The Indian cantonment of Aurangabad was given a Russian T-55 tank recently by the nation’s army in recognition for providing the greatest number of soldiers to the armed service.
Weighing well in excess of 36,000 kilograms, the machine has been located in the area of Cantonments Malhotra Enclave on the Ahmednagar Naka Road.
Brigadier Anurag Vij, the commander of the Aurangabad Military Station, said the Marathwada district has the credit of providing the largest number of soldiers to the Indian Army in Maharashtra and has given much to the country’s defense. They intend to continue recognition substantially.
Vij also said the tank would remind them of the brave sacrifices of the Armed Forces in past conflicts and combat engagements to spur more youths to enlist in the army.
Since the Army cantonment’s beginning at Aurangabad in 1890, the tank is the first combat machine that has been assigned to the metropolis.
Army officers, overcome by the donation, have started inquiries to receive additional machines for display in other city areas.
Senior military officers said the T-55s were in service with the Russian army in 1950 and ten years later with their Indian counterpart. It was one of the first Russian tanks used b+y the Indian Army which played a substantial role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and was deployed at the Punjab.
The machine, which is one of the first Soviet tanks to be used by the Indian Army, played a key role in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, during which it was deployed in the bordering district of Fazilka in the Punjab, Times of India reported.
Lt. Colonel Amit Singh said the main armament is a D-10T rifled Navy/Tank gun of 100mm capable of hitting targets over 14 kilometers distant. Also, it has two mounted 7.62 mm machine guns and a 12.7 mm machine gun, which are used for anti-aircraft defense.
He said the tank works very well and if needed could be refueled.