to 80 fighter jets, transport planes and helicopters will participate in the flyby and demonstration over Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh to mark Air Force Day. This includes nearly all fighters, transport aircraft and helicopters in the IAF’s inventory, with the exception of the Avro, Dornier, Chetak and Cheetah, the officer said.

The specially developed Prachand light attack helicopter, which was officially inducted into the IAF in Jodhpur on October 3, will make its first public appearance in a formation of three aircraft.

Another novel formation is Sekhon, dedicated to the IAF’s only Param Vir Chakra receiver, Flt Lt Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon. It consists of a Rafale, Jaguar, Tejas and Mirage 2000, with the Rafale escaping in front of the slide and doing a vertical Charlie to symbolize the ‘missing man’.

The Globe formation, consisting of a C-17 heavy lift aircraft followed by nine Hawk 132 jets trained by the Surya Kiran display team, and joint manoeuvres by Rafale, Su-39 and TEJAS in of the Transformer Formation are further attractions of the air show.

Demonstrations by the IAF’s Akash Ganga parachuting team, Chinook helicopter manoeuvres and dives, flybys of vintage Harvard and Dakota vehicles will also be organised.