Indian Army
All you want to know about Indian Army
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The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena) is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based military operations. Its primary objectives include maintaining the peace and security of the country, patrolling the borders and conducting counter-terrorist operations. It also conducts rescue and humanitarian operations during calamities and disturbances, and 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 only entry is voluntary - the military draft never having been imposed in India. Indian Army is one of the major contributors to 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 headed by the Chief of Army Staff, currently General Deepak Kapoor. 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. Late General S.H.F.J. Manekshaw and the late General 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 throughout 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
 Emblem  Triservices Crest. |
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| Military Man Power | |
|---|---|
| Total armed forces | 2,414,700 (Ranked 3rd) |
| Active troops | 1,414,000 (Ranked 3rd) |
| Total troops | 3,773,300 (Ranked 6th) |
| Paramilitary forces | 1,089,700 |
| Components | |
| Indian Army |  |
| Indian Air Force |  |
| Indian Navy |  |
| Indian Coast Guard |  |
| Paramilitary forces of India | |
| Strategic Nuclear Command | |
| History | |
| Military history of India | |
| Ranks | |
| Air Force ranks and insignia of India | |
| Army ranks and insignia of India | |
| Naval ranks and insignia of India | |
- 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, and the rest of the Gurkha regiments went to India.
The First Kashmir War
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 the later years 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 India has come in for much praise for taking part in difficult operations for prolonged periods.
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 & Vietnam. The army also provided a paramedical unit to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded in Korea.
Liberation of Hyderabad, 1948
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. In 1961, after repeated Portuguese refusals to negotiate towards 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, Portugal signed a truce with India and gave up its control over the small territories, which formally became part of the Indian Union.
The Sino-Indian Conflict- 1962
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 surprising 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 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. As a result the Chinese victory was more due to sheer numerical superiority rather than military superiority. 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
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, who had also 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. 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. Indian losses in Khem Karan were 32 tanks. 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 300 tanks destroyed. 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 air action. 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 advantageous position after declaration of ceasefire.
Bangladesh Liberation War-1971
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 PRC. 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.
- See also: Battle of Longewala, Battle of Hilli, and Battle of Basantar
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 when 8 soldiers of the Indian Army, successfully defended & repulsed an attack & inflicted 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 Pakistani's 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). But, it was just the opposite, to what Pakistani's expected. The post was located at 22,000 feet (6,700 m) at siachen & temperature at -40 degrees Celsius. Since 2006 both countries have been involved in discussions to resolve the confrontation, the root cause of which is the differing perception of where that 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 being agreeable to this.
Counter-insurgency activities
The Indian Army has played a crucial role in the past in fighting insurgents and terrorists in 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
In mid 1999, Kashmiri insurgents and Pakistan military personnel took control of some deserted, but strategic, Himalayan heights in Indian-administered Kashmir. These had either been vacated by the Indian army during the onset of inhospitable winter and were supposed to come back in spring. The 'Mujahideen' with the help of Pakistani army took control of several key areas before the military personnel would have occupied it. Some of such heights overlooking the vital Srinagar-Leh highway, Batalik, Dras and the strategic Tiger Hill.On further verification ,it was found out that the invaders were mainly part of the Pakistani army . These invaders had their Pakistan army ID 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 its nuclear arsenal at India. Finding Pakistan isolated internationally Nawaz Sharif requested US President Bill Clinton to stop the Indian counter attack. Washington wanted Pakistan to admit its 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 Pakistani'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
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 and one training command known as ARTRAC. 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.
| Command | Location | GOC-in-C |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Command | Pune | Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj |
| Eastern Command | Kolkata | Lt. Gen. V K Singh |
| Central Command | Lucknow | Lt. Gen. H S Panag |
| Western Command | Chandimandir (Chandigarh) | Lt. Gen. TK Sapru |
| Northern Command | Udhampur | Lt. Gen. P K Bhardwaj |
| ARTRAC | Shimla | Lt. Gen. J K Mohanty UYSM, SM, VSM |
| South Western Command | Jaipur | Lt. Gen. P K Singh |
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 (Hissar) |
| 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. M S Dadwal | 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 (Bombdila), 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 (Ferozepur), 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 (Ahemdabad), 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 (Gurais), artillery brigade |
| 16 Corps | Nagrota, Jammu & Kashmir | Northern Command | Lt Gen RK Karwal | 10 Inf Div (Akhnur),[10] 25 Inf Div (Rajouri), 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 (Sagor), 54 Inf Div (Sikandrabad), arty, AD, eng bdes |
| 33 Corps | Siliguri, West Bengal | Eastern Command | Lt. Gen. C K S Sabu | 17 Mtn Div (Gangtok), 20 Mtn Div (Binaguri), 27 Mtn Div (Kalimpong), arty bde |
Arms
In addition to this (not to be confused with the Field Corps mentioned above) are the Corps or Arms (Departmental) of the Indian Army. The corps mentioned below are the functional divisions entrusted with specific pan-Army tasks.
Combat and Support Arms
Services
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Paramilitary forces of India
These arms comprises 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.
- Rashtriya Rifles
- National Security Guards or NSG
- National Cadet Corps or (NCC)
- Assam Rifles
- Border Roads Organisation
Other Field Formations
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- 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 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
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.
See List of regiments of the Indian Army
Artillery Regiments
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
| Indian Army statistics | |
| Active Troops | 1,300,000 |
| Reserve Troops | 1,200,000 |
| Territorial Army | 200,000** |
| Main Battle Tanks | 5000+[citation needed] |
| 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
The various rank of the Indian Army are listed below in descending order:
Commissioned Officers
- Field Marshal* (Only two officers made Field Marshal so far)
- General (the rank held by Chief of Army Staff)
- Lieutenant-General
- Major-General
- Brigadier
- Colonel
- Lieutenant-Colonel
- Major
- Captain
- Lieutenant
- Second Lieutenant - This has now been discontinued
Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs)
- Subedar Major/Honorary Captain- Given to Outstanding JCO's Rank and pay of a Captain, role continues to be of a JCO
- Subedar/Honorary Lieutenant- Given to Outstanding JCO's Rank and pay of a Lieutenant, role continues to be of a JCO
- Subedar Major
- Subedar
- Naib Subedar
Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
- Regimental Havildar Major - This has now been discontinued
- Regimental Quarter Master Havildar - This has now been discontinued
- Company Havildar Major
- Company Quarter Master Havildar
- Havildar
- Naik
- Lance Naik
- Sepoy
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
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.
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service[11] | 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 has 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.[12]
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 |
- Lt. Nawang Kapadia
- Major Navneet Vats
- Major Rajesh Singh Adhikari, MVC
- Lance Naik Ahmed Ali [2]
- Lieutenant Keishing Clifford Nongrum [3]
In Fiction
- Nair Saab: A Malayalam movie shot in Jammu and Kashmir starring Mammooty in the lead role as Captain Nair.
- Major Saab : A Hindi filim starring Amithab Bachhan and Ajay Devagon
- KEERTHICHAKRA : A Malayalam movie starring Mohanlal and directed by Maj: Ravi
Gallery
 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
- ^ Bharat Rakshak
- ^ Indian Army doctrine
- ^ Clinton adviser: confusion gripped Islamabad during Kargil crisis
- ^ Kargil: where defence met diplomacy - India's then Chief of Army Staff VP Malik, expressing his views on Operation Vijay in an article in The Indian Express.
- ^ Pakistan and the Kashmir militants
- ^ Indian Army tests network centric warfare capability in Ashwamedh war games
- ^ 'Ashwamedha' reinforces importance of foot soldiers
- ^ Division and brigade source information from Jane's World Armies, Issue 19, 2006, p.319
- ^ Globalsecurity.org, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/northcom.htm, accessed December 2007
- ^ See also http://orbat.com/site/cimh/divisions/10th%20Division%20orbat%20Chaamb%201971.html
- ^ Indian military aviation OrBat
- ^ Eurocopter wins big Indian Army deal
External links
- A repository of information on Defence Matters in India
- A Veteran Focus for India
- Official website
- Informative site
- Indian military guide
- Frontier India Journal - Indian Army Section
- Video:Liberation of Goa @ Youtube.com
- Indian Army News
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