The Mechanized Infantry Regiment (MIR) is a

mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

. It is made up of four regular battalions and a volunteer battalion. Establish in 2007 by

Lt. Gen. Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star rank, three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in ...

Sarath Fonseka Field Marshal Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka ( si, ගාර්දිහේවා සරත් චන්ද්‍රලාල් ෆොන්සේකා, ta, சரத் பொன்சேகா; born 18 December 1950), commonly know ...

its battalions are equipped with Type 63 and

WZ551 The WZ-551 is a Chinese wheeled infantry fighting vehicle family. The name WZ-551 actually covers two families of vehicles with the official designations in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of Type 90 and Type 92. Over 3,000 WZ-551s are in ser ...

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s make up the Mechanized Infantry Brigade. It is the youngest Infantry regiment of the Army.

History

Norinco Type 89 (YW534) Armored Fighting Vehicle of MIR The Mechanized Infantry Regiment was raised on the battlefield on 14 February at the divisional headquarters of the 53 Division at

Kodikamam Kodikamam is a small town in the Jaffna peninsula of Jaffna District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka The Northern Province ( ta, வட மாகாணம் ''Vaṭa Mākāṇam''; si, උතුරු පළාත ''Uturu Paḷāta'') is one ...

Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...

in order for the army to have specialized

units to deploy in battle, instead of using regular infantry along with

s as it had done before. Three battalions where formed with officers and men from 3rd Light Infantry Battalion, 10th Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, the 4th Gajaba Battalion and 5th & 6th Reconnaissance Regiments of the

Sri Lanka Armoured Corps The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) provides the armour capability of the Sri Lanka Army, with vehicles such as the T-55AM2, and type 80/88 main battle tanks; the BMP infantry fighting vehicle; and the BTR-80, and WZ551 armoured personnel carri ...

. The 53-4 brigade which is made up of the newly formed battalions has since been designated as the Mechanized Infantry Brigade."Innovation to Engage" the Medal Awarding ceremony of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment, Ministry of Defence
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Units

Brigade

* Mechanized Infantry Brigade

Regular Battalions

*1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion *2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion *3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion *4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion

Volunteer Battalions

*5th Mechanized Infantry Battalion (Converted from 21st Sri Lanka National Guard on 1 June 2010)

Order of precedence

References

External links and sources

Sri Lanka Army
{{Sri Lanka Army Regiments M Mechanized units and formations Military units and formations established in 2007