Indian Army

The Indian Army is one of the armed forces of India and has responsibility for land-based military operations. It has the primary responsibility of 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 - 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. 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

  Main article: Military history of India

  Indian Armed Forces

  Emblem Image:Indian Triservices Crest.jpg Triservices Crest.
  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	Image:Flag of the Indian Army.svg
  Indian Air Force	Image:Ensign of the Indian Air Force.svg
  Indian Navy
  Indian Coast Guard	Error creating thumbnail: convert: unable to open image `/home/www/en.wikilib.com/images/7/72/In~cg.gif': 没有那个文件或目录. convert: missing an image filename `/home/www/en.wikilib.com/images/thumb/7/72/In~cg.gif/27px-In~cg.gif'.
  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

  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 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.

  Image:IndiansoldiersKorea1953.jpg

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

  Liberation 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. 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

  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 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

  Main article: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

  

  

  Pakistani Patton M-47 tanks, captured during the Battle of Asal Uttar, on display near Bhikhiwind

  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.

  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 .a.k.a. "The Fighting Fourth" 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.

  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. 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 fell 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

  Main article: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

  Image:1971 surrender.jpg

  Lt. Gen A. A. K. Niazi signs the instrument of surrender on December 16, surrendering his forces to Lt. Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora.

  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, the Indian army 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 & inflicated heavy casualties on Pakistani forces. In this battle 3 Indian soliders were killed including Subedar Naik Raj(commander of the post). Reports indicated the Pakistani lost approximately 800 of its Special forces soldiers & 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 at siachen & temperature at -30 degree 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

  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 either been vacated by the Indian army during the onset of inhospitable weather conditions, or not occupied on the presumption that it would be foolhardy, for either side, to risk men in such a manner. The 'Mujahideen' with the help of Pakistani army took control of several key areas such as the heights overlooking the vital Srinagar-Leh highway, Batalik, Dras and the strategic Tiger Hill.

  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

  Image:Indian Army T-72 image1.jpg

  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 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. Nobel Thamburaj
  Eastern Command	Kolkata	Lt. Gen. K S Jamwal
  Central Command	Lucknow	Lt. Gen. H S Panag
  Western Command	Chandimandir (Chandigarh)	Lt. Gen. TK Sapru
  Northern Command	Udhampur	Lt. Gen. V K Singh
  ARTRAC	Shimla	Lt. Gen. J K Mohanty
  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. Daulat Singh Shekhawat	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	Mamun (Pathankot), Punjab	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	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	3 Inf Div (Leh), 8 Mtn Div (Dras),[9] artillery brigade
  15 Corps	Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir	Northern Command	Lt. Gen. Amarjeet Singh Sekhon	19 Inf Div (Baramulla), 28 Inf Div (Gurais), artillery brigade
  16 Corps	Nagrota, Jammu & Kashmir	Northern Command		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 Indian Infantry Regiments Armoured Corps Regiments - The Armoured Corps School and Centre is at Ahmednagar. Regiment of Artillery - The School of Artillery is at Devlali near Nasik. Corps of Engineers - Centers at Bangalore,Roorkee, Pune. Regiment of Air Defence Artillery - Center at Gopalpur in Orissa State. Mechanised Infantry - Regimental Center at Ahmednagar. Corps of Signals Army Aviation Corps Services Army Dental Corps Army Education Corps - Center at Pachmarhi. Army Medical Corps - Center at Lucknow. Army Ordnance Corps - Centers at Jabalpur andSecunderabad. Army Postal Service Corps Army Service Corps - Center at Bangalore Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers- Centers at Bhopal and Secunderabad . Corps of Military Police [1] - Center at Bangalore Intelligence Corps - Center at Pune. Judge Advocate General's Deptt. - Institute of Military Law kamptee,Nagpur. Military Farms Service Military Nursing Service Remount and Veterinary Corps Pioneer Corps

  v • d • e Indian Army arms and services
  Combat and support arms	Regiments Infantry (Mechanised) · Artillery Corps Armoured · Army Aviation · Army Air Defence · Engineers · Signals · Intelligence	Image:Flag of the Indian Army.svg
  Combat services	Corps Dental · Education · Medical · Ordnance · Postal Service · Service · Electrical and Mechanical Engineers · Military Police · Remount and Veterinary · Pioneer · Defence Security Other Judge Advocate General's Department · Military Farms Service · Military Nursing Service

  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

  • 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

  Main article: List of regiments of the Indian Army

  

  

  Soldiers of the Madras Regiment.

  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.

  v • d • e Indian Army Infantry Regiments

  Brigade of the Guards • The Parachute Regiment • Punjab Regiment • Madras Regiment • The Grenadiers • Maratha Light Infantry • Rajputana Rifles • Rajput Regiment • Sikh Regiment • Sikh Light Infantry • Dogra Regiment • Garhwal Rifles• Kumaon Regiment • Assam Regiment • Bihar Regiment • Mahar Regiment • Jammu & Kashmir Rifles • Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry • Jat Regiment • Naga Regiment • 1 Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) • 3 Gorkha Rifles • 4 Gorkha Rifles • 5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) • 8 Gorkha Rifles • 9 Gorkha Rifles • 11 Gorkha Rifles • Ladakh Scouts

  Image:Flag of the Indian Army.svg

  See List of regiments of the Indian Army

  Artillery Regiments

  Image:Artillery Insignia.gif

  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.

  Main article: Regiment of Artillery (India)

  Indian Army Staff

  Strength

  Image:Dhruv drop1.jpg

  During a conflict, the air-arm of the Indian army plays a crucial role in providing essential supplies and air cover to the ground forces. Shown here is the Indian Army's HAL Dhruv.

  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

  See: Army ranks and insignia of India

  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 - This may be renamed to Brigadier General, as a 1-star rank.
  • Colonel
  • Lieutenant-Colonel - This post has now been discontinued, circa 1981.
  • 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

  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. 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		32	To acquire 100 more Dhruv in next 5 years.
  Aérospatiale SA 316 Alouette III	France	utility helicopter	SA 316B Chetak	60	built by HAL
  Aérospatiale SA 315 Lama	France	utility helicopter	SA 315B Cheetah	120	built by HAL
  DRDO Nishant	India	reconnaissance UAV			Delivery of 12 UAV's in 2007.
  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 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
  Lance Naik Karam Singh	1st Battalion, Sikh Regiment	October 13, 1948	Tithwal, 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
  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

  Gallery

  Indian Army Armoured Corps.jpg 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.

  Dhruv side.jpg An Army Aviation Corps HAL Dhruv.

  See also

  • Military of India
  • British Indian Army
  • Indian National Army
  • Indian Territorial Army

  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, expressing 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. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15 2007.
  12. ^ Eurocopter wins big Indian Army deal

  
  

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