Indian Army:
Introduction: -
According to the IISS, in 2010 the army had a strength of 1,129,900 active personnel and 960,000 reserve personnel. Making the Indian Army the world's largest standing volunteer army.
Its primary mission is to ensure the national security and defence of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats, and maintaining peace and security within its borders. It also conducts humanitarian rescue operations during natural calamities and other disturbances. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), a General, is a four star commander and commands the army. There is typically never more than one serving general at any given time in the Army. Two officers have been conferred the rank of field marshal, a 5-star rank and the officer serves as the ceremonial chief.
The Indian Army came into being when India gained independence in 1947, and inherited most of the infrastructure of the British Indian Army that were located in post-partition India. It is a voluntary service and although a provision for military conscription exists in the Indian constitution, it has never been imposed. Since independence, the army has been involved in four wars with neighboring Pakistan and one with the People's Republic of China. Other major operations undertaken by the army include Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot and Operation Cactus. Apart from conflicts, the army has also been an active participant in United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Mission
Indian Army provides that "The Indian Army is the land component of the Indian Armed Forces which exists to uphold the ideals of the Constitution of India." As a major component of national power, along with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, the roles of the Indian Army are as follows:
§ Primary: Preserve national interests and safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of India against any external threats by deterrence or by waging war.
§ Secondary: Assist Government agencies to cope with ‘proxy war’ and other internal threats and provide aid to civil authority when requisitioned for the purpose."
Conflicts & Operation
· First Kashmir War (1947)
· Inclusion of Hyderabad (1948)
· Liberation of Goa, Daman and Diu (1961)
· Sino-Indian Conflict (1962)
· Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
· Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
· Siachen conflict (1984)
· Kargil conflict (1999)
United Nations Peacekeeping Missions
The Indian army also provided paramedical units to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded in the Korean War.
Major Exercises:
· Operation Bras stacks
· Operation Parakram
· Operation Sanghe Shakti
· Exercise Ashwamedha
· Operation Sudarshan Sakthi
Regiments
Regiments in order of seniority within the Indian Army are:
Structure: -
Recently it has been proposed to enhance the strength of army by more than 90,000 to counter the increasing presence of Chinese troops along the LAC. 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 V K Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC.
§ Strength
| Indian Army statistics | |
| 1,129,900 | |
| 800,000* | |
| 160,000** | |
| 4,117 | |
| 4,238 | |
| ~1,600+ | |
| 100,000 | |
Future Developments
§ Futuristic Infantry Soldier as a System (F-INSAS) is the Indian Army's principal modernization program from 2012 to 2020. In the first phase, to be completed by 2012, the infantry soldiers will be equipped with modular weapon systems that will have multi-functions. The Indian Army intends to modernize all of its 465 infantry and paramilitary battalions by 2020 with this program.
§ 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 induct as many as 248 Arjun MBT and develop and induct the Arjun MKII variant, 1,657 Russian-origin T-90S main-battle tanks (MBTs), apart from the ongoing upgrade of its T-72 fleet. The Army recently placed an order for 4,100 French-origin Milan-2T anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). Defence ministry sources said the Rs 592-crore (approximately US$120 million) order was cleared after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, with the government finally fast-tracking several military procurement plans.
§ The Army gained the Cabinet Committee on Security's approval to raise two new infantry mountain divisions (with around 15,000 combat soldiers each), and an artillery brigade in 2008. These divisions were likely to be armed with ultralight howitzers. In July 2009, it was reported that the Army was advocating a new artillery division, said defence ministry sources. The proposed artillery division, under the Kolkata-based Eastern Command, was to have three brigades—two of 155mm howitzers and one of the Russian "Smerch" and indigenous "Pinaka" multiple-launch rocket systems.
§ The Indian Army plans to develop and induct a 155mm indigenous artillery gun within the next three and a half years.
Tanks and armored vehicles
§ T-90 bhishma - India plans to induct Total 1657 tanks by 2020. 620 already in service.
§ Arjun MBT - 248 on order - 124 inducted.
§ Arjun MBT mk 2 - Trials started 2011. Production by 2014.
§ FMBT - The FMBT will be a lighter tank of 50 tons. At conceptual stage.
Missiles
§ Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
§ Cruise Missiles
§ Brahmos and Brahmos missiles
§ Tactical Ballistic Missiles
§ Anti-Tank Guided Missiles
§ Helina Air launched Anti-tank missile
§ Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program - The Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered ballistic missile defense system to protect India from ballistic missile attacks.
Vehicles
§ Kroton - Possible sale of 80 mine laying vehicles from Poland.
§ Light Tank - 300 tanks (200 tracked 100 wheeled) to be deployed on china border.
§ AHS Krab - Possible sale of 110 from Poland. deal along with kroton .
§ PZA Loara - Possible sale of 100 from Poland. deal along with Kroton.
Artillery
§ Under the Field Artillery Rationalization Plan, Indian Army plans to procure 3000 to 4000
155 mm Towed, Wheeled and Tracked Artillery Systems. The requirement for artillery guns to be met with indigenous development and production.
§ M777 howitzer - 145 British designed howitzers were planned to be acquired.
§ Modern Sub Machine Carbine - The Modern Sub Machine Carbine (MSMC) is the latest combined venture of ARDE & OFB, developed for the Indian Army on a platform of experiences from the INSAS rifle.
Army Aviation
§ Procurement process for 197 light utility helicopters (LUH) is ongoing of which 64 will be inducted in the Army Aviation to replace the Chetak and Cheetah Helicopters.
§ HAL Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) or Light Utility helicopter (LUH) - Requirement for 384 helicopters including for army and air force.
Uniforms
The Indian Army camouflage consists of shirts, trousers and cap of a synthetic material. Shirts are buttoned up with two chest pockets with buttoned up flaps. Trousers have two pockets, two thigh box pockets and a back pocket. The Indian Army Jungle camouflage dress features a jungle camouflage pattern and is designed for use in woodland environments. The Indian Army Desertcamouflage, 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.
The forces of the East India Company in India were forced by casualties to dye their white summertunics to neutral tones, initially a tan called khaki (from the Hindi-Urdu word for "dusty"). This was a temporary measure which became standard in Indian service in the 1880s. Only during theSecond Boer War in 1902, did the entire British Army standardise on dun for Service Dress. Indian Army uniform standardizes on dun for khaki.
The modern Indian Army wears distinctive parade uniforms characterised by variegated turbans and waist-sashes in regimental colours. The Gurkha and Garwhal Rifles and the Assam, Kumaon and the Naga Regiments wear broad brimmed hats of traditional style. Traditionally, all Rifle regiments and the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Garhwal Rifles, Gurkha Rifles, and Rajputana Rifles) wear rank badges, buttons and blackened wire embroidered articles of uniform in black instead of the usual Brass (or gold) coloured as the original role of the rifle regiments was camouflage and concealment.
Air craft
The Army Aviation Corps is the main body of the Indian Army for tactical air transport, reconnaissance, and medical evacuation, while Indian Air Force's helicopter assets are resonsible for assisting the army troop transport and close air support. It operates around 150 helicopters.
The Indian army had projected a requirement for a helicopter that can carry loads of up to 75 kg heights of 23,000 feet (7,000 m) on the Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir. Flying at these heights poses unique challenges due to the rarefied atmosphere. The Indian Army chose theEurocopter AS 550 for a $550 million contract for 197 light helicopters to replace its aging fleet ofChetaks and Cheetahs, some of which were inducted more than three decades ago. The deal has however been scrapped amidst allegations of corruption during the bidding process.
Equipment
Most of the army equipment is imported, but efforts are being made to manufacture indigenous equipment. The Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed a range of weapons for the Indian Army ranging from small arms, artillery, radars and the Arjun tank. All Indian Military small-arms are manufactured under the umbrella administration of the Ordnance Factory Board, with principal Firearm manufacturing facilities in Ichhapore, Cossipore, Kanpur, Jabalpur and Tiruchirapalli. The Indian National Small Arms System (INSAS) rifle, which is successfully inducted by Indian Army since 1997 is a product of the Ishapore Rifle Factory, while ammunition is manufactured at Khadki and possibly at Bolangir.
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