NicolasBull1 at 14:29, 7 April 2026

2026-04-07T14:29:07Z

New page

{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name=218 Medium Regiment
|image=
|caption=
|dates=1967 – present
|country={{flag icon|India}} [[India]]
|allegiance=India
|branch= [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
|type= [[File:Regiment of Artillery Insignia (India).svg|20px]] [[Artillery]]
|role=
|size= Regiment
|command_structure=
|equipment=[[Haubits FH77|Haubits FH77 155 mm guns]]

|Past Commanders=
|ceremonial_chief=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|notable_commanders=

|identification_symbol=218 Med Regt
|identification_symbol_label=Abbreviation

|nickname=
|patron=
|motto= Sarvatra, Izzat-O-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory)
|colors= Red & Navy Blue
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=
|anniversaries=1 October – Raising Day
|decorations=
|battle_honours=
}}
'''218 Medium Regiment''' is part of the [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]] of the [[Indian Army]].

== Formation==
The regiment was raised on 1 October 1967 at [[Dhrangadhra]] with [[Rajput]] troops.<ref name="GJ">{{cite web|url=https://stampdigest.in/2020/01/24/aps-cover-oct-2019-golden-jubilee-218-medium-regiment/|title=Golden Jubilee|date=2019-10-12|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Sainik Samachar, Volume 59|year=2012|page=29|publisher=Director of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/ex-servicemen-movement-to-the-forefront/story-kzOewUPkNjJGd6vGXu6y4H.html|title= Ex-Servicemen Movement to the forefront|date=2012-12-25|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref> It consists of 2181, 2182 and 2183 medium batteries.

==Operations==
The regiment has taken part in the following operations<ref name="GJ"/> -
*'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|Operation Cactus Lily]]''' – The regiment took part in the 1971 war in the western sector in the [[Barmer district|Barmer]] subsector.<ref name="Dutt">{{cite web|url=https://corporatecitizen.in/v3-issue9/guest-talk-capt-shekhar-dutt-1971-an-excursion-in-sindh-notings-from-a-soldiers-diary.html|title=Capt Shekhar Dutt: 1971 – AN EXCURSION IN SINDH : Notings from a Soldier's Diary|date=2017-07-16|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref> It was part of divisional artillery of [[11th Indian Infantry Division|11 Infantry Division]]. 2183 Medium Battery, which was in support of 85 Infantry Brigade was the first to fire the opening salvo during the war in this sector. The guns were used for direct shooting of Pakistani bunkers in Gazi Camp and Kajlor on 4/5 December. 2181 Medium Battery was in support of 31 Infantry Brigade. It supported the attack of [[Kumaon Regiment|15 Kumaon]] on Gadra City on 4/5 December 1971. The regiment saw action during the capture of the formation named ‘Apex’ on the night of 10/11 December.<ref>{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Jagjit |title=Indian Gunners at War: The Western Front 1971|date=1994|publisher= Spantech & Lancer|isbn=978-1897829554|pages=223–5}}</ref> The unit lost Gunner Brij Raj Singh during the operations.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/amarjawan/index.php?qname=&qwar=1971%20Bangladesh%20War&cur=0&qunit=218%20Med%20Regt&qnum=&qregt=Regiment%20Of%20Artillery&qdate=|title= Amar-Jawan - A database of Indian Armed Forces Martyrs 1947-1997|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref> The regiment won one Sena Medal and two Mentioned in dispatches.
*'''Operation Falcon''' – The regiment had two tenures, 1986–90 and 1994–96. During its first tenure, the [[Sumdorong Chu standoff]] took place in the [[Tawang district|Tawang]] sector of [[Arunachal Pradesh]] along the Sino-Indian border. In the winter of 1986–87, as part of the proactive Indian response to Chinese incursions into the Wangdung area of the [[Sumdorong Chu]] Valley, a battery of newly inducted [[Haubits FH77]] guns (commonly known as the Bofors guns) of the 285 Medium Regiment was inducted into the Tawang sector of the [[Tezpur]]-based [[IV Corps (India)|4 Corps]]. After the crisis ended, it handed over its guns to 218 Medium Regiment in the same area. 218 Medium Regiment was officially declared as the first Bofors unit.<ref>{{cite book|last=Subramaniam|first=Arjun|title=Full Spectrum, India's Wars 1972-2020|date=2020|publisher= Harper Collins India|isbn=978-9353578053}}</ref>
*'''[[2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff|Operation Parakram]]''' – 2001-2
*'''Operation Rakshak''' – 2009-11 – counter terrorist operations.
*'''Operation Rhino''' – 2014-17 – counter terrorist operations.

==Gallantry awards==
{{Incomplete list|date=November 2023}}
*[[Sena Medal]] – Captain Shekhar Dutt<ref>{{cite web|url= https://egazette.gov.in/(S(fpmwitalh5paydbfa5wg1pq3))/ViewPDF.aspx|title=Gazette of India, No 10, page 287|date=1974-03-09|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref>
*[[Mentioned in dispatches]] – Havildar Jagat Narain Singh, Gunner (TA) Virender Pal Singh<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105071206/https://egazette.gov.in/(S(xixkslmayij2zo2ruc3sapv1))/ViewPDF.aspx | url= https://egazette.gov.in/(S(xixkslmayij2zo2ruc3sapv1))/ViewPDF.aspx | title=Gazette of India, No 4204, page 532|date=1974-05-11|access-date=2023-11-24|archive-date=5 November 2023}}</ref>
*[[Commendation Card (Indian Army)|COAS Commendation Card]] – Colonel Sachin Gahlawat<ref>{{cite web|url= https://archive.pib.gov.in/documents/rlink/2017/aug/i201781403.docx|title= LIST OF PERSONNEL BEING AWARDED CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF COMMENDATION ON THE OCCASION OF INDEPENDENCE DAY-2017|date=2017-08-15|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref>
*[[Commendation Card (Indian Army)|VCOAS Commendation Card]] – Naik Manish Kumar Sharma<ref>{{cite web|url= https://indianarmy.nic.in/about/2019-army-day-honours-awards-list-of-awardees/vcoas-commendation-card-2019-army-day-honours-awards-list-of-awardees|title=VCOAS Commendation Card|date=2019-01-15|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref>

==Achievements==
*The regiment had the honour to participate in the [[Delhi Republic Day parade|Republic Day Parade]] in 1999 and 2001 with their Haubits FH77 155 mm guns.<ref name="RD">{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUxpHlD4kZc|title= Republic Day Parade 26th January 1999, Part – 1|date=1999-01-26|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpLcRM4Y6C0|title= Republic Day Parade 26th January 2001, Part – 1|date=2001-01-26|access-date=2023-11-24}}</ref>

==Battle cry==
The battle cry of the regiment is वीर राजपूत सर्वत्र विजय (Veer Rajput Sarvatra Vijay) which translates to ''Brave Rajput, always victorious''.<ref name="RD"/>

==Notable officers==
*Captain [[Shekhar Dutt]]– was a [[Artillery observer|Forward Observation Officer]] (FOO) in the regiment during the 1971 war. He was awarded the Sena Medal during this war. He went on to join the [[Indian Administrative Service]] and rose to be the [[Defence Secretary (India)|Defence Secretary]], Deputy National Security Advisor and [[List of governors of Chhattisgarh|4th Governor of Chhattisgarh]].<ref name="Dutt"/>

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1967]]
[[Category:Artillery regiments of the Indian Army after 1947]]

218 Medium Regiment India - Revision history

NicolasBull1 at 14:29, 7 April 2026