The Armoured Corps ( ur, ﺁرمرڈ كور) of the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
is a combat branch tasked with
armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or armored warfare (mechanized forces, armoured forces or armored forces) (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences), is the use of armoured fighting vehicle, armo ...
. Equipped with more than 3,742
main battle tanks
A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...
, the corps is headquartered in the garrison town of
Nowshera, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Nowshera (; ; ps, نوښار, ''pr.'' ''Nowkhār'' ) is the capital city of Nowshera District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provinces of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. It is the Largest cities of Pakistan, 78th largest city in Pakistan and List of ...
. The corps has only administrative control of its component regiments. The regiments are deployed in a number of field formations including two armoured divisions, two mechanised divisions, and a number of independent armoured brigades.
The corps has a history going back to September 1773, when its oldest unit, the
Governor General's Bodyguard
The Governor General's Bodyguard was a cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment was, in effect, the Indian equivalent of the Household Cavalry of the British Army.
History
The regiment was first formed in 1773 as the Govern ...
, was raised in
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
. The corps maintains a number of units , who earned fame in numerous wars and engagements as part of the
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...
including in the two World Wars. At the time of the
independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
inherited six armoured regiments from the old British Indian Army.
Since then, the corps has expanded into more than forty regiments. Many of these new regiments have also earned accolades for their performance in wars fought with India. The corps played a minor role in 1947-48 and a major role in the
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
and
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
Ja ...
wars with India. Later on, the Corps played a crucial part in terms of deterrence when the Pakistani Army has mobilised repeatedly in the face of various Indian build-ups on
the border. These include
Operation Brasstacks
Operation Brasstacks was a major combined arms military exercise of the Indian Armed Forces in Rajasthan state of India, that took place from November 1986 to January 1987 near Pakistan border.
As part of a series of exercises to simulate th ...
in 1986-87 and
Operation Parakram
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
in 2001-02. The Corps also took part in
Operation Zarb-e-Azb
Operation Zarb-e-Azb (Pashto/ ur, ALA-LC: ) was a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Eas ...
against terrorist groups in the North-Western part of Pakistan.
The Corps has a major presence along the India-Pakistan border and a minor presence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Regiments in the Corps
*
President's Bodyguard
The President's Bodyguard (PBG) is an elite household cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. It is the senior-most regiment in the order of precedence of the units of the Indian Army. The primary role of the President's Bodyguard is to escort and ...
*
4th Cavalry (Valiants)
*
5th Horse
The 5th Horse is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was previously known as the 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse, which was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by the amalgamation of the 11 ...
(Probyn's Horse)
*
6th Lancers (Fateh Khem Karan)
*
7th Lancers
The 7th Hariana Lancers was a cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1846 and in 1921 was amalgamated with the 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry to form the 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry.
The unit was formed in 1846 as a regime ...
*
8th Cavalry (Izz-Ul-Khail)
*
9th Horse (The Arabian Horse)
*
Guides Cavalry
The Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force) is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army which was raised in 1846 as The Corps of Guides. During more than a hundred and fifty years of military service, the regiment has earned the reputation of one of ...
(Frontier Force)
*
11th Cavalry (Frontier Force)
The 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force), is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was previously known as the 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry and was a regular cavalry regiment of the old British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by ...
*
12th Cavalry (Frontier Force)
The 12th Cavalry Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in the British Indian army in 1922 by the amalgamation of 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) and 25th Cavalry (Frontier Force) ...
*
13th Lancers
The 13th Lancers is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1923 as 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers by the amalgamation of 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers and 32nd Lancers. On Partition of India in 1947, the regiment w ...
(Spearheads)
*
14th Lancers (Zarb-e-Ghazi)
*
15th Lancers
The 15th Lancers (Baloch) is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 17th Cavalry and the 37th Lancers (Baluch Horse).Ahmad, Lt Col RN. (2010). ''Battle Honours of the Baloch Regiment''. Abbottaba ...
(Baloch)
*
16th Horse (Al-Mugheerat)
*
17th Lancers
The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1759 and notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. The regiment was amalgamated with the 21st Lanc ...
*
18th Horse
*
19th Lancers
The 19th Lancers is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. Before 1956, it was known as 19th King George V's Own Lancers, which was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922, by the amalgamation of 18th K ...
*
20th Lancers (Haideri)
[20th Lancers is associated with the Punjab Regiment.]
*
21st Horse (Murtajiz)
*
22nd Cavalry (Death or Glory)
*
23rd Cavalry
The 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force), is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was previously known as the 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry and was a regular cavalry regiment of the old British Indian Army. It was formed in 1921 by th ...
(Frontier Force)
*
24th Cavalry (Frontier Force) (Chargers)
*
25th Cavalry
The 12th Cavalry Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) is an armoured regiment of Pakistan Army. It was formed in the British Indian army in 1922 by the amalgamation of 22nd Sam Browne's Cavalry (Frontier Force) and 25th Cavalry (Frontier Force ...
(Frontier Force) (Men of Steel)
*
26th Cavalry (''Mustangs'')
*
27th Cavalry
The 16th Light Cavalry is a regiment of the Armoured Corps, a primary combat arm of the Indian Army. Prior to India gaining independence from the British in 1947, it was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 177 ...
(Ribat-ul-Khail) Steeds of war
* 28th Cavalry
*
29th Cavalry (''Tigers'')
*
30th Cavalry (''Bold Till Death'')
*
31st Cavalry (''Sprocketeers'')
*
32nd Cavalry (''Conquerers'')
*
33rd Cavalry (''Fortunes with the Bold'')
*
34th Lancers (''Dragoons'')(''Tawakkal-Ullah'')
*
35th Cavalry
*
36th Cavalry
*
37th Cavalry (Ribat-us-Sehra)
*
38th Cavalry
*
39th Cavalry
*
40th Horse (''Sind'')
[
* 41st Horse (''Frontier Force'') (''Karakash'')]
* 42th Lancers
* 43rd Cavalry (''al-Zarib'') (Raised 2015)
* 44th Cavalry (''Hell on Wheels'') (Raised 2016)
* 45th Horse (''Alambardar'')
* 47th Cavalry
* 51st Lancers (''Silver Eagles'')
* 52nd Cavalry
* 53rd Cavalry (''Golden Eagle'')
* 54th Cavalry (''Hizbullah'')
* 55th Cavalry
* 56th Cavalry (''Raad ul Harb'')
* 57th Cavalry
* 58th Cavalry
Equipment
Armoured Corps regiments are equipped with the following:
*The VT4
The VT-4 (), also known as the MBT-3000, is a Chinese third generation main battle tank built by Norinco for overseas export.
Development
During the development of Type 90-II/Al-Khalid (also known as MBT-2000) in the 1980s, the gearbox and e ...
is a Chinese third-generation MBT specifically made for export.
*The Al-Khalid
The Al-Khalid ( ur, —, literally "The Eternal Tank") is a Pakistani main battle tank developed by Heavy Industries Taxila since the 1990s. It is based on the Chinese Type 90-IIM tan, whose original prototype was developed by China North ...
main battle tank is a joint Sino-Pakistani production with a 125 mm smoothbore gun.
*The T-80UD
The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) that was designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union and manufactured in Russia. The T-80 is based on the T-64, while incorporating features from the later T-72. The chief designer of the T-80 was So ...
is of Ukrainian origin with a 125 mm smoothbore gun.
* The Al-Zarrar
The Al-Zarrar (Urdu: الضرار), is a third generation main battle tank (MBT), currently in the services of the Pakistan Army since 2004. The tank is named after Muslim warrior Zarrar bin Al-Azwar.
It is a highly upgraded version of Pakista ...
is a heavily upgraded version of the Chinese Type 59 tank
The Type 59 (; industrial designation: WZ-120) main battle tank is a Chinese-produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an early model of the ubiquitous T-54/55 series. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service ...
equipped with a 125mm smoothbore cannon, ERA, and many more modern equipment.
*The T-85III is an upgraded version of the Chinese T-85AP with a 125 mm smoothbore gun.
*The Type 69 tank
The Type 69 () and Type 79 () are Chinese second generation main battle tanks. Both were developments of the Type 59 medium tank (a locally produced Soviet T-54A) with technologies derived from T-62. They were the first indigenously developed ...
is a Chinese MBT with a 105 mm gun.
See also
* Azad Kashmir Regiment
The Azad Kashmir Regiment, also known as AK Regt, is one of the six infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army. The regiment takes its name from Azad Kashmir, which is the Pakistani-administered territory of the Kashmir region. As per the order of ...
* Baloch Regiment
The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab Regiment, 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the 10th Baluch Regiment, Baluch Regiment. Since then, furt ...
* Frontier Force Regiment
The Frontier Force Regiment is one of the six infantry regiments of the Pakistan Army. They are popularly known as the ''Piffers'' in reference to their military history as the PIF ( Punjab Irregular Force) of the British Indian Army, or as th ...
* Northern Light Infantry Regiment
The Northern Light Infantry Regiment (NLI) is a light infantry regiment in the Pakistan Army, based and currently headquartered in Gilgit, Pakistan. Along with other forces of the Pakistani military, the NLI has the primary responsibility of con ...
* Punjab Regiment Punjab Regiment may refer to the following existing units:
*Punjab Regiment (India)
*Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)
From 1922 to 1947, the British Indian Army included 6 numbered Punjab Regiments:
*1st Punjab Regiment
* 2nd Punjab Regiment
*8th Punj ...
* Sindh Regiment
ur, سندھ رجمنٹ)
, image = Badge of Sind Regiment.png
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption = Regimental cap badge
, start_date = 1980
, disbanded =
, country =
, allegiance =
, branch =
, type =
, role = infantry
, size = 34 bat ...
References
External links
Pakistan Armoured Corps
on www.regiments.org
{{Authority control
Pakistan Armoured Corps
Nationstate armoured warfare branches
Military units and formations established in 1947
1947 establishments in Pakistan
Armour
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...