New Delhi, Jan. 23 -- The flypast at the upcoming Republic Day parade will feature 29 aircraft including seven fighter jets in a formation called Sindoor that has been introduced to depict the role of the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor, the four-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan in early May following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday. The fighters that will be a part of the new spearhead formation include two Rafales, two MiG-29s, two Sukhoi-30s and a Jaguar, the officials said. India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) before the May 10 ceasefire. The clash involved fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and a fierce artillery duel. The aerial display, which is the highlight of India's biggest ceremonial parade, will be conducted in two blocks for the first time -- during the parade, and at the end, they said. The flypast has been tweaked this year in line with a new phased battle array format to showcase the military's wide-ranging capabilities, with weapons and systems including infantry elements, tanks, artillery systems, missiles and airpower being displayed in a sequence that shows how they are deployed in a combat scenario. The flying display at the 77th Republic Day parade will include 16 fighter jets, four transport aircraft and nine helicopters. It will comprise the six-Rafale Vajraang formation, a P-8I and two Su-30s in the Varuna formation, a C-130J and two C-295s in the Arjan formation, an Apache and a light combat helicopter in the Garud formation, three advanced light helicopters in the Prahar formation and four Mi-17s in the Dhwaj formation. HTC...