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| Army of India | |
|---|---|
| Name | Army of India |
| Caption | Ensign associated with land forces |
| Founded | Reorganized post-1947 |
| Country | India |
| Allegiance | President of India |
| Branch | Land forces |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare |
| Size | Large |
| Garrison headquarters | New Delhi |
| March | Regimental marches |
| Anniversaries | Army Day |
| Commander in chief | President of India |
| Chief of army staff | General Bipin Rawat |
Army of India
The Army of India is the primary land component of India's armed forces, responsible for territorial defense, counterinsurgency, and conventional operations. It traces institutional lineages through colonial-era units such as the British Indian Army and campaigns like the First World War and Second World War, while deriving contemporary roles from conflicts including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 and the Kargil War. Its peacetime footprint spans garrisons in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Rann of Kutch, and its operational doctrine interfaces with services like the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
The historical evolution integrates regimental traditions originating in the East India Company's presidency armies, later amalgamated under the British Crown after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Units served in global theaters such as the Mesopotamian campaign and the Gallipoli Campaign during the First World War, and in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War. Post-1947 partition reforms restructured formations following the Partition of India (1947), with early engagements against Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, the Sino-Indian War of 1962, and subsequent conflicts such as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Late 20th- and early 21st-century operations included counterinsurgency in Punjab, anti-insurgency in Northeast India, and high-altitude warfare in the Kargil War.
Organizationally, the force is divided into headquarters such as Army Headquarters (India), commands including the Northern Command (India), Western Command (India), Eastern Command (India), and corps-level groupings like Strike Corps. Regiments preserve historical identities such as Punjab Regiment (India), Sikh Regiment, Gorkha Rifles, and Garhwal Rifles, while modern arms comprise Armoured Corps (India), Artillery units, Corps of Engineers (India), Army Aviation Corps (India), and Signal Corps (India). Logistics and support are provided by formations such as the Army Ordnance Corps (India) and Army Service Corps (India). Command appointments follow statutory frameworks under the Chief of Army Staff (India) and interface with the Ministry of Defence (India).
Recruitment pathways include national institutions like the National Defence Academy (India), Indian Military Academy, and Officers Training Academy (Chennai), alongside direct-enlistment schemes and regimental centers. The force maintains traditions of regional and martial-class recruitment reflected in regiments such as the Sikh Regiment and Gorkha Rifles, balanced with service-wide intake through Service Selection Board (SSB) processes and competitive examinations such as those conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Career progression follows commissioned ranks from Lieutenant (Indian Army) upward, and includes specialist cadres like the Army Medical Corps (India), JAG Branch (India), and Army Dental Corps (India).
Equipment inventory blends indigenous projects and foreign procurements: indigenous platforms from organizations like Defence Research and Development Organisation and manufacturers such as Bharat Electronics Limited produce systems including the Arjun tank, while licensed and imported systems like the T-90 and T-72 bolster Armoured Corps (India). Artillery includes towed and self-propelled guns; air defence uses systems such as Akash missile batteries; small arms include rifles like the INSAS rifle and imported carbines. Aviation assets operated by the Army Aviation Corps (India) include helicopters such as HAL Dhruv and attack platforms. Recent procurement programmes involve vendors like Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Boeing, and integrate technologies from agencies including the Aero India exhibitions and DRDO projects for networking, surveillance, and electronic warfare.
Doctrine synthesizes counterinsurgency lessons from operations in Punjab and Manipur with conventional deterrence against Pakistan and China (PRC), drawing on concepts from exercises like Exercise Shatrujeet and operational analyses of conflicts such as the Kargil War. Operational structures emphasize combined-arms corps, rapid-reaction divisions, and mountain warfare brigades trained for high-altitude operations in sectors such as Siachen Glacier and Aksai Chin. Logistics doctrines incorporate lines of communication through infrastructure projects such as the Strategic Road Development initiatives in border regions. Legal and operational constraints reference statutes like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act when applicable to internal security deployments.
Education ecosystems include staff colleges like the Defence Services Staff College and higher institutions such as the National Defence College (India), which provide joint and strategic curricula. Technical training occurs at establishments like the College of Military Engineering (Pune), the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, and regimental training centers. Field exercises such as Exercise Vijayanta and multinational exercises like Exercise Yudh Abhyas and Exercise Hand-in-Hand validate tactics and interoperability with partners such as United States Armed Forces and People's Liberation Army (China) counterparts.
Internationally, contributions include United Nations missions exemplified by deployments to United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia, United Nations Operation in Somalia II, and ongoing UN peacekeeping operations like UNIFIL and UNMISS. Bilateral and multilateral engagements feature exercises with United States, Russia, France, and United Kingdom forces, and defence diplomacy through forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in supporting regional security. Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations have responded to crises in regions including Nepal, Maldives, and Iraq.
Category:Military of India