Bhairav Battalion makes debut in 78th Army Day Parade

• The 78th Army Day Parade hosted in Jaipur on January 15 marked many firsts, with the annual marquee event moving outside a cantonment area for the first time, and the newly-raised Bhairav light commando battalion making its parade debut.

• BrahMos missiles, advanced armoured platforms, the formidable Bhishma Tank (T-90) and the indigenous Arjun Tank, among other military platforms and weapons systems, were part of the parade in Jaipur, along with robotic mules.

Army Day

• Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year to commemorate the achievements of the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, General (later Field Marshal) K.M. Cariappa.

• On January 15, 1949, Gen Cariappa, who led the Indian forces in the 1947 war against Pakistan, took over the command of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher, the last British commander-in-chief, and later became the first commander-in-chief of the force in independent India.

The debut of Bhairav Battalion

• The Bhairav Battalion was raised by the Army in 2025.

• Bhairav light commando battalions have been introduced to “bridge the gap” between the infantry and special forces.

• Each battalion has 200 to 250 highly trained soldiers, specially equipped for high-impact operations.

• They will handle tactical, fast-breaking situations that require immediate response.

• The soldiers are drawn from infantry regiments and trained for hybrid warfare.