127 Light Air Defence Regiment (Composite)

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.

127 Light AD Regiment (Composite)
Active	1951 – present
Country	India
Allegiance	India
Branch	Indian Army
Type	Corps of Army Air Defence
Size	Regiment
Nickname(s)	Jetbusters
Motto(s)	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
Insignia
Abbreviation	127 Lt AD Regt (Comp)

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. 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 and was renamed as 127 Light Air Defence Regiment. The unit got its present designation in 1989.^[1]

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.
• 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