127 Light Air Defence Regiment (Composite)

127 Light AD Regiment (Composite)
Active	1951 – present
Country	India
Allegiance	India
Branch	Indian Army
Type	Corps of Army Air Defence
Size	Regiment
Nickname	Jetbusters
Mottos	Sanskrit: आकाशे शत्रुन् जहि English: Defeat the Enemy in the Sky
Colors	Sky Blue and Red
Anniversaries	31 March (Raising Day)
Equipment	ZU-23-2 twin-barreled autocannon 9K38 Igla surface-to-air missile
Commanders
Colonel of the Regiment	Col S.K.Duggal
Notable commanders	Col S.K.Duggal
Insignia
Abbreviation	127 Lt AD Regt (Comp)

127 Light Air Defence Regiment (Composite) is part of the Corps of Army Air Defence of the Indian Army. It consists of 581, 582 and 583 Light Air Defence batteries.

Formation and history

127 Light Air Defence Regiment (Composite) was raised on 31 March 1951 as 127 Light Anti-aircraft Regiment (Territorial Army) at Satara. It was raised as a single class regiment with Maratha troops. The motto of the Artillery Regiment is Sarvatra Izat-o-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory). At formation, the regiment was equipped with Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns. ^{[1] [2]}

The regiment was regularised as a regular air defence regiment of the Indian Artillery in 1973 at Hyderabad under Col S.K.Duggal and was renamed as 127 Light Air Defence Regiment. The unit got its present designation in 1989. ^[1]

The Commanding officer for 127 AD Regt was Col. S.K.Duggal who raised it in Hyderabad. The unit moved to Rajasthan (Nasirabad) under Col Duggal in 1975. Other destinations included Jammu.

Operations

The regiment has taken part in the following operations ^[1] -

• Operation Vijay: The first operational deployment of the unit was during the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese in 1961. Col Duggal's tank was the first tank that rolled into Goa.
• Indo-Pakistani War of 1965: Operation Riddle
• Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: The unit took part in Operation Cactus Lily in the western sector. It successfully repelled many air raids and shot down a B-57 bomber.
• Operation Meghdoot: The regiment took part in the operations in Siachen Glacier between 1984 and 1986. It became the first unit to deploy air defence guns at the highest battlefield in the world.
• Operation Rakshak: The unit was active in counter-insurgency operations in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir (1987-1990, 1992, 2004-2007).
• Operation Trident: 1987
• Operation Parakram: 2001-2002

Honours and awards

Personnel from the unit have been awarded the following awards ^[1] -

• Vir Chakra – 1 ^[3]
• Sena Medal – 1
• COAS Commendation Cards – 8 ^[4]
• GOC-in-C Commendation Cards – 18

Other achievements

• The Regiment was awarded Director General Army Air Defence Unit Appreciation award in 2006. ^[1]

Motto

The motto of the regiment is एक दो सात, विजय हमारे साथ (Ek do saat, vijay hamare saath), which translates to One, two, seven, victory is with us. ^[1]

External links

• 71st Raising Day

References

1. "127 Light AD-Diamond Jubilee -Indian Army Postal Cover". 2011-04-02. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
2. Singh, Lt Col Surender (2020). Territorial Army: Gateway for Civilians to Army. Notion Press. ISBN   978-1648997037.
3. "RHM Tata Pothu Raja" . Retrieved 2023-06-12.
4. "COAS Commendation Card". 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2023-06-12.