Russia’s Defense Ministry has set a procedure for the mechanized column, aircraft and helicopters to take part in the Victory Parade on Moscow’s Red Square on May 9 to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. "Over 130 wheeled and tracked vehicles will pass through Red Square while the parade’s air component will be represented by 74 aircraft," the ministry said in a statement.
BTR-82A driving toward the Red Square for the Victory Day parade (Picture source: Vitaly Kuzmin)
Traditionally, the Soviet legendary T-34 tank, the Victory’s armored symbol, will lead the mechanized column during the parade. Next in the formation will be Tigr-M light armored vehicles, including those with the Arbalet combat module, Tigr vehicles with the Kornet-D anti-tank system, and also the Taifun-K armored vehicle. BTR-82A armored personnel carriers will follow Taifun vehicles, after which the most advanced tracked armor - the Kurganets and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, T-14 Armata tanks and tank support combat vehicles - will roll through Red Square.
The air defense troops’ combat hardware will include Tor-M2 and Buk-M2 surface-to-air missile systems, Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile/gun complexes and S-400 missile launching vehicles. The spectators will also see modernized T-72B3 tanks, the Airborne Force’s new armor represented by BMD-4M airborne assault vehicles and BTR-MDM armored personnel carriers, and also Msta-S self-propelled artillery guns, self-propelled launchers of the Iskander tactical missile system, Smerch multiple launch rocket systems, Bumerang armored personnel carriers and autonomous launch vehicles of the Yars strategic road-mobile missile system.
The mechanized column will also feature Taifun-U and Taifun-K armored vehicles of Russia’s military police and Tigr, Patrul and Ural armored vehicles of the country’s National Guard.
After the mechanized column passes through Red Square, the air component of the Victory Parade will begin. The airborne parade will begin with the flyover of four groups of helicopters (Mi-26, Mi-8, Mi-28N, Ka-52 and Mi-24). After that, 12 groups of aircraft from all aviation branches of Russia’s Aerospace Force will fly over Red Square, changing each other: the Tu-160 ‘White Swan’ strategic missile-carrying bomber and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers. An Il-78 aerial refueling tanker and the Tu-95MS strategic missile-carrying bomber will simulate aerial refueling, after which three Tu-95MS strategic bombers, MiG-29SMT, MiG-29, Su-35S and Su-30SM will fly in formations that will be followed by MiG-31 long-range fighter-interceptors, Su-24M and Su-34 bombers. Su-25 attack aircraft will conclude the airborne part of Russia’s military parade.
The troops that will march across Red Square will involve more than 13,600 personnel.
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