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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 66th Armoured Regiment
| image =
| caption =
| dates = 1966 – present
| country = {{flag icon|India}} [[India]]
| allegiance = India
| branch = [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
| type = [[Armour]]
| role =
| size = Regiment
| command_structure =
| equipment = [[T-72]]

| Past Commanders =
| ceremonial_chief =
| colonel_of_the_regiment = Maj Gen Sandeep Singh
| notable_commanders = General [[Vishwa Nath Sharma]], [[PVSM]], [[AVSM]], ADC<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldsherwoodians.com/greats/index.htm?http://www.oldsherwoodians.com/greats/vnsharma.htm|title=Gen VN Sharma profile|access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref>

| identification_symbol = 66 Armd Regt
| identification_symbol_label = Abbreviation

| nickname = "Flame Riders"
| patron =
| motto = "मान या वीरगति" ''Maan ya Veergati'' (Honour or Valiant Death)
| colors = Flame Orange and Charcoal Grey
| march = Sare Jahan Se Achha Hindustan Hamara
| mascot =
| battles =
| anniversaries =
| decorations = [[Shaurya Chakra]] 1 [[Vir Chakra]] 1<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/rajvinder-singh-cheema|title=RC Cheema VrC|access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref> [[Sena Medal]] 1 [[Mentioned in dispatches]] 3<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1974/O-1253-1974-0019-55503.pdf|title= Gazette of India No 19|date=1974-11-05|access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref> COAS Commendation Cards 9 VCOAS Commendation Cards 2 GOC-in-C Commendation Cards 22 Jeevan Raksha Padak 1<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1999/W_16_2013_212.pdf|title= Gazette of India No 16|date=1999-04-17| access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref>
| battle_honours =Theatre honour "Punjab 1971"
}}

'''66th Armoured Regiment''' is an armoured regiment which is part of the [[Indian Army Armoured Corps|Armoured Corps]] of the [[Indian Army]].<ref name="Nath2009">{{cite book|last=Nath|first=Ashok|title=Izzat: historical records and iconography of Indian cavalry regiments, 1750-2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sGQeQwAACAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Service Institution of India|isbn=978-81-902097-7-9|pages=644–646}}</ref>

== Formation ==
The regiment was raised on 1 September 1966 by Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) Narinder Singh at [[Ahmednagar]] as the "66th Cavalry". The name was changed on 14 January 1967 to 66th Armoured Regiment.<ref name="Nath2009"/>
The first officers for the regiment came from the Armoured Corps, but the Junior Commissioned Officers and men were drawn from the [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]]. The Regiment broke new ground by recruiting [[Ahir]]s and [[Maratha]]s, classes which had not previously served in the Armoured Corps. It also started inducting [[South India]]ns from 1968. Unlike other regiments, there are no single-class squadrons, but classes mixed right down to tank troop level.<ref name="Nath2009"/>

==Equipment==
The regiment was raised with [[Sherman tank]]s and re-equipped in November 1969 with [[Vijayanta]] tanks.<ref name="Nath2009"/> In 1987, the Regiment converted to [[T-72]] tanks.<ref name="philamart.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.philamart.com/Listing/Details/3064667/66-Armoured-RegimentIndian-Army-Postal-Cover-APO|title=66 Armoured - Indian Army Postal Cover |access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref>

==Operations==
The 66th Armoured Regiment fought in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] as the integral armoured regiment of the [[15th Infantry Division (India)|15th Infantry Division]] ([[XI Corps (India)|XI Corps]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Praval|first=KC|title=Indian Army After Independence|date=2009|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=978-1935501107}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://forceindia.net/guest-column/guts-grit-and-glory/bravehearts-victory/|title=Guts, Grit and Glory - Braveheart’s Victory|access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref> For its performance in operations, it was awarded the [[battle honour|theatre honour]] "Punjab 1971". After the war, the 66th participated in full strength in the [[Republic Day Parade]] of 26 January 1972, which was the victory parade to commemorate India's victory in the 1971 war.<ref name="Nath2009"/>
The regiment has also participated in [[Operation Brasstacks|Operation Trident]], [[Kargil War|Operation Vijay]], [[2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff|Operation Parakram]] and in counter insurgency operations.<ref name="philamart.com"/>

The Regiment again took part in the Republic Day Parade in 1991 with its newly acquired T-72 tanks.<ref name="philamart.com"/>

==Presentation of Guidon and Standard==
On 6 November 1979, the Regiment became the youngest to be presented with the "Guidon" by the then President of India Mr [[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]]. On 6 December 2004, the [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of Army Staff]] General [[Nirmal Chander Vij]] presented the "Standard" to the Regiment to commemorate the Regiment's 38 years of dedicated service to the nation and valour of the 1971 War.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/sharp-decline-in-infiltration-vij/265640|title=Sharp decline in infiltration: Vij|date=2004-12-06|access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref>

==Notable personnel==
One of the commandants of the regiment, Lt Col [[Vishwa Nath Sharma]], went on to become the [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]] from 1988 to 1990.<ref name="Nath2009"/>

==Regimental Insignia==
The regiment cap badge depicts a [[Vijayanta]] tank within a diamond-shaped tank troop formation sign and is devoid of the national emblem, the regiment number or the regimental motto.<ref name="Nath2009"/>

The shoulder title consists of the numeral "66" within a diamond-shaped tank troop formation sign in brass.<ref name="Nath2009"/>
The Regimental colours are ‘Flame Orange and Charcoal Grey’, which signify qualities of ‘strength and resilience’.<ref name="philamart.com"/>

The Regimental Motto is मान या वीरगति (Maan Ya Veergati), which translates to "Honour or Valiant Death".

The regiment has gained notoriety for adopting the Death's Head emblem to emblazon their tanks, despite official disapproval. The death's head has a scroll with the regimental motto inscribed. The death's head motif (in silver plate) is used as the officer's pouch badge. The emblem very closely resembles that of the [[17th/21st Lancers]], an erstwhile [[Cavalry regiments of the British Army|cavalry regiment]] of the [[British Army]] from 1922 to 1993.<ref name="Nath2009"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Indian Army Armoured Corps |state=expanded}}

[[Category:Armoured and cavalry regiments of the Indian Army from 1947]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1966]]

66th Armoured Regiment India - Revision history

Bot at 00:42, 31 December 2021