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The Mechanised Forces have their origin in the horsemen and charioteers that dominated the Indian subcontinent as part of the vast armies of kings and princes since the time of the Aryans and even earlier. These cavalrymen laid the foundation for mobile warfare as early as 1500 BC. Till the early twentieth century, the horsed cavalry remained the bastion of mobile warfare. However World War I changed that, all and “tanks” saw extensive usage after 1961.
In 1938, when mecharization of the Indian Armoured Corps began, need for a separate training center for the Armoured Corps was felt. Three Cavalry Regiments were converted into training regiments and were separately located at Jhansi, Ferozepur and Lucknow, to cater to the growing needs of this new ‘Cavalry’. The outbreak of the World War-II resulted in the rapid mechanization of all Indian Cavalry regiments. The need for a permanent training establishment for officers, junior commissioned officers of the Armoured Corps was therefore felt and the Fighting Vehicles School was establishment at Ahmednagar. With expansion, another training center was raised at Babina. After Independence, all training centers were amalgamated and shifted to Ahmednagar, which has since been the Mecca for the ! Armoured Corps.
The Mechanised Infantry, on the other hand traces its current avatar to more recent times. Motorized Infantry battalions had been raised earlier, but modernization of the infantry began in earnest only after the 1965 War. 1971 saw some chosen, elite Infantry Battalions take to battle, mounted on Armoured personnel carriers. The Mechanised Infantry formally came into existence in Apr 1979 and the Brigade of the Guards joined the fold soon thereafter.
Today, the Mechanised Forces have practiced and mastered the art of integrated operations, and they are as integrated in peace as they will be in war. The Inaugural Mechanised Forces Conference validates this integration as a necessary adjunct to the war fighting principles that must apply to modern Mechanised Warfare concepts. It is with this backdrop in mind, that a decision has been taken to hold the Inaugural Mechanised forces Conference at Armoured Corps Centre and School, Ahmednagar. The conference will be attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Vice Chief of Army Staff, Dy Chief of Army Staff, Director General Mechanised Forces and approximately 300 other senior officers of the Indian Army. This is a departure from the usual biennial conferences that are held separately at the respective training cen! ters and which do not afford the participants an opportunity to confer together on issues, which are critically important to the Mechanised Forces as an entity. It is visualized that this Conference will throw up issues of relevance for the Mechanised Forces, to enable our Army Cope up with a constantly changing military environment and the current revolutionary developments in Mechanised Warfare.
SKS/VKJ/GSJ/SSR
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