Mechanised Forces

IN ANY battle, speed, accuracy and protection are extremely important. In days of yore, the Cavalry provided these and won the day with the artillery decimating the target prior to the assault. Gradually, engines came in and the speed of automobiles exceeded that of horses. During the First World War, both sides stagnated in their trenches till the British invented the tank in the First World War in September 1915. The first use of tanks on the battlefield was the use of British Mark 1 tanks at the Battle of Flers-Courcellete on September 15, 1916, with mixed results; many broke down, but nearly a third succeeded in breaking through. Of the fortynine tanks shipped to the battle field, only thirty-two were able to begin the first attack in which they were used and only nine made it across “no man’s land” to the German lines. The tanks had been rushed into combat before the design was mature enough and the number was small but their use gave important feedback on how to design newer tanks, the soundness of the concept, and their potential to affect the course of the war.

- Maj Gen PK Chakravorty

On the other hand, the French Army was critical of the British employment of small numbers of tanks in this battle. The Second World War witnessed massive employment of tanks and thereafter they became an important part of all wars. In India, tanks have played an important role in the three wars against Pakistan and are currently being tailored to play an important role against our adversaries.

CONSTITUENTS OF OUR MECHANISED FORCES

The Mechanised Forces primarily comprise of the Armoured Corps and the Mechanised Infantry. In addition, we have the Self-Propelled Artillery, mechanised units of Army Air Defence, Engineers, Signals and other Services. In our environment, war with either China or Pakistan is likely to start in the mountains and spill over to the plains, deserts and to the Indian Ocean. As per globalsecurity.org the Indian Army has adequate number of regiments which are deployed with formations in plains, deserts and mountainous terrain. These regiments have proved their worth in all wars. The Mechanised Infantry is the youngest regiment of the Indian Army and is a unique blend of military heritage originating since 1776 and the latest state-of-the-art equipment profile. After 1965 Indo-Pak war, a need was felt to provide matching mobility to infantry units operating with armoured formations. In 1969, some of the oldest battalions from various infantry regiments were equipped with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs). Currently, the Indian Army has Armoured Brigades and Armoured Divisions. There are also units grouped with other formations based on their operational needs. The divisions are suitably grouped to fight in a particular theatre.