Air Force to conduct flypasts on Sunday to thank COVID-19 warriors

The Indian Air Force will conduct flypasts across the length and breadth of the country while the Army will hold mountain band displays and Navy ships will conduct special drill and illuminate its vessels this Sunday (May 3) to display gratitude to the COVID-19 warriors.

The announcement was made by Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat on Friday (May 1) during an special press conference that he addressed jointly with the three military chiefs: Army chief MM Naravane, Navy chief Karambir Singh and Air chief RKS Bhadauria.

“There are some special activities that nation will get to witness. Air Force to conduct flypast from Srinagar to Thiruvananthapuram and another one starting from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kutch in Gujarat. It’ll include both transport and fighter aircraft,” the tri-services chief said.

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During the flypast, the IAF aircraft will also be showering flower petals at some places, he said. Fixed wing and fighter aircraft of the IAF will participate in the fly-pasts on May 3 evening. Meanwhile, Rawat said the Indian Army will conduct mountain band displays along some of the COVID-19 hospitals in almost every district of the country.

“The armed forces will also lay wreathe at the police memorial on May 3 in support of our police forces,” said the CDS. Naval ships will conduct special drill and illuminate vessels to convey gratitude to coronavirus warriors, he said.

On behalf of the armed forces, the tri-services chief also thanked the COVID-19 warriors: “Doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police, home guards, delivery boys and media which has been reaching out with the message of government on how to carry on with lives in difficult times.”

General Rawat asserted that no operational task has been affected or will be affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He further said that it is not proper to conclude that the novel coronavirus outbreak is a result of biological warfare.

(With inputs from agencies)