Indian Army

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Indian Army
Ensign of the Indian Army
Founded26 January 1950; 74 years ago (1950-01-26) (in current form)

1 April 1895; 129 years ago (1895-04-01) (as Indian Army)


Country 
Land warfare
Size
Part of Indian Armed Forces
HeadquartersIntegrated Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi
Motto(s)Sevā Paramo Dharmaḥ (ISO)
transl. "Service Before Self"
ColoursGold, red and black
     
March
AnniversariesArmy Day: 15 January
Engagements
Websiteindianarmy.nic.in
Commanders
Manoj Pande
Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi
Notable
commanders
Insignia
Flag
HAL Cheetah

The Indian Army is the

independence. The units and regiments of the Indian Army have diverse histories and have participated in several battles and campaigns around the world, earning many battle and theatre honours before and after Independence.[6]

The primary mission of the Indian Army is to ensure national security and national unity, to defend the nation from external aggression and internal threats, and to maintain peace and security within

during World War II.

The Indian Army is operationally and geographically divided into

permanent regiments that are responsible for their own recruiting and training. The army is an all-volunteer force and comprises more than 80% of the country's active defence personnel. It is the largest standing army in the world,[8] with 1,237,117[9][10] active troops and 960,000 reserve troops.[11][12] The army has embarked on an infantry modernisation program known as Futuristic Infantry Soldier As a System (F-INSAS), and is also upgrading and acquiring new assets for its armoured, artillery, and aviation branches.[13][14][15]

History

Until the independence of India, the "Indian Army" was a British-commanded force defined as "the force recruited locally and permanently based in India, together with its expatriate British officers";[16] the "British Army in India" referred to British Army units posted to India for a tour of duty. The "Army of India" meant the combined Indian Army and the British Army in India.

Background

No. 4 (Hazara) Mountain Battery with RML7 pounder "Steel Gun" Mountain Gun in Review Order. Left to right Naick, Havaldar, Subadar (Sikhs) and Gunner (Punjabi Musalman) c. 1895.

In 1776, a Military Department was created within the government of the

Calcutta. Its main function was to record orders that were issued to the army by various departments of the East India Company for the territories under its control.[17]

With the Charter Act of 1833, the Secretariat of the government of the East India Company was reorganised into four departments, including a Military Department. The army in the presidencies of Bengal, Bombay and Madras functioned as respective Presidency Armies until 1 April 1895, when they were unified into a single force known as the Indian Army.[18][19][20][21] For administrative convenience, it was divided into four commands, namely Punjab (including the North West Frontier), Bengal, Madras (including Burma), and Bombay (including Sind, Quetta and Aden).[22]

The Indian Army was a critical force for maintaining the primacy of the

Second World Wars
.

World wars

Indian Cavalry on the Western Front during World War I.
A Sikh soldier of the 4th Division (the Red Eagles) of the Indian Army, attached to the British Fifth Army in Italy. Holding a captured Nazi flag after the surrender of German forces in Italy, May 1945. Behind him, a fascist inscription says "VIVA IL DUCE", "Long live the Duce" (i.e. Mussolini).

The Kitchener Reforms brought the British Army to a new century.

world wars. 1.3 million Indian soldiers served in World War I (1914–1918) with the Allies, in which 74,187 Indian troops were killed or missing in action.[24] In 1915 there was a mutiny by Indian soldiers in Singapore. The United Kingdom made promises of self-governance to the Indian National Congress in return for its support but reneged on them after the war, following which the Indian Independence movement
gained strength.

The "

eight units selected for Indianisation. Because of the slow pace of Indianisation, with just 69 officers being commissioned between 1918 and 1932, political pressure was applied, leading to the formation of the Indian Military Academy in 1932 and greater numbers of officers of Indian origin being commissioned.[25] On the eve of World War II, the officer corps consisted of roughly 500 Indians holding regular commissions against approximately 3,000 British officers.[26]

In World War II Indian soldiers fought alongside the Allies. In 1939, British officials had no plan for expansion and training of Indian forces, which comprised about 130,000 men (in addition there were 44,000 men in British units in India in 1939), whose mission was internal security and defence against a possible Soviet threat through Afghanistan. As the war progressed, the size and role of the Indian Army expanded dramatically, and troops were sent to battlefronts as soon as possible. The most serious problem was the lack of equipment.[27] Indian units served in Burma, wherein 1944–45, five Indian divisions were engaged along with one British and three African divisions. Even larger numbers operated in the Middle East. Some 87,000 Indian soldiers died in the war. By the end of the war, it had become the largest volunteer army in history, rising to over 2.5 million men in August 1945.[28][29]

In the

Free India Legion. They were originally intended as pathfinders for German forces in Asia but were soon sent to help guard the Atlantic Wall. Few who were part of the Free India Legion ever saw any combat, and very few were ever stationed outside Europe. At its height, the Free India Legion had over 3,000 troops in its ranks.[30]

Indian POWs also joined the

fall of Singapore in 1942, about 40,000 Indian soldiers were captured. When given the choice, over 30,000 joined the Indian National Army. Those who refused became POWs and were mostly shipped to New Guinea.[31]
After initial success, this army was defeated, along with the Japanese; but it had a huge impact on the Indian independence movement.

Indian independence

Upon the

Indian independence in 1947, four of the ten Gurkha regiments were transferred to the British Army. The rest of the Indian Army was divided between the newly created Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. The Punjab Boundary Force, which had been formed to help police Punjab during the partition period, was disbanded.[32]
Headquarters Delhi and the East Punjab Command were formed to administer the area.

The departure of virtually all senior British officers following independence, and their replacement by Indian officers, meant many of the latter held acting ranks several ranks above their substantive ones. For instance,

K. P. Candeth was an acting brigadier (substantive captain) at the same time.[34] In April 1948, the former Viceroy's Commissioned Officers (VCO) were re-designated Junior Commissioned Officers, while the former King's Commissioned Indian Officers (KCIO) and Indian Commissioned Officers (ICO), along with the former Indian Other Ranks (IOR), were respectively re-designated as Officers and Other Ranks.[35]

General Sir Roy Bucher, on 15 January 1949. With effect from 26 January 1950, the date India became a republic, all active-duty Indian Army officers formerly holding the King's Commission were recommissioned and confirmed in their substantive ranks.[36]

Conflicts and operations

First Kashmir War (1947)

Immediately after independence, tensions between India and Pakistan erupted into the first of three full-scale wars between the two nations over the then

General Thimayya who distinguished himself in the operation and in the 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. Pakistan suffered significant losses. Its forces were stopped on the line formed which is now called the Line of Control (LOC).[citation needed
]

An uneasy peace, sponsored by the UN, returned by the end of 1948, with Indian and Pakistani soldiers facing each other across the Line of Control, which has since divided Indian-held Kashmir from that part held by Pakistan. Several UN Security Council resolutions were passed, with Resolution 47 calling for a plebiscite to be held in Kashmir to determine accession to India or Pakistan, only after Pakistan withdrew its army from Kashmir.[38] A precondition to the resolution was for Pakistan and India to return to a state of "as was" before the conflict. Pakistan would withdraw all tribesmen and Pakistani nationals brought in to fight in Kashmir. Pakistan refused to pull back, and there could be no further dialogue on fulfilling the UN resolution.[39][38] Tensions between India and Pakistan, largely over Kashmir, have never been eliminated.

Annexation of Hyderabad (1948)

J.N. Chaudhuri at Secunderabad

After the partition of India,

Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri
, who led the operation, and accepted the surrender of the Nizam's forces on 18 September 1948, was appointed the military governor of Hyderabad, to restore law and order, and served until 1949.

Assistance during the Korean War (1950–1953)

During the Korean War, although deciding against sending combat forces, India sent its 60th Parachute Field Ambulance unit to aid the UN troops fighting against the North Korean invasion of South Korea, as part of the 1st Commonwealth Division. In the aftermath of the war, an Indian infantry brigade formed the Custodian Force of India, some of whose soldiers were also part of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission, which assisted in the exchange of prisoners of war and was headed by Lieutenant General K. S. Thimayya.[citation needed]

Annexation of Goa, Daman and Diu (1961)

Even though the British and French vacated all their colonial possessions in the

NRP Afonso de Albuquerque was destroyed, and over 3,000 Portuguese were captured—Portuguese General Manuel António Vassalo e Silva
surrendered to Major General Kunhiraman Palat Kandoth of the Indian Army. Goa, Daman, and Diu became a part of the Republic of India.

Sino-Indian War (1962)

Indian Army Hall of Fame at Leh, near Indo-Tibet border

The cause of this war was a dispute over the sovereignty of the widely separated Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh border regions. Aksai Chin, claimed by India as part of Kashmir, and by China as part of Xinjiang, contains an important road link that connects the Chinese regions of Tibet and Xinjiang. China's construction of this road was one of the triggers of the conflict.

Small-scale clashes between Indian and Chinese forces broke out as India insisted on the disputed McMahon Line being regarded as the international border between the two countries. Chinese troops claimed not to have retaliated to the cross-border firing by Indian troops, despite sustaining losses.[40] China's suspicion of India's involvement in Tibet created more rifts between the two countries.[41]

In 1962, the Indian Army was ordered to move to the Thag La ridge, located near the border between Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh and about 5 kilometres (3 miles) north of the disputed McMahon Line. Meanwhile, Chinese troops had also made incursions into Indian-held territory, and tensions between the two reached a new high when Indian forces discovered the road constructed by China in Aksai Chin. After a series of failed negotiations, the People's Liberation Army attacked Indian Army positions on the Thag La ridge. This move by China caught India by surprise, and on 12 October Nehru gave orders for the Chinese to be expelled from Aksai Chin. However, poor coordination among various divisions of the Indian Army, and the late decision to mobilise the Indian Air Force in vast numbers, gave China a crucial tactical and strategic advantage over India. On 20 October, Chinese soldiers attacked India from both the northwest and northeast; and captured large portions of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh.

As the fighting moved beyond disputed territories, China called on the Indian government to negotiate; however, India remained determined to regain lost territory. With no agreement in sight, China unilaterally withdrew its forces from Arunachal Pradesh. The reasons for the withdrawal are disputed, with India claiming various logistical problems for China and diplomatic support from the United States, while China stated that it still held territory it had staked a claim on. The dividing line between the Indian and Chinese forces was named the Line of Actual Control.

The poor decisions made by India's military commanders, and the political leadership, raised several questions. The

Krishna Menon, who resigned from his post soon after the war ended. Despite frequent calls for its release, the Henderson-Brooks report remains classified.[42] Neville Maxwell has written an account of the war.[43]

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

A second confrontation with Pakistan took place in 1965. Although the war is described as inconclusive, India had the better of the war and was the clear winner in tactical and strategic terms.

Ayub Khan launched Operation Gibraltar in August 1965, during which Pakistani paramilitary troops infiltrated into Indian-administered Kashmir and attempted to ignite anti-India agitation in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani leaders believed that India, which was still recovering from the Sino-Indian War, would be unable to deal with a military thrust and a Kashmiri rebellion. India reacted swiftly and launched a counter-offensive against Pakistan. In reply, on 1 September Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam
, invading India's Chamb-Jaurian sector. In retaliation, the Indian Army launched a major offensive all along its border with Pakistan, with Lahore as its prime target.

Indian Army officer next to a destroyed Pakistani Sherman tank, after the battle of Asal Uttar.

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. By 9 September, the Indian Army had made considerable inroads into Pakistan. India had its largest haul of Pakistani tanks when an offensive by Pakistan's 1st Armoured Division was blunted at the Battle of Asal Uttar, which took place on 10 September near Khemkaran.[47] The biggest tank battle of the war was the Battle of Chawinda, the largest tank battle in history after World War II. Pakistan's defeat at the Battle of Asal Uttar hastened the end of the conflict.[47]

At the time of the ceasefire declaration, India reported casualties of about 3,000. On the other hand, it was estimated that more than 3,800 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the conflict.[48][49][50] About 200–300 Pakistani tanks were either destroyed or captured by India. India lost a total of 150-190 tanks during the conflict.[47][51] The decision to return to pre-war positions, following the Tashkent Declaration, caused an outcry in New Delhi. It was widely believed that India's decision to accept the ceasefire was due to political factors, not military, since it was facing considerable pressure from the United States and the United Nations to cease hostilities.[52]

1967 Sino-Indian conflict

The 1967 Sino-Indian skirmish, also known as the Cho La incident, was a

Sardar Swaran Singh assured the Indian people that the government was taking care of developments along the border. Indian losses were 88 killed, and 163 wounded, while Chinese casualties were 300 killed and 450 wounded in Nathula, and 40 in Chola.[53] The Chinese Army left Sikkim after this defeat.[54][55][56]

Operation against the Naxalites during 1971

Under Prime Minister

J.F.R. Jacob was enjoined by Govind Narain, the Home Secretary, that "there should be no publicity and no records". Jacob's request to be presented with written orders was also refused by Sam Manekshaw.[58]

Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971

An independence movement broke out in

Bengalis took refuge in neighbouring India causing a major refugee crisis there. In early 1971, India declared its full support for the Bengali freedom fighters, known as Mukti Bahini, and Indian agents were extensively involved in covert operations to aid them.[citation needed
]

On 20 November 1971, the Indian Army moved 14 Punjab Battalion, of the

clashes took place between Indian and Pakistani forces. Wary of India's growing involvement in the Bengali rebellion, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched a preemptive strike on 10 Indian air bases—at Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Agra, Adampur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Uttarlai, and Sirsa—at 17:45 hours on 3 December. However, this aerial offensive failed to accomplish its objectives and gave India an excuse to declare a full-scale war against Pakistan the same day. By midnight, the Indian Army, accompanied by the Indian Air Force, launched a major three-pronged assault into East Pakistan. The Indian Army won several battles on the eastern front including the decisive Battle of Hilli. The operation also included a battalion-level airborne operation on Tangail, which resulted in the capitulation of all resistance within five days.[59] India's massive early gains were attributed largely to the speed and flexibility with which Indian armoured divisions moved across East Pakistan.[60]

Pakistani Eastern Command, signing the Instrument of Surrender under the gaze of Lt Gen J S Aurora
.

Pakistan launched a counterattack against India on the western front. On 4 December 1971, A Company of the 23rd Battalion of India's Punjab Regiment intercepted the Pakistani 51st Infantry Brigade near Ramgarh, Rajasthan. The Battle of Longewala ensued, during which A Company, though outnumbered, thwarted the Pakistani advance until the Indian Air Force directed its fighters to engage the Pakistani tanks. By the time the battle had ended, 38 Pakistani tanks and 100 armoured vehicles were either destroyed or abandoned. About 200 Pakistani troops were killed in action, while only two Indian soldiers died. Pakistan suffered another major defeat on the western front at the Battle of Basantar, which was fought from 4 to 16 December. During the battle, about 66 Pakistani tanks were destroyed and 40 more were captured. Pakistani forces destroyed only 11 Indian tanks.[61] By 16 December, Pakistan had lost sizeable territory on both the eastern and western fronts.

On 16 December 1971, under the command of

prisoners of war. By the time of the signing, 11,000 Pakistani soldiers had been killed in action, while India suffered 3,500 battle-related deaths.[49] In addition, Pakistan lost 220 tanks during the battle compared to India's 69.[62]

In 1972, the Simla Agreement was signed between the two countries, although subsequent incidences of heightened tensions have resulted in continued military vigilance on both sides.

Siachen conflict (1984)

A memorial for the 22 Indian Army Medical Corps at the War Cemetery in Taiping, Perak

The Siachen Glacier, although a part of the Kashmir region, was not demarcated on maps prepared and exchanged between the two sides in 1947. In consequence, before the 1980s neither India nor Pakistan maintained a permanent military presence in the region. However, beginning in the 1950s, Pakistan began sending mountaineering expeditions to the glacier. By the early 1980s, the Government of Pakistan was granting special expedition permits to mountaineers and United States Army maps showed Siachen as a part of Pakistan.[63] This practice gave rise to the term oropolitics.

India, possibly irked by these developments, launched Operation Meghdoot in April 1984. An entire battalion of the Kumaon Regiment was airlifted to the glacier. Pakistani forces responded quickly, and clashes between the two followed. The Indian Army secured the strategic Sia La and Bilafond La mountain passes, and by 1985 more than 2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi) of territory claimed by Pakistan was under Indian control.[64] The Indian Army continues to control all of the Siachen Glacier and its tributary glaciers. Pakistan has made several unsuccessful attempts to regain control over Siachen. In late 1987, Pakistan mobilised about 8,000 troops and garrisoned them near Khapalu, aiming to capture Bilafond La.[65] However, they were repulsed by Indian Army personnel guarding Bilafond. During the battle, about 23 Indian soldiers lost their lives, while more than 150 Pakistani troops perished.[66] Further unsuccessful attempts to reclaim positions were launched by Pakistan in 1990, 1995, 1996, and 1999, most notably in Kargil in the latter year.

An Indian Army soldier, part of a patrolling group, in snow camouflage holding a SIG 716i.
Indian Army soldiers patrolling snow clad mountain range.

India continues to maintain a strong military presence in the region, despite inhospitable conditions. The conflict over Siachen is regularly cited as an example of mountain warfare.[67][68] The highest peak in the Siachen Glacier region, Saltoro Kangri, could be viewed as strategically important for India because of its height, which would enable Indian forces to monitor Pakistani or Chinese movements in the area.[69] Maintaining control over Siachen poses several logistical challenges for the Indian Army. Several infrastructure projects were constructed in the region, including a helipad at an elevation of 6,400 m (21,000 ft).[70] In 2004, the Indian Army was spending an estimated US$2 million a month to support its personnel stationed in the region.[71]

Counter-insurgency activities

The Indian Army has played a crucial role in fighting

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, under Northern Command. The Indian Army sent a contingent to Sri Lanka in 1987 as a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force.[72][73][74] The Indian Army also successfully conducted Operation Golden Bird in 1995, as a counter-insurgency operation in northeast India.[75]

Kargil war (1999)

In 1998, India carried out

Lahore Summit was held in 1999. However, the sense of optimism was short-lived. In mid-1999, Pakistani paramilitary forces and Kashmiri insurgents captured the deserted, but strategic, Himalayan heights in the Kargil district of India. These had been vacated by the Indian Army during the onset of the inhospitable winter and were to be reoccupied in spring. The troops that took control of these areas received important support, of both arms and supplies, from Pakistan. Some of the heights under their control, which also included the Tiger Hill, overlooked the vital SrinagarLeh Highway (NH 1A), Batalik, and Dras
.

Kargil War Memorial looking at National Highway 1 from the foot of Tololing

Once the scale of the Pakistani incursion was realised, the Indian Army quickly mobilised about 200,000 troops, and

Operation Vijay was launched. However, since the heights were under Pakistani control, India was at a clear strategic disadvantage. From their observation posts, the Pakistani forces had a clear line-of-sight to lay down indirect artillery fire on NH 1A, inflicting heavy casualties on the Indians.[76] This was a serious problem for the Indian Army as the highway was its main supply route.[77] Thus, the Indian Army's priority was to recapture peaks near NH 1A. This resulted in Indian troops first targeting the Tiger Hill and Tololing complex in Dras.[78] This was soon followed by more attacks on the Batalik–Turtok sub-sector, which provided access to Siachen Glacier. Point 4590, which had the nearest view of the NH 1A, was successfully recaptured by Indian forces on 14 June.[79]

Indian soldiers after winning a battle during the Kargil War.

Though most of the posts in the vicinity of the highway were cleared of the enemy by mid-June, some posts near Dras endured sporadic shelling until the end of the war. Once the NH 1A area was cleared, the Indian Army turned to drive the invading force back across the Line of Control. The

line-of-sight. At many vital points, neither artillery nor air power could dislodge the Pakistan soldiers, who were out of visible range. The Indian Army mounted some direct frontal ground assaults, which were slow and took a heavy toll, given the steep ascents that had to be made on peaks as high as 5,500 m (18,000 ft). Two months into the conflict, Indian troops had slowly retaken most of the ridges they had lost.[80][81]
According to official accounts, an estimated 75%–80% of the enemy-occupied area, and nearly all the high ground, was back under Indian control.

Following the Washington Accord of 4 July, where Sharif agreed to withdraw Pakistani troops, most of the fighting came to a gradual halt; but some Pakistani forces remained in positions on the Indian side of the LOC. In addition, the United Jihad Council (an umbrella group for all extremists) rejected Pakistan's plan for a draw-down, deciding instead to fight on.[82] The Indian Army launched its final attacks in the last week of July. As soon as the Dras sub-sector had been cleared of Pakistani forces, the fighting ceased on 26 July, which has since been celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas (Kargil Victory Day) in India. By the end of the war, India had resumed control of all the territory south and east of the Line of Control, as was established in July 1972 per the Shimla Accord. By the time all hostilities had ended, the number of Indian soldiers killed during the conflict stood at 527,[83] while more than 700 regular members of the Pakistani Army had been killed.[84] The number of Islamist fighters, also known as Mujahideen, killed by Indian armed forces during the conflict stood at about 3,000.[citation needed]

2016 Surgical Strikes on Kashmir and the 2016–2018 India-Pakistan conflict

On 18 September 2016, a

2016–2018 India-Pakistan border conflict, which ended on 16 June 2018 with both India and Pakistan agreeing on a ceasefire.[91][92]

United Nations peacekeeping missions

An Indian Army peacekeeper and an FARDC soldier shake hands and encourage each other

India has been the largest troop contributor to

Female Formed Police Unit, serving with ten UN peacekeeping missions.[93][94] As of 30 June 2014, 157 Indians have been killed during such missions.[95]
The Indian army has also provided paramedical units to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded.

Indo-China Doklam issue

Major exercises

Operation Brasstacks

Operation Brasstacks was launched by the Indian Army in November 1986 to simulate a full-scale war on India's western border. The exercise was the largest ever conducted in India; it included nine infantry, three mechanised, three armoured divisions, and one air assault division, as well as three independent armoured brigades. Amphibious assault exercises were also conducted with the Indian Navy. Brasstacks also allegedly incorporated nuclear attack drills. It led to tensions with Pakistan and a subsequent rapprochement in mid-1987.[96]

Exercise Nomadic Elephant

Since 2004, and every year since, the Indian Army has been conducting training exercises with the

Mongolian Army. In 2012, the exercise took place in Belgaum; in June 2013, it was held in Mongolia. The aim of the exercises is to enhance counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, and to train in conducting peacekeeping operations under the mandate of the United Nations.[97][98]

Exercise Ashwamedha

Indian Army tested its network-centric warfare capabilities in the Ashwamedha exercise. The exercise was held in the Thar desert, and over 300,000 troops participated.[99] Asymmetric warfare capability was also tested by the Indian Army during the exercise.[100]

Exercise Yudh Abhyas

Yudh Abhyas 2012 – US and Indian Army military exercise video trailer
Indian Army soldiers during Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018

The Yudh Abhyas exercise is an ongoing series, since 2005, of joint exercises between the Indian and United States armies, agreed upon under the New Framework of the India-US Defence Relationship. Commencing at the platoon level, the exercise has graduated to a command post (CPX) and field training exercise (FTX).

The seventh edition of Yudh Abhyas began on 5 March 2012, in two locations under the South Western Command. The US Army contingent is from the

United States Pacific Command (USPACOM). The command post exercise has an engineer brigade headquarters, with its planners drawn from both countries, while the field training exercise comprises troops of the United States' 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, from the 25th Infantry Division, Hawaii, along with a Stryker platoon, and a similarly sized Indian Army contingent of mechanised infantry. Several key surveillance, communications, and IED detection and neutralisation technologies, available to both sides, were fielded in the exercise.[citation needed
]

Indian Army Aviation Corps Dhruv helicopter ferrying U.S. soldiers during the Yudh Abhyas training exercise in 2009
Indian army armoured vehicles during Yudh Abhyas exercises

The eighth edition of Yudh Abhyas was conducted from 3 to 17 May 2013 as a U.S.-Army-Pacific-sponsored bilateral training exercise with the Indian Army, an exercise that focused on the two countries' cultures, weapons training, and tactics. Units from the United States included the 1st Brigade Combat Team,

Fort Bragg, N.C., and the 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment. Units from India were the Indian Army's 99th Mountain Brigade; the 2nd Battalion, 5th Gurka Rifles
; the 50th Independent Parachute Brigade; and the 54th Engineers Regiment.[101][102][103][104]

Exercise Shakti

The Shakti exercise is an ongoing series, since 2011, of joint exercises between the Indian and French armies. The exercise is conducted to practice and validate anti-terrorist operations in snowbound and mountainous areas. The first joint exercise was held in India in October 2011 and the second one in September 2013. The theme of the exercise is to conduct joint platoon-level counter-insurgency operations in high-altitude mountainous terrain under the UN Charter, thus emphasising the shared concerns of both countries regarding global terrorism. An added aim of the exercise is to qualitatively enhance knowledge of each other's military procedures, thus increasing the scope for interoperability and the ability to respond to a common threat. The twelve-day exercise with the French Army is scheduled to be conducted in multiple modules in order to achieve complete integration between the two contingents at every stage.[105][106]

Exercise Shoorveer

From the first week of April to the first week of May 2012, the Indian Army launched a massive summer exercise in the Rajasthan desert, involving over 50,000 troops and several hundred artillery pieces and infantry combat vehicles, as part of its efforts to shore up its battle worthiness on the western front, the border with Pakistan. The exercise, code-named "Shoorveer", was being conducted by the Jaipur-based South Western Command. This was the largest ever exercise conducted by the Indian army since 1947. The collective training started with the honing of basic battle procedures and tactical drills.

Several field firings were carried out to check the accuracy and lethality of weapon systems. Many innovations, adopted by units and formations to enhance combat power, were tested in the field. The troops built on the training momentum gradually, with increasing combat tempo, to set the stage for a major joint army–air force exercise in the latter part of the exercise.[107]

Exercise Rudra Akrosh

In May 2012, the Indian Army conducted several war games aimed (according to officials) at validating "the operational and transformational effectiveness of various formations under the Western Army Command".[108] The exercise involved approximately 20,000 troops and support from the Indian Air Force.

Exercise Shatrujeet

In April 2016, the Indian Army conducted a major exercise called Shatrujeet, with the elite Mathura-based Strike Corps in the desert area of the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, whose object was to evaluate the capability to strike deep into enemy territory, to deliver a quick, lethal strike against the enemy in an integrated air-land battle environment, with co-ordination among all the forces in a nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare scenario.[109][110][111]

Mission and doctrine

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 against insurgencies in Kashmir and Northeast India. Currently, the army is also looking at enhancing its special forces capabilities. With India's increasing international role, and the requirement to protect its interests in far-off countries becoming important, the Indian Army and the Indian Navy are jointly planning to set up a marine brigade.[112][113]

The current combat doctrine of the Indian Army is based on effectively utilising holding formations and strike formations. In the case of an attack, the holding formations would contain the enemy and strike formations would counter-attack to neutralise enemy forces. In the case of an Indian attack, the holding formations would pin enemy forces down, whilst the strike formations would attack at a point of India's choosing. The Indian Army is large enough to devote several corps to the strike role.

India Pakistan army corps deployment

Organisation

Leadership

Leadership at Army Headquarters
Post Current Holder
Chief of the Army Staff General
Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC
Vice Chief of Army Staff
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM
Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance) Lieutenant General JB Chaudhary, PVSM, SM, VSM
Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination) Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor, AVSM,VSM
Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) Lieutenant General Tarun Kumar Aich, PVSM, AVSM
Adjutant General Lieutenant General Bansi Ponnappa, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Military Secretary Lieutenant General P. Gopalakrishna Menon, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM
Quartermaster General
Lieutenant General VMB Krishnan, AVSM, YSM
Engineer-in-Chief Lieutenant General Arvind Walia, AVSM
Indian Army Structure (click to enlarge)

The troops are organized into 40 Divisions in 14 Corps.[

Chief of Army Staff
(COAS).

Command structure

Indian Army Organizational Structure

The army operates six operational commands and one training command.

Army Training Command abbreviated ARTRAC. Besides these, army officers may head tri-service commands such as the Strategic Forces Command and Andaman and Nicobar Command, as well as institutions such as the Integrated Defence Staff
.

Insignia Name Headquarters Army Commander Subordinate Unit(s)
Headquarters, Indian Army New Delhi
50th Independent Parachute Brigade – Agra
Central Command Lucknow Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani 6th Mountain DivisionBareilly
Eastern Command Kolkata Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari[115]
  • Northern Command Udhampur Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar[118]
  • 10 Artillery brigade
  • Southern Command Pune Lieutenant General Ajai Kumar Singh[120]
  • 475th Engineering Brigade
  • South Western Command Jaipur Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth[121]
    Western Command Chandimandir Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar[122]
  • 23rd Armoured Brigade
  • 55th Mechanised Brigade
  • Army Training Command
    Shimla Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh[123]
    Army Training Establishments

    Note: ** = Currently being raise

    Combat Arms

    Indian Army paratroopers with U.S. soldiers during an exercise in Alaska
    Indian Army soldiers move into position while demonstrating a platoon level ambush to U.S. Army paratroopers.
    Indian army band in Russia during the Moscow Victory Day Parade

    Not to be confused with the field corps listed above, the corps mentioned below are divisions entrusted with specific pan-Army tasks.

    The

    Indian Territorial Army has battalions affiliated with different infantry regiments and some department units that are from the Corps of Engineers, Army Medical Corps, or the Army Service Corps. They serve as a part-time reserve. On 4 June 2017, the chief of staff announced that the Army was planning to open combat positions to women, who would first be appointed to positions in the military police.[citation needed
    ]

    President's Bodyguard in summer ceremonial uniforms in Rashtrapati Bhavan
    courtyard during changing of the guard
    Name Director General Centre
    Armoured Corps Lieutenant General Vivek Kashyap[124] The Armoured Corps Centre and School, Ahmednagar
    Regiment of Artillery Lieutenant General Adosh Kumar[125] The School of Artillery,
    Nasik
    Corps of Army Air Defence
     
    Lieutenant General Sunil Puri Goswami[126]
    Gopalpur, Odisha
    .
    Army Aviation Corps Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Suri[127] Combat Army Aviation Training School,
    Nasik
    .
    Corps of Engineers Lieutenant General Arvind Walia[128] College of Military Engineering, Pune
    Madras Engineer Group, Bangalore
    Bengal Engineer Group, Roorkee
    Bombay Engineer Group, Khadki near Pune
    Corps of Signals Lieutenant General Rajeev Sabheral, AVSM, VSM[129] Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow
    Two Signal Training Centres at Jabalpur and Goa.
    Mechanised Infantry Lieutenant General R K Jagga Ahmednagar
    Infantry Lieutenant General A K Samantara[130] Multiple centres

    Armoured Corps

    Army Armoured Corps in 2006

    There are 65

    21st (Central India) Horse
    . A substantial number of additional units designated as either "Cavalry" or "Armoured" Regiments have been raised since Independence.

    Mechanised Infantry

    TATA Kestrel of the Indian Army

    The Mechanised Infantry is the newest combat arm of the Indian Army. Often referred to as "tomorrow's arm in today's army", it is formed of two regiments—The Brigade of the Guards and Mechanised Infantry Regiment—and comprises 48 Mechanised Infantry battalions in all. It is the brainchild of General Krishnaswamy Sundarji (28 April 1930 – 8 February 1999), who was the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1986 to 1988. During the late 70s, as part of Indian Army modernisation, there was an urgent need to re-calibrate the Indian Mechanised Forces, which led to the forming of Mechanised Infantry units to further the shock-action, fire-power, flexibility, and mobility of armoured formations by including ground-holding ability. The Mechanised Infantry regiments were first created with carefully selected existing Infantry battalions, based on their operational performance. As the need for more mechanised battalions grew, the elite Brigade of The Guards was also converted to the mechanised profile. The two regiments along with the Armoured Corps form part of the Indian Army's elite "Mechanised Forces".

    Infantry

    Indian soldier from White Knight Corps armed with a standard issued Sig 716i, 2021
    Soldiers of the Rajput Regiment during a Republic Day Parade
    Soldiers of the Sikh Light Infantry during a Republic Day Parade

    Upon its inception, the Indian Army inherited the British Army's organisational structure, which is still maintained today. Therefore, like its predecessor, an Indian infantry regiment's responsibility is not to undertake field operations but to provide battalions and well-trained personnel to the field formations. As such, it is common to find battalions of the same regiment spread across several brigades, divisions, corps, commands, and even theatres. Like its British and Commonwealth counterparts, troops enlisted within the regiment are immensely loyal, take great pride in the regiment to which they are assigned, and generally spend their entire career within the regiment.

    Most Indian Army infantry regiments recruit based on certain selection criteria, such as region (for example, the Assam Regiment), caste/community (Jat Regiment), or religion (Sikh Regiment). Most regiments continue the heritage of regiments raised under the British Raj, but some have been raised after independence, some of which have specialised in border defence, in particular the Ladakh Scouts, the Arunachal Scouts, and the Sikkim Scouts.

    Over the years there have been fears that troops' allegiance lay more with their regiments and the regions/castes/communities/religions from which they were recruited, as opposed to the Indian union as a whole. Thus some "all India" or "all class" regiments have been created, which recruit troops from all over India, regardless of region, caste, community, or religion: such as the Brigade of the Guards (which later converted to the Mechanised Infantry profile) and the Parachute Regiment.

    Infantry regiments in the Indian Army[131]
    Regiment Regimental Center Raised
    Parachute Regiment Bangalore, Karnataka 1945
    Punjab Regiment Ramgarh Cantonment, Jharkhand 1761
    Madras Regiment Wellington Cantonment, Tamil Nadu 1758
    The Grenadiers Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 1778
    Maratha Light Infantry Belgaum, Karnataka 1768
    Rajputana Rifles Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi 1775
    Rajput Regiment Fatehgarh, Uttar Pradesh 1778
    Jat Regiment Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh 1795
    Sikh Regiment Ramgarh Cantonment, Jharkhand 1846
    Sikh Light Infantry Fatehgarh, Uttar Pradesh 1857
    Dogra Regiment Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh 1877
    Garhwal Rifles Lansdowne, Uttarakhand 1887
    Kumaon Regiment Ranikhet, Uttarakhand 1813
    Assam Regiment Shillong, Meghalaya 1941
    Bihar Regiment
    Danapur Cantonment, Bihar
    1941
    Mahar Regiment Sagar, Madhya Pradesh 1941
    Jammu & Kashmir Rifles
    Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 1821
    Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry 1947
    Naga Regiment Ranikhet, Uttarakhand 1970
    1 Gorkha Rifles
    Sabathu, Himachal Pradesh 1815
    3 Gorkha Rifles
    Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 1815
    4 Gorkha Rifles
    Sabathu, Himachal Pradesh 1857
    5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)
    Shillong, Meghalaya 1858
    8 Gorkha Rifles
    Shillong, Meghalaya 1824
    9 Gorkha Rifles
    Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 1817
    11 Gorkha Rifles
    Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 1918
    Ladakh Scouts Leh, Jammu and Kashmir 1963
    Rashtriya Rifles 1990
    Arunachal Scouts Shillong, Meghalaya 2010
    Sikkim Scouts 2013

    Artillery

    Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers were used during the Kargil War
    .

    The Regiment of Artillery is the second-largest arm of the Indian Army, constituting nearly one-sixth of the Army's total strength. Originally raised in 1935 as part of the Royal Indian Artillery of the British Indian Army, the Regiment is now tasked with providing the Army's towed and self-propelled field artillery, including guns, howitzers, heavy mortars, rockets, and missiles.

    As an integral part of nearly all combat operations conducted by the Indian Army, the Regiment of Artillery has a history of being a major contributor to its military success. During the Kargil War, it was the Indian Artillery that inflicted the most damage.[132] Over the years, five artillery officers have gone on to the Army's highest post as Chief of Army Staff.

    Dhanush artillery gun

    For some time, the Regiment of Artillery commanded a significantly larger share of the Army's personnel than it does now, as it was also responsible for air defence artillery and some aviation assets. The 1990s saw the formation of the Corps of Army Air Defence and the coalescing of all aviation assets into the Army Aviation Corps. The arm is now focused on field artillery and supplies regiments and batteries to each of the operational commands. The home of the Regiment is in

    Devlali
    .

    After suffering consistent failure to import or produce modern artillery for three decades,

    Pinaka multi barrel rocket launcher by the end of the next decade.[138]

    Corps of Engineers

    The Indian Army Corps of Engineers has a long history dating back to the mid-18th century. The earliest existing subunit of the Corps (18 Field Company) dates back to 1777, while the Corps officially recognises its birth as 1780, when the senior-most group of the Corps, the Madras Sappers, were raised. The Corps consists of three groups of combat engineers, namely the Madras Sappers, the Bengal Sappers, and the Bombay Sappers. A group is roughly analogous to a regiment of the Indian infantry, each group consisting of several engineer regiments. The engineer regiment is the basic combat-engineer unit, analogous to an infantry battalion.

    Corps of Signals

    Indian Army Corps of Signals is a corps and the arm of the Indian Army which handles its military communications. It was formed on 15 February 1911 as a separate entity under Lieutenant Colonel S. H. Powell and went on to make important contributions during World War I and World War II.[139] On 15 February 2011, the corps celebrated the 100th anniversary of its raising.[140]

    Army Aviation Corps

    The

    Lieutenant General at Army HQ in New Delhi
    .

    Corps of Army Air Defence

    The Corps of Army Air Defence (abbreviated AAD) is an active corps of the Indian Army, and a major combat formation tasked with the air defences of the country from foreign threats. The Corps is responsible for the protection of Indian air space from enemy aircraft and missiles, especially those below 5,000 feet.[141]

    The history of the AAD dates back to 1939, during the times of the

    1999 Kargil conflict
    . The corps enjoyed autonomous status from 1994, after the bifurcation of the Corps of Air Defence Artillery from the Army's artillery regiment. A separate training school, the Army Air Defence College (AADC), was established to train its personnel.

    Services

    Name Director General Centre
    Army Service Corps Lt General M. H. Thakur[142] Bangalore
    Army Medical Corps
    Lt General Velu Nair, AVSM, VSM[143] Lucknow/Pune
    Army Dental Corps Lt General T. K. Bandyopadhyay[144] Lucknow
    Army Ordnance Corps Lt General Dalip Singh[145] Jabalpur and Secunderabad (HQ)
    Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers Lt General K. K. Agarwal[146] Secunderabad
    Remount and Veterinary Corps
    Lt General A. J. Singh, VSM[147] Meerut
    Army Education Corps Major General Sunil Chandra[148] Pachmarhi
    Corps of Military Police Bangalore
    Pioneer Corps Bangalore
    Army Postal Service Corps Major General P. S. Negi[149] Kamptee near Nagpur
    Territorial Army Lieutenant General D. P. Pandey[150][151] New Delhi
    Defence Security Corps Kannur Cantonment, Kerala
    Intelligence Corps Pune
    Judge Advocate General's Department Institute of Military Law Kamptee, Nagpur
    Military Nursing Service
    Major General Joyce Gladys Roach[152] Pune and Lucknow
    Human Rights Cell Major General Gautam Chauhan[153] Delhi

    Recruitment and Training

    Pre-commission training of Gentlemen Cadets is carried out at the

    Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJW), in Vairengte, Mizoram; and the College of Military Engineering
    (CME), in Pune.

    The

    , supervises training of personnel.

    In 2020 a 'Tour of Duty' scheme was proposed for voluntary recruitment into the forces for civilians, to enable them to join for three years of short service.[154] The scheme is on a trial basis and will start with a test group of 100 officers and 1000 jawans.[155]

    Agnipath Scheme

    Agnipath Scheme is a new scheme introduced by the Government of India on 14 June 2022, for recruitment of soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces.[156][157] All recruits will be hired only for a four year period. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers (transl. Fire-Warriors), which will be a new military rank. The introduction of the scheme has been criticized for lack of consultation and public debate. The scheme was implemented in September 2022.

    Recruitment in the Indian Army from 2015[158]
    Year Soldiers
    2015–16 71,804
    2016–17 52,447
    2017–18 50,026
    2018–19 53,431
    2019–20 80,572
    2020–21 0
    2021–22 0
    2022–23 0
    2023-24 13,000

    This scheme will bypass many things including long tenures, pension and other benefits which were there in old system.[159] Opposition parties in India have criticised and expressed concerns about the consequences of the new scheme. They have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament.[160]

    Intelligence

    The Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) is an intelligence-gathering arm of the Indian Army. The MI (as it is commonly referred to) was constituted in 1941. It was initially created to check corruption in the Army's ranks. With time, its role has evolved into cross-border intelligence, intelligence sharing with friendly nations, infiltrating insurgent groups, and counter-terrorism.

    In the late 1970s, the MI was embroiled in the Samba spy scandal, wherein three Indian Army officers were falsely implicated as Pakistani spies. The organisation has since emerged from the scandal as a prime intelligence organisation of the Indian Army.

    As of 2012, the MI has seen many of its roles taken away by the newly created National Technical Research Organisation and the Defence Intelligence Agency.[161] Since it was set up in 2004 as a premier scientific agency under the National Security Adviser in the Prime Minister's Office, it also includes the National Institute of Cryptology Research and Development (NICRD), which is the first of its kind in Asia.[162]

    STEAG

    The Signals Technology Evaluation and Adaptation Group (STEAG), a specialist technical unit tasked with investigating and evaluating cutting-edge communication technologies, was founded by the Indian Army on 18 March 2024. It will prioritize the development of specialized technologies for both wired and wireless systems, such as

    Electronic Warfare (EW) systems. In order to find appropriate defense applications, the unit will work with industry and academics to utilize state-of-the-art technology. In addition to developing and evaluating key Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions, STEAG will do technical scouting and provide user interface assistance by maintaining and upgrading modern technologies.[163]

    Field formations

    Below are the basic field formations of the Indian Army:

    Indian Army forts

    Personnel

    National War Memorial in honour of soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation.[166]

    The Indian Army is a voluntary service, and although a provision for military

    Indian Territorial Army, with 40,000 in regular establishment. This makes the Indian Army the world's largest standing volunteer army.[170][171]

    Rank structure

    The ranks of the Indian Army for the most part follow the British Army tradition.

    Commissioned Officers Commissioned officers are the leaders of the army and command units from platoon/company to brigade, division, corps, and above.

    Indian Army officers are continually put through different courses of training, and assessed on merit, for promotions and appointments. Substantive promotions up to lieutenant colonel, or equivalent, are based on time in service, whereas those for the colonel and above are based on selection, with promotion to colonel being also based on time served.

    Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
     Indian Army[172]
    No insignia
    Field marshal
    फील्ड मार्शल
    General
    जनरल
    Lieutenant general
    लेफ्टिनेंट जनरल
    Major general
    मेजर जनरल
    Brigadier
    ब्रिगेडियर
    Colonel
    कर्नल
    Lieutenant colonel
    लेफ्टिनेंट कर्नल
    Major
    मेजर
    Captain
    कैप्टन
    Lieutenant
    लेफ्टिनेंट
    Officer cadet
    Honorary/
    War time rank
    Held by the
    Chief of Defence Staff (with different insignia)
    and/or the
    Chief of the Army Staff
    An Indian Army paratrooper with the 50th Parachute Brigade jumps from a helicopter

    Other Ranks

    Rank group Junior commissioned officers Non commissioned officer Enlisted
     Indian Army[172]
    No insignia
    Subedar-major
    सूबेदार मेजर
    Subedar
    सूबेदार
    Naib subedar
    नायब सूबेदार
    Havildar
    हवलदार
    Naik
    नायक
    Lance naik
    लांस नायक
    Sepoy
    सिपाही

    Uniforms

    Soldiers of the Assam Regiment
    Winter camouflage adopted in 2022

    To make themselves less of a target, the forces of the

    . The Indian Army uniform standardises on dun for khaki.

    The 2006 standard issued camouflage uniform of the Indian Army was the PC-DPM which consists of French Camouflage Europe Centrale featuring a forest camouflage pattern and is designed for use in woodland environments being printed on BDU. The Desert variant issued in 2006 was based on the French Camouflage Daguet printed on BDU, which features a desert camouflage pattern, is used by artillery and infantry posted in dusty, semi-desert, and desert areas of Rajasthan and its vicinity. Starting in 2022, a digital pixelated camouflage pattern uniform designed by NIFT has been adopted, while the uniform style is similar to the US Marine MMCUU uniform.[173][174]

    Senior officer from Northern Command wearing the new NIFT Camouflage
    Indian Army personnel wearing the new uniform designed by NIFT

    The new

    fabric of the new material makes it lighter, sturdier, more breathable, and more suitable for the different terrains that the soldiers are posted in.[175]

    The new uniform, unlike the old one, has a combat T-shirt worn underneath and a jacket over it. Also unlike the older uniform, the shirt will not be tucked in. The jacket has angular top pockets, lower pockets with vertical openings, knife pleats at the back, a pocket on the left sleeve & a pen holder on the left forearm, and improved-quality buttons. The trousers will be adjustable at the waist with elastic and buttons, and has a double layer at the groin. For the caps, the girth will be adjustable, and the logo of the Army will be of better quality than earlier.

    The new uniforms would not be available in the open market. The uniforms will be barcoded and QR coded to maintain their uniqueness, and will be available only through the ordnance chain or military canteens.[176] To control random proliferation, they will come in over a dozen pre-stitched standard sizes. The new uniform will be made available in a phased manner to the nearly 1.2 million personnel of the Indian Army.

    The modern Indian Army wears distinctive parade uniforms characterised by variegated turbans and waist-sashes in regimental colours. The Gurkha and

    rank badges
    , buttons, and wire-embroidered articles in black, instead of the usual brass (or gold) colour, as the original role of the rifle regiments was camouflage and concealment.

    Medals and awards

    The medals awarded by the President of India for gallantry displayed on the battlefield, in order of precedence, are Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra.

    The medals awarded by the President for gallantry displayed away from the battlefield, in order of precedence, are Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra.

    Many of the recipients of these awards have been Indian Army personnel.

    Women

    A female Indian Army officer briefs the Russian contingent about disarming an IED explosive during a joint exercise in Rajasthan, India, 2015.
    A civilian contractor, Dr. Seema Rao [177] briefing Indian Army soldiers on firing techniques.

    The role of women in the Indian Army began when the Indian Military Nursing Service was formed in 1888. Nurses served in World Wars I and II, where 350 Indian Army nurses either died, were taken prisoner of war, or declared missing in action; this includes nurses who died when SS Kuala was sunk by Japanese Bombers in 1942.[178] In 1992, the Indian Army began inducting women officers in non-medical roles.[179]

    Equipment

    Akash Surface to Air Missile

    Most of the army equipment is imported, but efforts are being made to manufacture indigenous equipment. The

    INSAS) rifle, which has been successfully deployed since 1997, is a product of Rifle Factory Ishapore, while ammunition is manufactured at Khadki, and possibly at Bolangir.[citation needed
    ]

    In 2014, Army chief General Bikram Singh said that if given sufficient budget support, the Indian Army might be able to acquire half the ammunition needed to fight in a major conflict by the next year.[180]

    HAL Rudra

    Aircraft

    The Army Aviation Corps is the main body of the Indian Army for tactical air transport, reconnaissance, and medical evacuation, while the Indian Air Force's helicopter assets are responsible for assisting army troop transport and close air support. The Aviation Corps operates approximately 150 helicopters. The Indian army had projected a requirement for a helicopter that can carry loads of up to 750 kilograms (1,650 lb) to heights of 7,000 m (23,000 ft) on the Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir. Flying at these heights poses unique challenges due to the rarefied atmosphere. The Indian Army will induct the HAL Light Utility Helicopter to replace its ageing fleet of Chetaks and Cheetahs, some of which were deployed more than three decades ago.[181]

    On 13 October 2012, the defence minister gave control of attack helicopters to the Indian Army, which had formerly rested the Indian Air force.[182]

    Future developments

    The major ongoing weapons programmes of the Indian Army are as follows:

    Infantry

    • F-INSAS is the Indian Army's principal infantry modernisation programme, which aims to modernise the army's 465 infantry and paramilitary battalions by 2020. The programme aims to upgrade the infantry to a multi-calibre rifle with an under-barrel grenade launcher, as well as bulletproof jackets and helmets. The helmet would include a visor, flashlight, thermal sensors, night vision devices, and a miniature computer with an audio headset. There would also be a new lightweight and waterproof uniform, which would help the soldier in carrying extra loads and fighting in an NBC environment.[183]
    • In 2008, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved raising two new infantry mountain divisions (with around 15,000 combat soldiers each) and an artillery brigade. These divisions were likely to be armed with ultralight howitzers.[184] In July 2009, it was reported that the Army was advocating a new artillery division. The proposed artillery division, to be under the Kolkata-based Eastern Command, was to have three brigades – two armed with 155 mm howitzers and one with the Russian "Smerch" and indigenous "Pinaka" multiple-launch rocket systems.[185]
    • In February 2024, reports emerged for the formation of a new Corps under the Central Command for deployment along Line of Actual Control (LAC).[186] The XVIII Corps will consist of at least one division (with around 15,000 to 18,000 combat soldiers each) and three independent brigades. This includes 14 RAPID Division, 9 Mountain Brigade, 136 Mountain Brigade and 119 Mountain Brigade. This move will convert HQ Uttar Bharat from a Static Formation into 'Full-fledged Combat Arm'.[187][188] This move is in a proposal stage in the Army and will be forwarded to the Ministry of Defence for clearance.[189]
    • In April 2024, Indian Army proposed two new formations. One of them was the creation of an "adversial force" acting as opposing force which will represent an enemy force in wargames. The other one is a "test-bed brigades or formation" which will enhance the efficiency of testing new weapons for procurement.[190]
    • Small Arms
      • The Indian Army has 70,000 Sig Sauer SIG 716 assault rifles on order for its frontline troops engaged in counter-militancy operations.[191]
      • To meet the needs of the rest of its soldiers, the army has selected the Russian 7.62 mm AK-203 assault rifle as a "Make in India" project to manufacture 650,000 rifles through a government-to-government agreement. To be manufactured by Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL)[192]
      • Army has 550 units of indigenous ASMI (for Para SF) submachine guns and another 550 units of Taurus T9 on order.[193]
      • Earlier development efforts of the DRDO to meet the Indian Army's small arms requirements—namely the
        Modern Sub Machine Carbine
        , a combined venture of ARDE & OFB to develop an assault carbine for the Indian Army based on a platform of experiences from the INSAS rifle—have been halted.
    Mechanised Forces
    Indian Army's Arjun Mark 1 Alpha tank
    • India is currently re-organising its mechanised forces to achieve strategic mobility and high-volume firepower for rapid thrusts into enemy territory.
    • India proposes to progressively deploy as many as 248 Arjun main battle tanks (MBT) and to develop and deploy the Arjun MK-1A[195] variant, as well as 1,657 Russian-made T-90S MBTs. The army is procuring 2,000 night vision devices for T-72 tanks, for Rs 10 billion; 1,200 for T-90 tanks, for Rs 9.60 billion; and 1,780 for infantry combat vehicles, for Rs 8.60 billion.
    • It is also acquiring 700 TISAS (thermal imaging stand alone systems) and 418 TIFACS (thermal fire control systems) for its T-72 fleet, at a cost of around $230 million. 300 Israeli TISAS were installed as part of several T-72 upgrade phases, followed by 3,860 image intensifier-based night-vision devices. 310 Russian produced T-90S Main Battle Tanks were also fitted with French Catherine TI cameras.[196][197]
    • Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV): Indian Army will issue an Request for Proposal to purchase 1,770 next generation tanks to replace T-72s from 2030 onwards. 590 units to be inducted in first phase. Deployment will be carried out in three phases. Features includes AI, drone integration, active protection system, network centric operation, etc.[198][199]
    • Zorawar LT: Light tanks (under 25 tonnes) developed especially for deployment in mountainous terrain. 59 ordered, 295 more planned.[198]
    • Futuristic Main Battle Tank (FMBT) – Upgraded version of Arjun Mk 1A. Fourth Generation MBT. It will be a 50 tonne tank powered by an indigenous 1,500 hp or 1,800 hp engine. At the conceptual stage.
    • Abhay IFV – Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV). Intended to replace BMP II in Indian Army.
    • DRDO). It was developed to replace old Soviet-era infantry fighting vehicles (BMP) and APCs in service with the Indian army. Army has a requirement of 198 units.[200]
    Aviation
    HAL Light Combat Helicopter
    Missiles
    Artillery
    K-9 VAJRA-T at the 71st Republic Day (2020)
    • Under the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) of 2010, the army plans to procure 3000 to 4000 units of artillery at the cost of 200 billion (US$3 billion). This includes purchasing 1580 towed, 814 mounted, 180 self-propelled wheeled, 100 self-propelled tracked, and 145 ultra-light 155 mm/39 calibre guns. The requirement for artillery guns would be met with indigenous development and production.[208]
    Vehicles
    • Tata Motors offers a full range of 6×6, 8×8, and 12×12 multi-purpose high mobility carriers, designed especially for integrating specialist rocket and missile systems. The Tata 2038 6×6 vehicle platform has, after rigorous field-firing evaluation trials, been qualified by the Indian Army to carry the GRAD BM21 Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) application.
    • Mahindra Axe – Light utility vehicle to be purchased.
    • The army needs 3,000 light support vehicles and 1600 heavy motor vehicles for mounting rockets and radar, and for reconnaissance and transportation, at a cost of Rs 15 billion.[214]

    See also

    References

    Citations
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