Information AboutIndian Army |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT INDIAN ARMY | |
| indian armyindian army | |
| military of india | |
| army | |
| armies by country | |
|
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. 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 J.J. Singh . The highest rank in the Indian Army is Field Marshal , but it is an honorary rank Bharat Rakshak 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 :-
HISTORY See Also: Military history 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, and the rest to Pakistan. Some Gurkha units from the force were also retained in the British Army . The First Kashmir War See Also: 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 Thimayya who distinguished himself in the operation and in the later years became a Chief of the Indian Army. An intense war was waged across the state and former comrades found themselves fighting each other. Both sides made some territorial gains and also suffered significant losses An uneasy UN sponsored peace returned by the end of 1948 with Indian and Pakistani soldiers facing each other directly on the Line Of Control , which has since divided Indian from Pakistani-held Kashmir. Tensions between India and Pakistan, largely over Kashmir, have never since been entirely eliminated. Indian Army participation in UN peace-keeping operations Presently, the Indian army has dedicated one brigade of troops to the UN 's standby arrangements. The large number of sustained troop commitments India has come in for much praise for taking part in difficult operations for prolonged periods. The Indian Army has participated in several UN Peace-keeping operations, including the ones in Angola , Cambodia , Cyprus , Congo , El Salvador , Namibia , Lebanon , Liberia , Mozambique , Rwanda , Somalia & Vietnam . The army also provided a paramedical unit to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded in Korea . Liberation of Hyderabad, 1948 See Also: 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 ordered a small contingent of its troops to invade the Portuguese territories and secure them. It was called Operation Vijay . 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 Indo-China Conflict- 1962 See Also: 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 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 See Also: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 ]] A second confrontation with Pakistan took stand in 1965, largely over Kashmir . Pakistani dictator General 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 Assal 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 See Also: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 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. 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 Weapon s 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 Battle of Basantar Siachen Since the mid 1980's 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 Laik 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). 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. Counter-insurgency activities The Indian Army has played a crucial role in the past in fighting Insurgent s and Terrorists in the nation. The army launched Operation Bluestar and Operation Woodrose in the 1980s to combat Sikh insurgents. The army, along with Indian Paramilitary Forces , has the prime responsibility of maintaining Law And Order in the troubled Jammu And Kashmir region. The Kargil Operation in 1999 See Also: 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. Clinton adviser: confusion gripped Islamabad during Kargil crisis 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. Kargil: where defence met diplomacy - India's then . 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 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 jawans 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. Indian Army tests network centric warfare capability in Ashwamedh war games . Asymmetric warfare capability was also tested by the Indian Army during the exercise. 'Ashwamedha' reinforces importance of foot soldiers 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 Joginder Jaswant Singh . 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. 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. 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. Quasi Army Arms 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. Other Field Formations
Statistics
Sub-Units
REGIMENTS See Also: List of regiments of the Indian Army 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. Regiments of the Indian Army :-
''See List Of Regiments Of The Indian Army '' Artillery Regiments Regiment of Artillery History The Regiment of Artillery constitutes a formidable operational arm of Indian Army. Historically it takes its lineage from Moghul Emperor Babur who is popularly credited with introduction of Artillery in India, in the Battle of Panipat in 1526. However evidence of earlier use of gun by Bahmani Kings in the Battle of Adoni in 1368 and King Mohammed Shah of Gujrat in fifteenth century have been recorded. See Also: Regiment of Artillery (India) INDIAN ARMY STAFF Strength .]]
Rank Structure : ''See: Army Ranks And Insignia Of India '' The various rank of the Indian Army are listed below in descending order: Commissioned Officers
Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs)
Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
Note: •1. Junior Commissioned Officers in the rank of Subedar, Naib Subedar are eligible for Honorary ranks - like Honorary Captains and Honorary Lieutenants. •2. Non-Commissioned Officers in the rank of Havaldar are elible for Honorary JCO ranks. •3. So far, there have been only two officers conferred the rank: Field Marshal K M Cariappa – the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (a post since abolished) – and Field Marshal S H F J Manekshaw , the Chief of Army Staff during the Army in the 1971 War with Pakistan. (See Field Marshals Of India ) COMBAT DOCTRINE The current combat doctrine of the Indian Army is based on effectively utilizing holding formations and strike formations. In the case of an attack, the holding formations would contain the enemy and strike formations would counterattack to neutralize enemy forces. In the case of an Indian attack, the holding formations would pin enemy forces down whilst the strike formations attack at a point of Indian choosing. The Indian Army is large enough to devote several corps to the strike role. Currently, the army is also looking at enhancing its Special Forces capabilities. EQUIPMENT Most of the army equipment is imported, but efforts are being made to manufacture indigenous equipment. All Indian Military Firearms guns are manufactured under the umbrella administration of the Ordnance Factory Board, with principal Firearm manufacturing facilities in Ishapore, Cossipore, Kanpur, Jabalpur and Tiruchirapalli. While ammunition is manufactured at Kirkee (Now Khadki) and possibly at Bolangir. Small Arms Handguns
Sub-Machine Guns and Carbines
Assault Rifles
Sniping Rifles
Projectile Launchers
Machine guns
Combat vehicles .]] Bhishma tank on display.]] Ajeya during an exercise.]] Main Battle Tanks
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Non-combat vehicles
Artillery Howitzers:
Rocket Artillery:
Air Defence Surface To Air Missile Systems
MANPADS
Air Defense Artillery
Anti-Tank Guided weapons
Surface to Surface Missiles
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 380 Helicopter s, plus additional Unmanned Aerial Vehicle s. 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. Eurocopter wins big Indian Army deal 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.
IN FICTION GALLERY |
|
|