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This article is about the post-independence Indian Army. For British Indian Army, see British Indian Army. For Indian National Army, see Indian National Army.

The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena, भारतीय थलसेना) is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based military operations. Its primary objectives include maintaining peace and security within the country, patrolling borders and conducting counter-terrorist operations. It also conducts rescue and humanitarian operations during calamities and disturbances. It has frequently been called upon to maintain the internal security of the country.

The Indian Army has a total troop strength of around 2.5 million (1.3 million active and 1.2 million reserve) and is the second largest standing army in the world. It is a completely voluntary service, with a clause that the only means of entry is voluntary - the military draft never having been imposed in India. The Indian Army is one of the major participants in various United Nation missions. The army has rich combat experience in diverse terrains, considering India's diversity on this front, and also has a distinguished history of serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The force is presently headed by the Chief of Army Staff, General Deepak Kapoor, with Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj as his deputy. The highest rank in the Indian Army is Field Marshal, but it is an honorary rank[1] and appointments are made by the President of India on the advice of the Union Cabinet of Ministers, only in exceptional circumstances. The late S.H.F.J. Manekshaw and late K.M. Cariappa are the only two officers to have attained this rank. Though a Field Marshal is an honorary rank, the officer is held to 'never retire', and are entitled to uniform and flag as applicable to serving (active duty) officers for life.

Role

The Indian Army doctrine defines the role of the Indian Army as - "The Indian Army is the land component of the Indian Armed Forces which exist to uphold the ideals of the Constitution of India." As a major component of national power, along with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the roles of the Indian Army are as follows :-

  • Primary Role: Preserve national interests and safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of India against any external threats by deterrence or by waging war.
  • Secondary Role: Assist Government agencies to cope with ‘proxy war’ and other internal threats and provide aid to civil authority when requisitioned for the purpose."[2]

History

Main article: Military history of India
Indian Armed Forces
Military Manpower
Active troops
1,440,000 (2nd)
Reserve forces
2,096,000 (5th)
Paramilitary forces and CAPF
1,585,950 (6th)
Components
 Indian Army
 Indian Navy
 Indian Air Force
 Indian Coast Guard
Border Roads Organisation
Paramilitary forces of India
Central Armed Police Forces
Strategic Nuclear Command
History
Military history of India
Ranks and insignia
Army • Navy • Air Force • Coast Guard • BRO • Paramilitary forces and CAPF
This article deals with the modern day Indian Army. For the army before Independence in 1947, please see British Indian Army, Indian National Army.

Upon India gaining independence in 1947, the British Indian Army was divided into two parts to serve the newly created nations of Union of India and Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Most units went to India; four Gurkha regiments were transferred to the British Army while the rest went to India.

As the Indian Army derives from the British Indian Army, its structures, uniforms and traditions are essentially British in heritage. It is often said that the Indian Army is more British than the British.

The First Kashmir War

Main article: Indo-Pakistani War of 1947

Almost immediately after independence, tensions between India and Pakistan began to boil over, and the first of three full-scale wars between the two nations broke out over the then princely state of Kashmir. Upon the Maharaja of Kashmir's reluctance to accede to either India or Pakistan, an impatient Pakistan sponsored a 'tribal' invasion of parts of Kashmir. The men are alleged by India to have also included Pakistan army regulars. Soon after, Pakistan sent in its troops to annex the state. The Maharaja, Hari Singh, appealed to India, and to Lord Mountbatten -- the Governor General -- for help, but it was pointed out to him that India saw no reason to do so. He signed the Instrument of Accession and Kashmir unilaterally acceded to India (a decision ratified by Britain but never accepted by Pakistan). Immediately after, Indian troops were airlifted into Srinagar and repelled the invaders. This contingent included General Thimayya who distinguished himself in the operation and in years that followed, became a Chief of the Indian Army. An intense war was waged across the state and former comrades found themselves fighting each other. Both sides made some territorial gains and also suffered significant losses

An uneasy UN sponsored peace returned by the end of 1948 with Indian and Pakistani soldiers facing each other directly on the Line of Control, which has since divided Indian from Pakistani-held Kashmir. Tensions between India and Pakistan, largely over Kashmir, have never since been entirely eliminated.

Indian Army participation in UN peace-keeping operations

Presently, the Indian army has dedicated one brigade of troops to the UN's standby arrangements. The large number of sustained troop commitments made by India has been praised for taking part in long and difficult operations.

The Indian Army has participated in several UN peace-keeping operations, including the ones in Angola, Cambodia, Cyprus, Congo, El Salvador, Namibia, Lebanon, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, Srilanka & Vietnam. The army had also provided a paramedical unit to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded in Korea.

Indian Army soldiers arrive in Korea in September 1953 for peacekeeping along the neutral buffer zone

Inclusion of Hyderabad, 1948

Main article: Operation Polo

After the partition of India, the State of Hyderabad, a princely-state under the rule of a Nizam, chose to remain independent. The Nizam, refused to accede his state to the Union of India. The following stand-off between the Government of India and the Nizam ended on 12 September 1948 when India's then deputy-Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel ordered Indian troops to secure the state. Within 5 days of intense fighting, the Indian Army, backed by the Indian Air Force, successfully defeated Hyderabad State forces. The following day, the State of Hyderabad was proclaimed as a part of the Union of India. Major General Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri, who led the Operation Polo was appointed the Military Governor of Hyderabad (1948-1949) to restore law and order.

Goa, Daman and Diu Operation (1961)

Even though the British and French vacated all their colonial possessions in the Indian subcontinent, Goa, Daman and Diu remained under Portuguese control. On 12th December, 1961, after repeated Portuguese refusals to negotiate their leaving, New Delhi launched Operation Vijay and ordered a small contingent of its troops to invade the Portuguese territories and secure them. Unable to withstand the assault that lasted twenty-six hours, Goa, along with Daman and Diu (enclaves lying to the north of Maharashtra) joined India.

The Sino-Indian Conflict- 1962

Main article: Sino-Indian War

Since 1959 Indian Police posts had been pushed forward into territory claimed by the Chinese Government. Small scale clashes broke out as India insisted the border ran along the "traditional" watershed, in effect the McMahon Line, which China disputed. In 1962 Indian soldiers were ordered to move to the Thagla ridge near the border between Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh, which formed part of the watershed, but was some three miles (5 km) to the north of the McMahon line. Tensions rose further when New Delhi discovered that the Chinese had constructed a road through Aksai Chin which India claimed. In September 1962 Chinese troops made a surprise attack on the Indian soldiers from the ridge. On October 12, Nehru gave orders for the Chinese to be expelled from Aksai Chin. On October 20, Chinese soldiers attacked India in both the North-West and North-East parts of the border, entering the disputed Aksai Chin region along with Arunachal Pradesh in numbers. China then called on the Indian government to negotiate. With no peaceful agreement between the two countries, China unilaterally withdrew their troops from the territory they had occupied. The reasons for the withdrawal are disputed with India claiming logistical problems and diplomatic support from the US and China stating that it was returning to the borders that it had staked as its diplomatic claim. The dividing line between the Indian and Chinese forces was christened the Line of Actual Control. A review committee was soon set up by the Indian government to determine the causes for India's defeat. The report apparently faulted much of India's armed forces command and especially the executive government for failures on several fronts. The major reason for defeat was low deployment of troops on the China Border and that the executive did not involve the Indian Air Force to oppose the Chinese aggression and transport lines out of fear of Chinese aerial reprisals on Indian civilian targets.The Ministry of Defence at the time of the war was headed by the then defence minister Krishna Menon. Despite frequent calls for its release this Henderson-Brooks Committee report still remains classified.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

Main article: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

A second confrontation with Pakistan took stand in 1965, largely over Kashmir. Pakistani President Chief Marshal Ayub Khan launched Operation Gibraltar in August 1965, believing an Indian leadership still recovering from the 1962 war with China would be unable to deal effectively with such a military thrust. It proved to be a serious miscalculation for, Ayub Khan had banked on intelligence reports claiming that the people of Kashmir would aid the Pakistani war effort. No such rebellion occurred and India responded almost immediately with armoured regiments being deployed to both counter enemy intrusions and strike across the border. Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam on September 1, invading the Chamb-Jaurian sector. In retaliation, the Indian Army's 15th Infantry Division crossed the International Border on the Western Front on September 6.

Initially, the Indian Army met with considerable success in the northern sector. After launching prolonged artillery barrages against Pakistan, India was able to capture three important mountain positions in Kashmir. The Indian Army had made considerable in road into Pakistan. India had its largest haul of Pakistani tanks when the offensive of Pakistan's 1 Armoured Division was blunted at the Battle of Asal Uttar on September 10th. Six Pakistani Armoured Regiments took part in the battle, namely the 19 Lancers (Patton), 12 Cavalry (Chafee), 24 Cavalry (Patton) 4 Cavalry (Patton), 5 Horse (Patton) and 6 Lancers (Patton). These were opposed by three Indian Armoured Regiments with inferior tanks, Deccan Horse (Sherman), 3 Cavalry (Centurion) and 8 Cavalry (AMX). The battle was so fierce and intense that at the end of the war, the Fourth Indian Division had captured about 97 tanks in destroyed / damaged or intact condition. This included 72 Patton tanks and 25 Chafees and Shermans. 32 of the 97 tanks, including 28 Pattons, were in running condition. The Indians lost 32 tanks in Khem Karan. Roughly about fifteen of them were captured by the Pakistan Army, mostly Sherman tanks.

By the end of the war, it was estimated that Pakistan lost nearly 100 tanks. India had more than 150 tanks in its hands as war trophies and it is not unsafe to assume that more tanks were destroyed, that were in Pakistani territory, both by army as well as the Indian Air Force. Indian losses were less than half at 128 tanks destroyed. About 40 tanks would have fallen into Pakistani hands, most of them vintage AMX-13s from Chamb and Shermans from Khem Karan. Ceasefire was declared on September 23 was followed by talks in Tashkent (brokered by the Soviet Union), where Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ayub Khan agreed to withdraw to virtually all pre-war positions. Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri died in mysterious circumstances in Tashkent, hours after signing the deal. This gives rise to conspiracy theories as India was in an advantageous position after the declaration of ceasefire.

Bangladesh Liberation War-1971

Main article: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
T-72 in an exercise

In 1971, rebellion broke out in East Pakistan, and India was forced to intervene as an estimated 10 million Bangladeshi refugees fled to India. Unlike the 1965 war, this time decisive change was effected. The Indian Army went into East Pakistan and effected a surrender of the Pakistani Army deployed there.East Pakistan broke away with Indian intervention and became the independent state of Bangladesh. This was of great help to India, since it no longer had to worry about a two-front war and could concentrate its combat firepower against what had been West Pakistan and the China. Under the command of Lt General J.S Aurora of Indian Army and General M.A.G Osmani of Bangladesh Mukti Bahini, the joint forces (Mitro Bahini) achieved a decisive victory over Pakistan in 1971, taking over 90,000 prisoners of war (38,000 Armed forces personnel and 52,000 civilians of West Pakistani origin) in the Bangladesh liberation war. Even on the western front, the Indian Army was successful in blocking Pakistan's invasion attempts (see Battle of Longewala) and counter attacked by capturing more than 2,000 sq. miles of Pakistani-held territory.

After 1971, tensions between India and Pakistan simmered, periodically threatening to break out into full-scale war, most notably in 1999 and 2002 in recent years. The 1998 tests of Indian and Pakistani nuclear weapons are seen by many commentators as acting as a restraining influence on both sides. Now that each can destroy the other in a war, according to the theory of deterrence, they are less likely to let tensions escalate. As a latest example of such is the tension after Mumbai Terror Attacks, in which Pakistan trained terrorist entered Mumbai through Sea & Killed 183 people.

See also: Battle of Longewala, Battle of Hilli, and Battle of Basantar

Siachen

Main article: Siachen conflict
HAL Dhruv of the Indian Army. India deploys Dhruvs in large numbers to patrol Siachen.

Since the mid 1980s there has been an ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan at Siachen Glacier. Considered the world's highest battleground the battle is over differences in where the boundary is in this remote snowbound region. In 1987, 23rd September, a battle which went unreported in many quarters was waged, where 8 soldiers of the Indian Army, successfully defended & repulsed an attack, inflicting heavy casualties on Pakistani forces. In this battle 3 Indian soldiers were killed including Subedar Naik Raj (commander of the post). Reports indicated that the Pakistanis lost approximately 1000 soldiers of both the SSG & Northern light infantry. The attack continued till 25th September. The attack was launched as a reply to the Indians who captured the Quaid post (now known Bana Post after Subedar Bana who lead the successful assault on it). However, Pakistan remained unsuccesful in changing the situation. The post was located at 22,000 feet (6,700 m) at Siachen with a temperature of -40 degrees Celsius. Since 2006 both countries have been involved in discussions to resolve the confrontation, the root cause of which is the difference in perception of where the actual boundary line from Siachen and beyond lies. The talks have been stuck over the Indian side wanting current positions being mapped before a cease fire and the Pakistani side not accepting this.

Counter-insurgency activities

The Indian Army has played a crucial role in the past, fighting insurgents and terrorists within the nation. The army launched Operation Bluestar and Operation Woodrose in the 1980s to combat Sikh insurgents. The army, along with some paramilitary forces, has the prime responsibility of maintaining law and order in the troubled Jammu and Kashmir region. The Indian Army also sent a contingent to Sri Lanka in 1987 as a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force.

The Kargil Operation in 1999

Main article: Kargil War

In mid 1999, Kashmiri insurgents and Pakistan military personnel took control of some deserted, but strategic, Himalayan heights in Indian-administered Kashmir. These had been vacated by the Indian army during the onset of the inhospitable winter and were supposed to reoccupied in spring. The 'Mujahideen' with the help of Pakistani army took control of several key areas before the military personnel occupied them. Some of these heights overlooked the vital Srinagar-Leh highway Batalik, Dras and the strategic Tiger Hill. On further verification, it was found out that many of the invaders belonged to the Pakistani army. These invaders had their Pakistan army IDs which supported these findings.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy also readied itself for an attempted blockade of Pakistani ports to cut off supply routes. Later, the then-Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Pakistan was left with just six days of fuel to sustain itself if a full-fledged war had broken out. Many believed that Pakistan would employ a nuclear strike. President Clinton asked for “a full and complete withdrawal without pre-conditions” from Kargil and also warned him that “there could be no quid pro quo, no hint that America was rewarding Pakistan for its aggression, nor for threatening India with its nuclear arsenal. Finding Pakistan isolated internationally, Nawaz Sharif requested US President Bill Clinton to stop the Indian counter attack. Washington wanted Pakistan to admit it's transgression and withdraw behind the LoC.[3]

Two months into the conflict, Indian troops had slowly regained virtually all lost territories. Heavy damage was inflicted on Pakistan's army, particularly its Northern light infantry.[4] Following the Washington accord on July 4, where Sharif agreed to withdraw the Pakistan-backed troops, most of the fighting came to a gradual halt. However, some of the militants still holed up, did not wish to retreat, and the United Jihad Council - an umbrella for fifteen jihadi groups operating in Kashmir - rejected Nawaz Sharif's plan for a climb-down, instead deciding to fight on.[5] Following this, the Indian army launched its final attacks in the last week of July; as soon as the last of these "Jihadists" in the Drass subsector had been cleared, the fighting ceased on July 26. The day has since been marked as Kargil Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) in India. By the end of the war, India had resumed control of all territory south and east of the Line of Control, as was established in December 1972 as per the Shimla Accord.

Major Exercises

Operation Parakram

Main article: 2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff
T-72 Ajeya during an exercise. The ERA bricks are visible

After the December 13 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, Operation Parakram was launched in which tens of thousands of Indian troops were deployed along the Indo-Pakistan border. India blamed Pakistan for backing the attack. The operation was the largest military exercise carried out by any Asian country. Its prime objective is still unclear but appears to have been to prepare the army for any future nuclear conflict with Pakistan, which seemed increasingly possible after the December attack on the Indian parliament.

Operation Sanghe Shakti

It has since been stated that the main goal of this exercise was to validate mobilisation strategies of the Ambala-based II Strike Corps. Air support was a part of this exercise, and an entire battalion of paratroops was paradropped during the conduct of the war games, with allied equipment. Some 20,000 soldiers took part in the exercise.

Exercise Ashwamedha

Indian Army tested its network centric warfare capabilities in the exercise Ashwamedha. The exercise was held in the Thar desert, in which 25,000 troops participated.[6]. Asymmetric warfare capability was also tested by the Indian Army during the exercise.[7]

Structure of the Indian Army

Initially, the army's main objective was to defend the nation's frontiers. However, over the years, the army has also taken up the responsibility of providing internal security, especially in insurgent-hit Kashmir and north-east.

The army has a strength of about a million troops and fields 34 divisions. Its headquarters is located in the Indian capital New Delhi and it is under the overall command of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), currently General Deepak Kapoor.

Commands

The army operates 6 tactical commands . Each command is headed by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief with the rank of Lieutenant General. Each command is directly affiliated to the Army HQ in New Delhi. These commands are given below in their correct order of raising, location (city) and their commanders. Their is also one training command known as ARTRAC.

Command Command HQ GOC-in-C
Southern Command Pune Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj, SM
Eastern Command Kolkata Lt. Gen. V K Singh
Central Command Lucknow Lt Gen. H.S. Panag,PVSM,AVSM*,ADC
Western Command Chandimandir (Chandigarh) Lt. Gen. TK Sapru
Northern Command Udhampur Lt. Gen. P C Bhardwaj
South Western Command Jaipur Lt. Gen. C.K.S. Sabu

Corps

Field formation

A Corps is an army field formation responsible for a sector within a Command. There are 3 types of Corps in the Indian Army: Strike, Holding & Mixed. A Command generally consists of 2 or more Corps. A corps has Army Divisions under its command. The Corps HQ is the highest field formation in the army.

Corps Head Quarter Command General Officer Commanding (GOC) Divisions[8]
1 Corps Mathura, Uttar Pradesh Central Command Lt. Gen. P.C. Katoch 4 Inf Div (Allahabad), 6 Mtn Div (Bareilly), 33 Armd Div (Hisar)
2 Corps Ambala, Haryana Western Command Lt. Gen. JP Singh, AVSM 1 Armd Div (Ambala), 14 RAPID (Dehradun), 22 Inf Div (Meerut)
3 Corps Rangapahar (Dimapur), Nagaland Eastern Command Lt. Gen. Rakesh Kumar Loomba 23 Inf Div (Ranchi), 57 Mtn Div (Silchar)
4 Corps Tezpur, Assam Eastern Command Lt. Gen. R K Chhabra 2 Mtn Div (Dibrugarh), 5 Mtn Div (Bomdila), 21 Mtn Div (Rangia)
9 Corps Yol, Himachal Pradesh Western Command Lt. Gen. P K Rampal 26 Inf Div (Jammu), 29 Inf Div (Pathankot), 2,3,16 Ind Armd Bdes
10 Corps Bhatinda, Punjab Western Command Lt. Gen. Narinder Singh Brar, AVSM, VSM 16 Inf Div (Sri Ganganagar), 18 RAPID (Kota), 24 RAPID (Bikaner), 6 Ind Armd Bde
11 Corps Jalandhar, Punjab Western Command Lt. Gen. Shreedharan Shyam Kumar, SM, VSM 7 Inf Div (Firozpur), 9 Inf Div (Meerut), 15 Inf Div (Amritsar), 23 Armd Bde, 55 Mech Bde
12 Corps Jodhpur, Rajasthan South Western Command 4 Armd Bde, 340 Mech Bde, 11 Inf Div (Ahmedabad), 12 Inf Division (Jodhpur)
14 Corps Leh, Ladakh Northern Command Lt. Gen. Jayanta Kumar Mohanty UYSM, SM, VSM 3 Inf Div (Leh), 8 Mtn Div (Dras),[9] artillery brigade
15 Corps] Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir Northern Command Lt. Gen. Mukesh Sabharwal 19 Inf Div (Baramulla), 28 Inf Div (Gurez, Bandipora District), artillery brigade
16 Corps Nagrota, Jammu & Kashmir Northern Command Lt Gen RK Karwal 10 Inf Div (Akhnoor),[10] 25 Inf Div (Rajauri), 39 Inf Div (Yol), artillery brigade, armoured brigade?
21 Corps(ex IPKF) Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Southern Command Lt. Gen. Pradeep Khanna 31 Armd Div (Jhansi), 36 RAPID (Sagar), 54 Inf Div (Sikandrabad), arty, AD, eng bdes
33 Corps Siliguri, West Bengal Eastern Command 17 Mtn Div (Gangtok), 20 Mtn Div (Binnaguri, Jalpaiguri district), 27 Mtn Div (Kalimpong), arty bde

Regimental Organisation

In addition to this (not to be confused with the Field Corps mentioned above) are the Regiments or Corps or departments of the Indian Army. The corps mentioned below are the functional divisions entrusted with specific pan-Army tasks.

Arms
  1. Indian Infantry Regiments
  2. Armoured Corps Regiments - The Armoured Corps School and Centre is at Ahmednagar.
  3. Regiment of Artillery - The School of Artillery is at Devlali near Nasik.
  4. Corps of Engineers - The College of Military Engineering is at Dapodi, Pune. The Centers are located as follows- Madras Engineer Group at Bangalore, Bengal Engineer Group at Roorkee and Bombay Engineer Group at Khadki, Pune.
  5. Regiment of Air Defence Artillery - Center at Gopalpur in Orissa State.
  6. Mechanised Infantry - Regimental Center at Ahmednagar.
  7. Corps of Signals
  8. Army Aviation Corps

Services

  1. Army Dental Corps
  2. Army Education Corps - Center at Pachmarhi.
  3. Army Medical Corps - Center at Lucknow.
  4. Army Ordnance Corps - Centers at Jabalpur andSecunderabad.
  5. Army Postal Service Corps
  6. Army Service Corps - Center at Bangalore
  7. Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers- Centers at Bhopal and Secunderabad .
  8. Corps of Military Police [2] - Center at Bangalore
  9. Intelligence Corps - Center at Pune.
  10. Judge Advocate General's Deptt. - Institute of Military Law kamptee,Nagpur.
  11. Military Farms Service
  12. Military Nursing Service
  13. Remount and Veterinary Corps
  14. Pioneer Corps

Paramilitary forces of India

These arms comprise of a sizable number of Army personnel under deputation. The director generals for these arms reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs, rather than Ministry of Defence except for BRO where the DG reports to Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways.

  • National Security Guards or NSG
  • Assam Rifles
  • Border Roads Organisation
  • Border Security Force
  • Central Reserve Police Force
  • Indo-Tibetan Border Police
  • Shastra Seema Bal
  • Central Industrial Security Force

    Other Field Formations

    • Division: An Army Division is an intermediate between a Corps and a Brigade. It is the largest striking force in the army. Each Division is headed by [General Officer Commanding] (GOC) in the rank of Major General. It usually consists of 15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements. Currently, the Indian Army has 34 Divisions including 4 Rapid (Re-organised Army Plains Infantry Divisions) Action Divisions, 18 Infantry Divisions, 10 Mountain Divisions, 3 Armoured Divisions and 2 Artillery Divisions. Each Division composes of several Brigades.
    • Brigade: The Brigade is smaller than the Division and generally consists of 3 Infantry Battalions along with elements of various Combat & Support Arms & Services. It is headed by a Brigadier equivalent to a Brigadier General. The Indian Army also has 5 Independent Armoured Brigades, 15 Independent Artillery Brigades, 7 Independent Infantry Brigades, 1 Independent Parachute Brigade,3 Independent Air Defence Brigades, 2 Independent Air Defence Groups and 4 Independent Engineer Brigades. These Independent Brigades operate directly under the Corps Commander (GOC Corps).
    • Battalion: A Battalion is commanded by a Colonel and is the Infantry's main fighting unit. It consists of more than 900 personnel.
    • Company: Headed by the Major, a Company comprises 120 soldiers.
    • Platoon: An intermediate between a Company and Section, a Platoon is headed by a Lieutenant or depending on the availability of Commissioned Officers, a Junior Commissioned Officer, with the rank of Subedar or Naib-Subedar. It has a total strength of about 32 troops.
    • Section: Smallest military outfit with a strength of 10 personnel. Commanded by a Non-commissioned officer of the rank of Havildar or Sergeant.

    Statistics

    • 4 RAPID (Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Divisions)
    • 18 Infantry Divisions
    • 10 Mountain Divisions
    • 3 Armoured Divisions
    • 2 Artillery Divisions
    • 6 Air Defence Brigades + 2 Surface-to-Air Missile Groups
    • 5 Independent Armoured Brigades
    • 15 Independent Artillery Brigades
    • 7 Independent Infantry Brigades
    • 1 Parachute Brigade
    • 4 Engineer Brigades
    • 14 Army Aviation Helicopter Units

    Sub-Units

    • 63 Tank Regiments
    • 7 Airborne Battalions
    • 200 Artillery Regiments
    • 360 Infantry Battalions + 5 Para (SF) Battalions
    • 40 Mechanised Infantry Battalions
    • 20 Combat Helicopter Units
    • 35+ Air Defence Regiments

    Regiments

    Main article: List of regiments of the Indian Army
    Soldiers of the Sikh Light Infantry.

    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; 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.

    See List of regiments of the Indian Army

    Artillery Regiments

    Artillery Insignia

    Regiment of Artillery History

    The Regiment of Artillery constitutes a formidable operational arm of Indian Army. Historically it takes its lineage from Moghul Emperor Babur who is popularly credited with introduction of Artillery in India, in the Battle of Panipat in 1526. However evidence of earlier use of gun by Bahmani Kings in the Battle of Adoni in 1368 and King Mohammed Shah of Gujrat in fifteenth century have been recorded.

    Indian Army Staff

    Strength

    The mounted President's Bodyguard during a state visit by a foreign dignitary.
    Indian Army statistics
    Active Troops 1,300,000
    Reserve Troops 1,200,000
    Territorial Army 200,000**
    Main Battle Tanks 2,700 [11]
    Artillery 12,800 [citation needed]
    Ballistic missiles 100+[citation needed]
    Cruise missiles BrahMos
    Aircraft 10 squadrons of helicopters
    Surface-to-air missiles 90000+ [citation needed]

    * includes 300,000 1st line troops and 500,000 2nd line troops

    ** includes 40,000 1st line troops and 160,000 2nd line troops

    Rank Structure

    See: Army ranks and insignia of India

    The various rank of the Indian Army are listed below in descending order:

    Commissioned Officers

    Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs)

    Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs)


    Note:
    •1. Junior Commissioned Officers in the rank of Subedar Major, Subedar, Naib Subedar (and equivalent Cavalry ranks) are eligible for Honorary ranks - like Honorary Captains and Honorary Lieutenants.
    •2. Non-Commissioned Officers in the rank of Havildar are elible for Honorary JCO ranks.
    •3. So far, there have been only two officers conferred the rank: Field Marshal K M Cariappa– the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (a post since abolished)– and Field Marshal S H F J Manekshaw, the Chief of Army Staff during the Army in the 1971 war with Pakistan. (See Field Marshals of India)

    Combat Doctrine

    The current combat doctrine of the Indian Army is based on effectively utilizing holding formations and strike formations. In the case of an attack, the holding formations would contain the enemy and strike formations would counterattack to neutralize enemy forces. In the case of an Indian attack, the holding formations would pin enemy forces down whilst the strike formations attack at a point of Indian choosing. The Indian Army is large enough to devote several corps to the strike role. Currently, the army is also looking at enhancing its special forces capabilities.

    Equipment

    Arjun MBT.
    Bhishma T-90 MBT.
    Nag missile and NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier).
    Main article: Equipment of the Indian Army

    Most of the army equipment is imported, but efforts are being made to manufacture indigenous equipment. All Indian Military Firearms guns are manufactured under the umbrella administration of the Ordnance Factory Board, with principal Firearm manufacturing facilities in Ishapore, Cossipore, Kanpur, Jabalpur and Tiruchirapalli. Indian National Small Arms System (INSAS) rifle, which is successfully inducted by Indian Army since 1997 is a product of Ordanance Factory Board, Ishapore. While ammunition is manufactured at Kirkee (Now Khadki) and possibly at Bolangir.

    Aircraft

    This is a list of aircraft of the Indian Army. For the list of aircraft of the Indian Air Force, see List of aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

    The Indian Army operates more than 200 helicopters, plus additional unmanned aerial vehicles.

    HAL Dhruv

    Template:Standard table ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service[12] ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes |----- | HAL Dhruv ||  India || utility helicopter || || 36+ || To acquire 73 more Dhruv in next 5 years. |----- | Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III ||  France || utility helicopter || SA 316B Chetak || 60 || to be replaced by Dhruv |----- | Aérospatiale SA 315 Lama ||  France || utility helicopter || SA 315B Cheetah || 48 || to be replaced by Dhruv |----- | DRDO Nishant ||  India || reconnaissance UAV || || 1 || Delivery of 12 UAV's in 2008. |----- | IAI Searcher II ||  Israel || reconnaissance UAV || || 100+ || |----- | IAI Heron II ||  Israel || reconnaissance UAV || || 50+ || |}

    The Indian army had projected a requirement for a helicopter that can carry loads of up to 75 kg heights of 23,000 feet (7,000 m) on the Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir. Flying at these heights poses unique challenges due to the rarefied atmosphere. The Indian Army chose the Eurocopter AS 550 for a $550 million contract for 197 light helicopters to replace its ageing fleet of Chetaks and Cheetahs, some of which were inducted more than three decades ago.[13] The deal has however been scrapped amidst allegations of corruption during the bidding process.[14]

    Recipients of the Param Vir Chakra

    Listed below are the most notable people to have received the Param Vir Chakra, the highest military decoration of the Indian Army.

    Major Som Nath Sharma 4th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment November 3, 1947 Badgam, Kashmir, India
    Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane Corps of Engineers April 8, 1948 Naushera, Kashmir, India
    Naik Jadu Nath Singh 1st Battalion, Rajput Regiment February 1948 Naushera, Kashmir, India
    Company Havildar Major Piru Singh 6th Battalion, Rajputana Rifles July 17/18, 1948 Tithwal, Kashmir, India
    Lance Naik Karam Singh 1st Battalion, Sikh Regiment October 13, 1948 Tithwal, Kashmir, India
    Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria 3rd Battalion, 1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) December 5, 1961 Elizabethville, Katanga, Congo
    Major Dhan Singh Thapa 1st Battalion, 8th Gorkha Rifles October 20, 1962 Ladakh, India
    Subedar Joginder Singh 1st Battalion, Sikh Regiment October 23, 1962 Tongpen La, Northeast Frontier Agency, India
    Major Shaitan Singh 13th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment November 18, 1962 Rezang La
    Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid 4th Battalion, The Grenadiers September 10, 1965 Chima, Khem Karan Sector
    Lieutenant-Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore 17th Poona Horse October 15, 1965 Phillora, Sialkot Sector, Pakistan
    Lance Naik Albert Ekka 14th Battalion, Brigade of the Guards December 3, 1971 Gangasagar
    2/Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal 17th Poona Horse December 16, 1971 Jarpal, Shakargarh Sector
    Major Hoshiar Singh 3rd Battalion, The Grenadiers December 17, 1971 Basantar River, Shakargarh Sector
    Naib Subedar Bana Singh 8th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry June 23, 1987 Siachen Glacier, Jammu and Kashmir
    Major Ramaswamy Parmeshwaran 8th Battalion, Mahar Regiment November 25, 1987 Sri Lanka
    Captain Vikram Batra 13th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles July 6, 1999 Point 5140, Point 4875, Kargil Area
    Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey 1st Battalion, 11th Gorkha Rifles July 3, 1999 Khaluber/Juber Top, Batalik sector, Kargil area, Jammu and Kashmir
    Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav 18th Battalion, The Grenadiers July 4, 1999 Tiger Hill, Kargil area
    Rifleman Sanjay Kumar 13th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles July 5, 1999 Area Flat Top, Kargil Area

    In Fiction

    • A combat team composed of T-72M MBTs, T-90S MBTs and BMP-2 IFVs forming up for a training assault on an enemy held position.
      A combat team composed of T-72M MBTs, T-90S MBTs and BMP-2 IFVs forming up for a training assault on an enemy held position.
    • The Amar Jawan Jyoti (The flame of the immortal warrior), India's most famous war memorial situated at India Gate. A black marble cenotaph with a rifle crested by a helmet forms the main shrine.
      The Amar Jawan Jyoti (The flame of the immortal warrior), India's most famous war memorial situated at India Gate. A black marble cenotaph with a rifle crested by a helmet forms the main shrine.

    See also

    References

    1. ^ Bharat Rakshak
    2. ^ Indian Army doctrine
    3. ^ Clinton adviser: confusion gripped Islamabad during Kargil crisis
    4. ^ Kargil: where defence met diplomacy - India's then Chief of Army Staff, VP Malik, expressed his views on Operation Vijay in an article in The Indian Express.
    5. ^ Pakistan and the Kashmir militants
    6. ^ Indian Army tests network centric warfare capability in Ashwamedh war games
    7. ^ 'Ashwamedha' reinforces importance of foot soldiers
    8. ^ Division and brigade source information from Jane's World Armies, Issue 19, 2006, p.319
    9. ^ Globalsecurity.org, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/northcom.htm, accessed December 2007
    10. ^ See also http://orbat.com/site/cimh/divisions/10th%20Division%20orbat%20Chaamb%201971.html
    11. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/army-equipment.htm
    12. ^ Indian military aviation OrBat
    13. ^ Eurocopter wins big Indian Army deal
    14. ^ [1]
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