VISAKHAPATNAM: An affiliation ceremony of the latest Indian Navy frigate, INS Sahyadri, with one of the oldest regiments of the Indian Army, the Poona Horse, was held at the Naval Dockyard on Saturday. Colonel of Poona Horse Regiment Lt Gen RV Kanitkar and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command Vice-Admiral HCS Bisht graced the event hosted by Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) Rear Admiral B Dasgupta onboard INS Sahyadri.
The ceremony began with the inspection of the combined Army-Navy Ceremonial Guard. After the welcome address by Commanding Officer of INS Sahyadri Captain Anil Jaggi, the ship was affiliated to the Regiment with the reading, signing and exchange of the Affiliation Charter by FOC-IN-C ENC and the Colonel of the Poona Horse Regiment.
On the occasion, the Colonel of the Regiment and the FOC-IN-C, ENC, emphasised the importance of achieving the aims listed in the charter of affiliation. The ceremony was followed by exchange of mementos and introduction of officers and men of the two units to the Commander-in-Chief and Colonel of the Regiment.
The Poona Horse is an Armoured Corps regiment which was raised on July 15, 1817 through the Treaty of Poona between the British and Bajirao II, the Peshwa.
The regiment has fought and served with great distinction and honour, winning several legendary battles such as the Battle of Koregaum, Afghan Wars, Battle of Kooshab, Indo-Pak Wars in 1965 and 1971.
It is the only regiment in the history which was appreciated by the enemy and awarded ‘Fakhr-e-Hind’ by Pakistan during the 1965 war. The Poona Horse has accomplished the highest number of battle honours in the entire Commonwealth and is the only armoured regiment in the Indian Army with Param Vir Chakra Award. The regiment, also called ‘Poona Horse Family’, is known for the spirit of valour, camaraderie and excellence with a motto ‘Ran Vir Jai Sada’ (The gallants, always victorious on battlefield).
INS Sahyadri, one of the latest indigenous weapon platforms of the ENC, was built at Mazagaon Dock Limited, Mumbai. The stealth ship is armed with an array of weaponry including Surface-to-Surface missiles, Surface-to-Air missiles, medium range and short range guns and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The ship is a part of the Eastern Fleet and has excelled in several joint exercises, HADR missions, foreign deployments and has been awarded the ‘Best Ship Trophy’ of the Eastern Fleet for two years.
The affiliation was instituted in 1990 to foster spirit of cooperation, understanding and jointmanship between Army and Naval units. Though they operate in different domains, it’s Army and Navy’s coordinated battle efforts that won wars. The affiliation is, thus, a symbol of inter-service camaraderie that goes a long way in execution of joint ops in modern warfare.