Regiment of Artillery celebrates 188th Raising Day

NEW DELHI: The Regiment of Artillery, which has proved its mettle in various operations during war times, today celebrated its 188th Raising Day.

September 28 has a special significance in the annals of the history of the Regiment as the first Indian artillery unit -- 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery equipped with 2.5-inch RML gun - was raised on this day in 1827.

The Regiment has proved its mettle during the operations of 1947-48, 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999. In addition, since the mid 1980s, gunners -- as artillery men are referred to -- have been fighting shoulder to shoulder with infantrymen in counter-insurgency operations in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and the North East.

A statement issued said here that the regiment is modernising rapidly with acquisition of 155-mm calibre gun systems in the towed, self-propelled and air portable versions.

The introduction of long-range weapon locating and surveillance radars and unmanned aerial vehicles have increased the reach and enhanced the ambit of battlefield transparency. The latest addition to the armoury is a supersonic land cruising missile capable of destroying pin- point targets deep inside the enemy territory, it said.