T-55 tank used in 1971 Indo-Pak war installed at Red Fields in Coimbatore

A T-55 tank, which was part of the weaponry of the Indian Army in the 1971 war with Pakistan, was installed at Red Fields in Coimbatore as a war trophy on Wednesday (January 29, 2025).

A T-55 tank, which was part of the weaponry of the Indian Army in the 1971 war with Pakistan, was installed at Red Fields in Coimbatore as a war trophy on Wednesday (January 29, 2025).

Lieutenant General K.S. Brar, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat Area, inaugurated the war trophy at Terrier Chowk, Red Fields, and dedicated it to the people of Coimbatore.

Made in the erstwhile USSR, T-55 is a medium tank that was used as a combat track vehicle. The tank installed at Red Fields was part of the weaponry of the 73 Armoured Regiment that was raised on December 3, 1971, during the Indo-Pak war. The tank had its footprints in Operation Trident (1971), Operation Rakshak (1990-91), Operation Vijay (1999), and Operation Parakram (2001-02) and had also participated in important exercises like Chetak and Digvijay. The last round from the tank was fired on 24 February 2009, and it was decommissioned from Indian Army, after serving the nation for 38 years.

Colonel Shridhar Rajan, Station Commander, Station Headquarter, Army, Coimbatore, welcomed the gathering.

Inaivom Events, a creative organisation, honoured the valour and sacrifice of soldiers through an event titled ‘Kovai Salutes the Soldiers’. Under the initiative, students from schools across Coimbatore shared over 500 letters of tribute to express their gratitude and respect for the brave soldiers.

District Collector Kranti Kumar Pati, officers from the tri-services, Lt. Gen. S Murali Mohan (Retd), K.G. Hospital chairman G. Bakthavathsalam, army veterans, and representatives from the academia and industries in Coimbatore were present.

Lt. Gen. Brar visited the station canteen and unveiled the portrait of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw at Kovai Army Officers Mess Annexe.