Heavy and Light infantry?

Question

What is the difference between Heavy, Light, Mechanised and Motorised Infantry?

In the context of Indian Army, what actually is a regiment? I tried Wikipedia and Bharat Rakshak but couldn't understand which are the actual formations and what is the significant of a regiment?

Answer 1

Airborne is light, the 10th Mt. Division is light but not airborne (they are part of the XVIII AB Corps)

1st, 2nd and 3rd Infantry are Heavy.

While these are not Indian units looking them up on line will probably get you more info.

The link shows military formations. Most countries use what you will see or have slight variants.

SSG US Army 73-82

Answer 2

I can't speak to the Indian army specifically, but in general terms, heavies have plenty of supporting arms, like mortars and anti-tank weapons. They tend to be mechanized (with tracked armored personnel carriers) or at least motorized (largely truck/lorry transport), where light infantry tends more to airborne regiments and such.

In the traditional British system, which I suspect may be emulated by India, people tend to join a regiment, which may at peace be but a single battalion, though it will generally have strength of probably three or so battalions at least "on paper." Once they're in a regiment, they stay there. That's distinct from the American system, where transfers from one to another are the norm (though the US has largely moved from a regimental structure to a brigade structure, anyway). In that British type system, the regiment tends to be felt as "home" as opposed to the American "this year's assignment."

Answer 3

Indian infantry does not exist.  Marine Corps infantry.  Fast. Light.  Deadly.

Answer 4

In most modern militaries, the difference between Heavy and Light Infantry is that Heavy Infantry utilize Armored Personnel Carriers and Light Infantry doesn't.  Light Infantry units are usually Airborne, Air Assault, or use some other mode of transportation besides APCs.  I believe that Mechanised and Motorised are the same thing.

As far as the Indian Army an regiments are concerned, I found this on Wiki:

Infantry Regiments

These are Several battalions or Units under the same formation in a Regiment. The Gurkha Regiment, for instance, has several battalions. All formations under a Regiment are battalions of the same arms or Corps (i.e., Infantry or Engineers). Regiments are not exactly field formations, in sense they mostly do not make a formation, all Regiments of the Gurkha's for instance would not fight together as one formation, but can be dispersed over various Brigades or Corps or even Commands.

Answer 5

i know nothing about the indian military, but heavy infantry will move in large numbers slowly and with a lot of firepower, light infantry will move with smaller numbers lightning fast and with little fire support, mechanized infantry will be APC's (armored personnel carriers) infantry fighting vehicles and most likely tanks, motorised will be humvees and trucks