Indian Armed Forces

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Indian Armed Force
Service branches Indian Army
Indian Navy
Indian Air Force
Nuclear Command Authority
Indian Coast Guard
Indian Paramilitary
Headquarters New DelhiLeadership Supreme Commander President of IndiaMinister of Defence A. K. AntonyMilitary age 18

Indian Armed Forces
Emblem of IndiaMilitary manpower Total armed forces 2,414,700[1](Ranked 2nd) Active troops 1,414,000 (Ranked 3rd) Total troops 3,773,300 (Ranked 7th) Paramilitary forces 1,089,700[2]Conscription age 16 years of age Availability males age 15-49: 287,551,111 (2005 est.) Fit for military service males age 18-49: 219,471,999 (2005 est.) Reaching conscription age annually males: 11,446,452 (2005 est.) Military expenditures USDfigure 32.35(nominal),100 billion (ppp) billion US $ (2006 est.) [3]Percent of GDP 0.5% (2004 est.) [4]Components Indian Army Indian Air Force Indian Navy Indian Coast Guard Paramilitary forces of India Strategic Nuclear CommandHistory Military history of India British Indian Army Indian National ArmyRanks Air Force ranks and insignia of India Army ranks and insignia of India Naval ranks and insignia of IndiaRelated Info Aircraft of the Indian Air Force List of Indian divisions in WWII Regiments of the Indian Army

The Indian Armed Forces is the primary military organization responsible for the territorial security and defence of India. The President of India serves as the supreme commander of the armed forces, which are subordinate and responsible to the Government of India headed by the Prime Minister of India. The armed forces are administered by the Ministry of Defence and are composed of the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. Auxiliary services include the Indian Coast Guard, the Paramilitary forces of India and the Strategic Forces Command.

1 Organization and command structure
2 Recruitment and training
3 Indian Army
- 3.1 Strength
  - 3.1.1 War heroes
4 Indian Navy
5 Indian Air Force
6 Paramilitary forces of India
7 Indian Nuclear Power
- 7.1 Nuclear doctrine
8 Gallantry awards
9 Future
10 Notes
11 References
- 11.1 External links

Organization and command structure

The headquarters of the Indian Armed Forces is in New Delhi, the capital city of India.The Indian armed force are split into different groups based on their region of operation. The Indian Army is administratively divided into 7 tactical commands, each under the control of different Lieutenant Generals.

Structure of the Indian Army

The Indian Army 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.

The army has 6 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.

There are 3 types of Corps in the Indian Army: Strike, Holding & Mixed. The Corps HQ is the largest field formation in the army.

Other field formations include: Divisions, Brigades, Battalions, Companies, Platoons, and Sections.

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 the sense they mostly do not make a formation. For instance, all Regiments of the Gurkha's would not fight together as one formation, but can be dispersed over various Brigades or Corps or even Commands.

In addition, the Indian Army has 63 Armoured Regiments, see List of Armoured Regiments in the Indian Army.

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 to India in the Battle of Panipat in 1526. However, evidence of earlier use of guns by Bahmani Kings in the Battle of Adoni in 1368 and King Mohammed Shah of Gujrat in fifteenth century have been recorded.

Rank Structure

Main article: Army ranks and insignia of India

The highest ranking Commissioned Officer is the Field Marshal and only two have been awarded this rank so far. The rank of General is held by the Chief of Army Staff, followed by Lieutenant-General, Major-General, Brigadier, Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, Major, Captain, and finally the Lieutenant.

Among the Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), the ranks are organized from Honorary Captain (given to Outstanding JCO's Rank and pay of a Captain), Honorary Lieutenant (given to Outstanding JCO's Rank and pay of a Lieutenant), Subedar Major, Subedar to Naib Subedar.

Finally, among the Non-commissioned Officers (NCOs), the ranks are organized from Company Havildar Major, Company Quarter Master Havildar, Havildar, Naik, Lance Naik to the Sepoy.

Structure of the Indian Navy

Main article: Indian Navy

The Indian Navy is organized into three main commands and one joint command.

Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam
Western Naval Command at Mumbai
Southern Naval Command at Cochin

There ia also a Tri Services Joint command at Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Island chain

Structure of the Indian Air-Force

Main article: Indian Air Force

Recruitment and training

Recruitment is through three military related academies. These include the National Defence Academy, Indian Military Academy and Officers Training Academy. For entrance, one must display that they are both physically and mentally fit to be in the military by sitting examinations and undergoing medical checkups. The complete list of institutions training Indian army were listed in Military academies in India section.

Indian Army

Main article: Indian Army

Strength

Pinaka rocket launcher. 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 Troops1,325,000 (2nd) Artillery7100 Battle Tanks 5010 Aircraft52 squadronsof helicopters Surface-to-air missiles90,000+

The Indian Army is the world's second largest army in terms of military personnel (after China). It is a completely voluntary service, the military draft having never been imposed in India. The army has rich combat experience in diverse terrains, due to India's diverse geography, 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 a largely ceremonial rank and appointments are made by the President of India, on the advice of the Union Cabinet of Ministers, only in exceptional circumstances. (See Field Marshal (India)). General S.H.F.J. Manekshaw and the late General K.M. Cariappa are the only two officers who have attained this rank.

The Indian Army has seen military action in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965,the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and others such as Operation Polo in 1948, the Sino-Indian War in 1962 over the McMahon Line, and the Kargil War against Kashmiri insurgents and the Pakistan military personnel

Currently, the Indian army has dedicated one brigade of troops to the UN's standby arrangements. Through its large, 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 Cyprus, Lebanon, Congo, Angola, Cambodia, Vietnam, Namibia, El Salvador, Liberia, Mozambique and Somalia. The army also provided a paramedical unit to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded in Korea.

War heroes

Major Som Nath Sharma4th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment November 3, 1947 Badgam, Kashmir, India Lance Naik Karam Singh1st Battalion, Sikh Regiment October 13, 1948Tithwal, Kashmir, India Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba RaneCorps of Engineers April 8, 1948 Naushera, Kashmir, India NaikJadu Nath Singh 1st Battalion, Rajput Regiment, now 4th Battalion, Brigade of the Guards (1st Rajput) February 1948 Naushera, Kashmir, India Company Havildar Major Piru Singh6th Battalion, Rajputana RiflesJuly 17/18, 1948 Tithwal, Kashmir, India Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria3rd Battalion, 1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment)December 5, 1961 Elizabethville, Katanga, Congo Major Dhan Singh Thapa1st Battalion, 8th Gorkha Rifles October 20, 1962 Ladakh, India Subedar Joginder Singh1st Battalion, Sikh Regiment October 23, 1962Tongpen La, Northeast Frontier Agency, India Major Shaitan Singh13th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment November 18, 1962 Rezang La Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid4th Battalion, The Grenadiers September 10, 1965 Chima, Khem Karan Sector Lieutenant-Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore 17th Poona Horse October 15, 1965Phillora, SialkotSector, Pakistan Lance Naik Albert Ekka14th Battalion, Brigade of the Guards December 3, 1971Gangasagar 2/Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal 17th Poona Horse December 16, 1971Jarpal, ShakargarhSector Major Hoshiar Singh3rd Battalion, The Grenadiers December 17, 1971Basantar River, ShakargarhSector Naib Subedar Bana Singh8th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry June 23, 1987 Siachen Glacier, Jammu and Kashmir Major Ramaswamy Parmeshwaran8th Battalion, Mahar Regiment November 25, 1987 Sri Lanka Captain Vikram Batra13th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles July 6, 1999Point 5140, Point 4875, KargilArea Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey1st Battalion, 11th Gorkha Rifles July 3, 1999Khaluber/Juber Top, Bataliksector, Kargilarea, Jammu and Kashmir Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav18th Battalion, The Grenadiers July 4, 1999 Tiger Hill, Kargilarea Lance Naik Ghulam Mohammed Khan12 Jammu and Kashmir Light InfantryJuly 1999 Kargilarea Rifleman Sanjay Kumar13th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles July 5, 1999Area Flat Top, KargilArea Captain Haneef uddin11 Rajputana RiflesJuly 1999 Turtuk, Kargilarea

Indian Navy

Main article: Indian Navy

Destroyer INS Mysore (D60).

The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. With 55,000 men and women, including 5,000 naval aviation personnel and 2,000 Marine Commandos (MARCOS), it is the world's fifth largest navy.[1] The Indian Navy currently operates more than 155 vessels, including the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. The navy is considered to have blue-water capabilities. It is fairly advanced in terms of technology and is in control of one of two Asian aircraft carriers. Two more aircraft carriers are on order and will be joining the Indian Navy. The ships of the Indian Navy are of Indian and foreign origin.[2]

In its maritime doctrine, the Indian Navy establishes its role in providing support to maritime neighbours during natural disasters. This was demonstrated during the Asian tsunami crisis during which the Indian Navy sent 35 ships to support relief efforts in neighbouring countries. The Indian navy has taken part in UN missions in the coast of Somalia and has provided security to an African Union summit held in Mozambique. India uses its navy to enhance its international relations through joint exercises, port visits, and humanitarian missions, including disaster relief. The Indian Navy is increasing its capabilities as a true blue-water navy; the Indian Navy's doctrine states that this is for the collective good of nations.[3]

Indian Air Force

Main article: Indian Air Force

Tejas in formation flight.

The Indian Air Force is the fourth largest air force in the world [4][5]. In its history, it has generally relied on Soviet technology to support its growth. However, in recent times, India has begun building its own original aircraft, including the HAL Tejas, which is a 4.5 generation fighter . Also India and Russia are currently building a 5th generation stealth aircraft jointly . India has also developed UAV called Nishant and HAL Dhruv, an advanced light helicopter. Recently it has completed a test of long range BVR air to air missile named Astra and also conducted a successful test of Anti ballistic missile defense system and hence became the 4th country after US,Russia and Israel to do so.

Paramilitary forces of India

Main article: Paramilitary forces of India

Indian Nuclear Power

Main article: India and weapons of mass destruction

Nuclear capable Agni-III missile

It is estimated that India possesses around 200-250 nuclear warheads which could be deployed at short notice.

Nuclear doctrine

The Indian military possesses nuclear weapons and sufficient means — by means of missiles and aircraft — to deliver anything over long distances. However, India has a nuclear no-first-use and no use against non-nuclear weapons state policy. It also maintains a non-nuclear doctrine based on credible minimum deterrence. India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), arguing that it unfairly favours the established nuclear powers: While the treaty places restrictions on the non-nuclear weapons states, it does little to curb the modernization and expansion of the nuclear arsenals of the nuclear weapons states; it provides no provision for complete nuclear disarmament.

Gallantry awards

The highest wartime gallantry award given by the Military of India is the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), followed by the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and the Vir Chakra (VrC). Its peacetime equivalent is the Ashoka Chakra. The highest decoration for meritorious service is the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.

Future

The Vikrant class aircraft carrier will join the Indian Navy in 2012.

Several reports have mentioned that the Indian military will be an even greater force to reckon with in the future given the twin advantage of economic growth and an increasing population. Analyses of the Central Intelligence Agency indicates that India is projected to possess the fourth most capable concentration of power by 2015. [6] According to a report published by the US Congress, India is the developing world's leading arms purchaser[7].