XXI Corps (India)

XXI Corps is a corps-sized formation of the Indian Army.

Indian Army Corps (1947 - Present)
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XXI Indian Corps
XXI Corps
Active1942–1943
1990–present
Country British India
 India
Allegiance British Empire
 India
Branch British Indian Army
 Indian Army
TypeCorps
RoleStrike
Part ofSouthern Command
Garrison/HQBhopal
Nickname(s)Sudarshan Chakra Corps / 1 Strike Corps
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Current
commander		Lt General Atulya Solankey
Notable
commanders		General Nirmal Chander Vij

World War II

The XXI Indian Corps was raised in Persia on 6 June 1942 as a formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The corps was commanded throughout its existence by Lieutenant General Mosley Mayne and was part of the Tenth Army. The corps, composed of the 8th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Dudley Russell) and the British 56th Infantry Division (Major-General Eric Miles), was created as part of the Allied buildup of forces in Persia and Iraq to create Persia and Iraq Command in order to prevent a German invasion of the Caucasus. The invasion never occurred and the corps was disbanded on 24 August 1943.[1]

Present

The corps was reformed as XXI Corps in 1990. It is the only strike corps in the Indian Army’s Poona-based Southern Command (there are three other strike crops - I Corps, II Corps, XVII Corps, but their headquarters are in different places).[2] After India's intervention in Sri Lanka, the provisional HQ controlling India's expeditionary force, HQ Indian Peace Keeping Force, became HQ XXI Corps in April 1990. It was then moved to Bhopal. This is both a strike corps and would also be used if India were to make another large intervention overseas.

It currently consists of:

  • 31st Armored Division (White Tiger Division) headquartered at Jhansi-Babina in Uttar Pradesh, Central India. 94 Armoured Brigade may be part of the division; it is part of the Strike Corps,[3] and has taken part in exercises with the Singaporean Army under the direction of 31 Armoured Division.
  • 36th Infantry Division (Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Division) Sagar. In 2001, the Division Artillery Brigade was at Talbehat, 18 Armoured Brigade at Gwalior,[4] 72 Infantry Brigade at Gwalior, and 115 Infantry Brigade was at Dhana.[5] In December 2013 the 36th Infantry Division participated in Exercise Shahbaaz Ajay in the Thar Desert, to validate fresh war-fighting doctrinal concepts that envisaged rapid deployment, backward integration of strike units and the deep integration of airborne assets in a border scenario.[6]
  • 41 Artillery Division headquartered at Pune.
  • 54th Infantry Division headquartered at Hyderabad/Secunderabad 91 Infantry Brigade at Trivandrum is an amphibious brigade.[7] 47 Infantry Brigade was part of 54 Division during Exercise Tri Shakti in 1986, exercising the air assault role.
  • Artillery Brigade
  • Air Defence brigade
  • 475 Engineering Brigade

List of Commanders
Rank Name Appointment Date Left Office Unit of Commission References
Lieutenant General Pradeep Singh Mehta Skinner's Horse
Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson 1 July 2016 30 June 2017 Garhwal Rifles [8]
Lieutenant General Iqroop Singh Ghuman 1 July 2017 2018 Brigade of the Guards [9]
Lieutenant General Ravendra Pal Singh July 2018 July 2019 Mechanised Infantry Regiment [10]
Lieutenant General Yogendra Dimri July 2019 25 July 2020 Bombay Sappers [11]
Lieutenant General Atulya Solankey 26 July 2020 Present 11 Gorkha Rifles [12]

See also

References
Indian Army Corps (1947 - Present)
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XVI Corps XXXIII Corps
  1. http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/documents.php?aid=111&nid=10&start=0
  2. Chauhan, R S (3 January 2014). "Finally, an army strike corps aimed at China". Rediff.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  3. Ready for joint counter-insurgency operations with India: US army, Press Trust of India, 26 October 2009
  4. See also http://www.kv3gwalior.org/index.php?qs=cont_show&pageid=2
  5. Mandeep Bajwa and Ravi Rikhye, Indian Army RAPID Divisions Archived 28 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, 11 February 2001
  6. "Army strike formation validates new assault concepts". SP's MAI.
  7. Kerala to be headquarters for country's first amphibious brigade Archived 6 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine, 5 October 2008
  8. "lt Gen Cherish Mathson takes over Sudarshan Chakra's command".
  9. "Lt General Ghuman takes command of Sudarshan Chakra Corps". thehitavada.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  10. "Lt Gen Ravendra Pal Singh assumes command of Sudharshan Chakra Corps". thehitavada.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  11. "Lieutenant General Yogendra Dimri, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal Assumes Command of Sudarshan Chakra Corps | India News - Times of India". https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 7 August 2019. External link in |website= (help)
  12. atulya, solankey. "atulya solankey took over reins of sudarshan chakra corps".
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