The Mechanised Infantry Regiment Raising Day, Indian Army
The Mechanised Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army which specialises in mechanised warfare. The battalions of the regiment form an integral part of armoured formations within the Indian army.
Know the Indian Army’s Mechanised Infantry regiment better:
Raised: 1979
Role: Line Infantry
Equipment: BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, BTR-60 and BTR-70 Armoured Personnel Carriers
Regimental Centre: Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
Motto: Valour & Faith
War Cry: Bolo Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Victory to Mother India)
Regimental Insignia: A rifle bayonet mounted on a BMP-1, depicting the infantry and mechanised facets of the Regiment
History of the Regiment:
The regiment was raised as a result of a strong need felt by the Indian Army for greater mobility for infantry regiments after the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
General K Sundarji (Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1986 to 1988) is credited to have envisaged the requirement of having mechanised regiments which could be better equipped to deal with the modern combat doctrine of mechanised warfare.
Initially, some of the older infantry battalions of various regiments were equipped with the BMP-1 armoured personnel carriers. The need for something more concrete and viable was felt along with a need to develop a common philosophy with regards to the type of military doctrine.
This resulted in the raising a totally new arm in the Indian Army, resulting in the various mechanised battalions being brought together under a single cap badge as the Mechanised Infantry Regiment in 1979.
Operations:
The Mechanised Infantry Regiment has the distinction of participating in Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, Operation Rakshak in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir and Operation Vijay in Jammu & Kashmir.
UN Peacekeeping Missions:
It has also contributed to the UN Peacekeeping Operations in Somalia, Congo, Angola and Sierra Leone. The Regiment has its affiliation to INS Gharial, of the Indian Navy. Gen Sundarji was appointed the first Colonel of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment, the post he held till his retirement.
It is one of the youngest regiments of the Indian Army, has not only proven its capabilities in all types of terrains including the high altitude, is has also participated in several United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. The regimental centre of this regiment is located at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra.
Last year, in July, 27th Mechanised Infantry Battalion was raised under the leadership of Colonel Ajay Singh Rathore and it is equipped with the formidable anti-tank platform the BMP-II. The missile fired from this platform is known to have one of the highest single shot kill probability.
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