Lucie45F0227 at 18:00, 16 April 2025

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{{COI|date=March 2025}}
{{Short description|Regiment in India}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 163 Medium Regiment
| image =
| caption =
| dates = 1963 till date
| country = {{flag icon|India}} [[India]]
| allegiance = India
| branch = [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
| equipment = 
| notable_commanders =
| identification_symbol = [[File:163 Gun Logo.jpg|thumb|200 px|Regimental logo]]
| nickname = ''The History Creators''
| motto = Sarvatra Izzat-O-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour & Glory) Vinay Aur Veerta (Courtesy & Valour)
| colors = Red & Navy Blue
| mascot =
| battles = 1965 Indo-Pak War 1971 Indo-Pak War Op Rakshak Kargil war Op Parakram
| anniversaries = 1 October (Raising Day)
| decorations = GOC-in-C [[Northern Command (India)|Northern Command]] Unit Citation, January 2025
| battle_honours =
| Past Commanding Officers =
}}
'''163 Medium Regiment''' is part of the [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]] of the [[Indian Army]].

== Formation and History==
The regiment was raised as '''163 Field Regiment''' on 1 October 1963 at [[Jalandhar]]. The first Commanding Officer was Lieutenant Colonel Milkha Singh Mann. The regiment was constituted from the Sierra [[Artillery battery|Batteries]] of 4 Field Regiment, [[41 Field Regiment (India)|41 Field Regiment]] and [[81 Medium Regiment (India)|81 Field Regiment]]. Since raising, the regiment had a <nowiki/>'Fixed Class' composition with a Battery each of [[Rajput]]s, [[Sikhs]] and [[Ahir]]s. The regiment was converted for the first time from 163 Field Regiment to '''163 Medium Regiment''' on 18 September 1992, back to field regiment on 8 July 2008 and is presently back as a medium regiment. The regiment was converted to a '<nowiki/>Mixed Class (All India)' composition in May 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/kashmir-todays-paper/army-organises-inter-school-quiz-competition|title=Army organises inter-school quiz competition|date=2022-09-30|access-date=2023-06-01}}</ref> The unit presently consists of 1631, 1632 and 1633 medium batteries.

==Operations==
The regiment has taken part in the following operations<ref name="163FdAPOcover">{{cite web |date=2013-10-01 |title=163 Field Regiment Golden Jubilee APO postal cover |url=https://samsshopping.com/product/163-field-regiment/ |access-date=2023-06-01}}</ref> –
*'''[[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965|Indo-Pak War of 1965]]'''. The newly raised regiment took part in 'Operation Riddle' and <nowiki/>'Operation Ablaze' in t<nowiki/>he [[Rajouri district|Rajouri sector]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] in 25 Infantry Division Area under [[XV Corps (India)|15 Corps]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianstrategicknowledgeonline.com/web/1965Chapter05.pdf|title=Chapter 5|date=|access-date=2023-06-01}}</ref> During the operations in the Kalidhar Range, on 14 October 1965, within barely two years of the regiment's raising, it lost one of its Battery Commander Major J Pratap during the operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.1965.126/page/n5/|title=Gazette of India, No 45, page 571|date=1965-11-06|access-date=2025-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://honourpoint.in/wp-content/uploads/1965-war-martyrs.pdf|title=1965 war martyrs|access-date=2025-02-24}}</ref> Despite this setback, on the very same day, the area was captured by the Indian forces with decisive artillery firepower delivered by 163 Field Regiment. During the war, Lance Naik Harjinder Singh and Gunner Bhoor Singh of this regiment were also killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/amarjawan/index.php?qname=&qwar=1965%20India%20Pakistan%20War&cur=0&qunit=163%20Field%20Regiment&qnum=&qregt=Regiment%20Of%20Artillery&qdate=|title=Amar-Jawan - A database of Indian Armed Forces Martyrs 1947-1997|date=|access-date=2023-06-01}}</ref>
*'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|Indo-Pak War of 1971]]'''. The regiment took part in 'Operation Cactus Lily' in t<nowiki/>he [[Ajnala, India|Ajnala]] sector on the Western front. It was on ORBAT of 15 Artillery Brigade under [[15th Infantry Division (India)|15 Infantry Division]].<ref name="Jagjit">{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Jagjit|title=Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front 1971|date=1994|publisher= Spantech & Lancer|isbn=978-1897829554|page=}}</ref> Gunner Gundhari Singh Kaurav and Gunner Rambir Singh were killed during the war.<ref>{{cite book|last=Azad|first=Salam|title=Contribution of India in the War of Liberation of Bangladesh|date=2006|publisher=Bookwell Publications|page=338}}</ref>
*'''Operation Rakshak''' - The regiment took part in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir between October 1989 and September 1992. Subsequently, the regiment took part in 'Operation Kasba' in the [[Poonch district, India|Poonch]] sector.
*'''[[Kargil War|Operation Vijay]]''' - The regiment actively participated in the 'Kargil War' and for the first time in history moved the 130 mm M-46 artillery guns from [[Zoji La]] to [[Kargil]] under heavy enemy shelling on 7 June 1999, thus replenishing the firepower by replacing the guns of [[286 Field Regiment (India)|286 Medium Regiment]], which had outlived their barrel life.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/artillery-the-battle-winning-factor-in-kargil-331321-2016-07-25|title=Artillery: The battle winning factor in Kargil|date=2016-07-25|access-date=2023-06-01}}</ref>
*'''[[2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff|Operation Parakram]]''' - During its tenure in [[Kupwara district|Kupwara]] sector, for counter-terrorism operations, the regiment took part in 'Operation Parakram' and 'Operation Vajra Prahar'. It was actively involved in firing at enemy gun positions during the operations.

==Military decorations and awards==
The regiment was awarded the 'GOC-in-C [[Northern Command (India)|Northern Command]] Unit Citation' in January 2025.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Personnel from the unit have won the following gallantry awards<ref name="163FdAPOcover"/> -
{{Incomplete list|date=May 2023}}
*[[Vir Chakra]] - 2
**Major J Pratap, 1965, (Posthumous).{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}
**Major Harish Kumar Chopra, 1971.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/1972/O-1321-1972-0034-58847.pdf|title=Gazette of India, No 34, page 926|date=1972-08-19|access-date=2025-02-24}}</ref>
*[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] - 1
**Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Ahluwalia.
*[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]] - 2
**Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Ahluwalia, Bar.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=24335|title=Republic Day Gallantry and other Defence Decorations|date=2007-01-25|access-date=2025-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=57292|title=Republic Day Gallantry and other Defence Decorations|date=2010-01-25|access-date=2025-02-24}}</ref>
*[[Yudh Seva Medal]] - 1
**Brigadier (later Lieutenant General) Vijay Kumar Ahluwalia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.2003.111/page/n55/|title=Gazette of India, No 12, page 445|date=2003-03-22|access-date=2025-02-24}}</ref>
*[[Vishisht Seva Medal]] - 2
** Brigadier SK Pasricha, 1982.
**Lieutenant Colonel (later Lieutenant General) Vijay Kumar Ahluwalia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.1992.25/page/n11/|title=Gazette of India, No , page 597|date=1992-07-04|access-date=2025-02-24}}</ref>
*[[Commendation Cards (Indian Army)|Chief of Army Staff Commendation Cards]] - 6
**Major G Srinivas, 2002.
**Subedar (TA) Wirsa Singh, 2006.
**Gunner Jaswir Singh, 2006.
**Lieutenant Colonel G Srinivas, 2008.
**Lieutenant Colonel Diler Singh Jakhar, 2017.
**Naik Mahender Singh, 2024.
*Vice Chief of Army Staff Commendation Cards - 1
**Subedar Major Balkar Singh, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/about/2009-army-day-honours-awards-list-of-awardees/vcoas-commendation-card-2009-army-day-honours-awards-list-of-awardees|title=List Of Personnel Being Awarded Vice Chief Of Army Staff Commendation Card On The Occasion Of Army Day-2009|date=2009-01-15|access-date=2023-06-01}}</ref>
*General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Commendation Cards - 26
**Havildar Nirmal Singh, 1999.
**Gunner Shrikant Yadav, 2006.
**Gunner Sunil Rajput, 2007.
**Colonel Amit Kumar Jha, 2025.
**Major Desmond Cyril, 2025.

==Notable officers==
* Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Ahluwalia {{small|PVSM, AVSM & Bar, YSM, VSM}}, GOC-in-C [[Central Command (India)|Central Command]] from 2010 to 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/lieutenant-general-ahluwalia-retires-after-40-years-of-service/articleshow/12091882.cms|title=Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Ahluwalia retires after 40 years of service|work=The Times of India |date=2012-03-01|access-date=2025-02-24}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of regiments of the Indian Army#Artillery|List of artillery regiments of Indian Army]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1963]]
[[Category:Artillery regiments of the Indian Army after 1947]]

163 Medium Regiment India - Revision history

Lucie45F0227 at 18:00, 16 April 2025