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The military of India, officially known as the Indian armed forces, are the primary military organisations responsible for the territorial security and defence of India. The President of India serves as the supreme commander of the armed forces, which are subordinate and responsible to the civilian government headed by the Prime Minister of India. The armed forces are administered by the Ministry of Defence and compose of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Auxiliary services include the Coast Guard, the Indian Paramilitary Forces and the Strategic Forces Command. All servicemen and women are volunteers although the government is empowered to undertake conscription if considered necessary for India's defence. The armed forces draw many of its servicemen and women from communities maintaing a long-standing military tradition. Retaining the organisational structure established by the British, the armed forces continue to face challenges from aging weaponry and equipment and relying on foreign purchases of military equipment. However, the armed forces are an essential character of India's strategic importance, power and capabilities, which have increased after India became a declared nuclear weapons state. History Although India has a long military history, the modern armed forces were raised under British Raj in the 19th century. The Army of India, as the armed force was known during the British Raj, fought in both the World Wars. During World War 2, the Army of India played a crucial role in checking the advance of the Imperial Japan and also fought several battles against Axis forces in northern Africa and Italy. The Indian armed forces succeeded the following India's independence in 1947. The Indian armed forces has fought in all three wars against Pakistan and a war with People's Republic of China. India also fought Kargil War with Pakistan in 1999. The Indian Armed Forces have participated in several United Nations peacekeeping operations and are presently the second largest troops contributor to the peacekeeping force. Indian military personnel have also frequently served as peacekeepers for the United Nations. The Indian armed forces have the third highest headcount in the world. Altogether India maintains the second largest armed forces in the world. Organisation and command structure The headquarters of the Indian Armed Forces are in New Delhi, the capital city of India. From here, they are split into different groups based on their region of operation. The Indian Army, for example, is run from its headquarters in New Delhi. It is under the control of the Chief of Army Staff. From here, it is split into 7 tactical commands, each under the control of different Lieutenant Generals. Structure of the Indian Army The Indian Army fields 34 divisions. Its headquarters is located in the Indian capital New Delhi and it is under the overall command of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), currently General Joginder Jaswant Singh. 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. 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 many more army divisions under its control. The Corps HQ is the highest field formation in the army. Other field formations include Divisions,Brigades,Battalions, Companies,Platoons, and Sections. These are several Battalions or Units under the same formation in a Regiment. The Gurkha Regiment, for instance, has several battalions. All formations under a Regiment are battalions of the same arms or Corps ( ie Infantry , or Engineers). Regiments are not exactly field formations, in the 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. In addition, the Indian Army has 63 Armoured Regiments, see List of Armoured Regiments in the Indian Army. The Regiment of Artillery constitutes a formidable operational arm of Indian Army. Historically it takes its lineage from Moghul Emperor Babur who is popularly credited with introduction of Artillery 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. Rank Structure See: Army ranks and insignia of India The highest ranking Commissioned Officer is the Field Marshall, only two have been awarded this rank so far. The rank of General is held by Chief of Army Staff,followed by Lieutenant-General,Major-General,Brigadier,Colonel,Lieutenant-Colonel,Major,Captain , and finally the Lieutenant. Among the Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), the ranks are organized from Honorary Captain- Given to Outstanding JCO's Rank and pay of a Captain, Honorary Lieutenant-Given to Outstanding JCO's Rank and pay of a Captain, Subedar Major,Subedar to Naib Subedar. Finally, among the Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs),the ranks are organized from Company Havildar Major ,Company Quarter Master Havildar,Havildar,Naik,Lance Naik to the Sepoy. Structure of the Indian Navy Structure of the Indian Air-Force Recruitment and training Recruitment is through three military related academies. These include the National Defence Academy, Indian Military Academy and Officers Training Academy. For entrance, one must display that they are both physically and mentally fit to be in the military by sitting examinations and undergoing medical checkups. Weaponry Indian Army Strength
War heroes Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the world's fifth largest navy, in terms of manpower. The navy is considered to have blue-water capabilities. It is fairly advanced in terms of technology and is in control of one of two Asian aircraft carriers. Two more aircraft carriers are on order and will be joining the Indian Navy. The ships of the Indian Navy are of Indian and foreign origin. The Indian Navy is expanding with the construction of twenty five ships of various sizes being built in Indian shipyards. Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force is the fourth largest air force in the world . In its history, it has generally relied on Soviet technology to support its growth. However, in recent times, India has begun building its own original aircraft, including the HAL Tejas. It is still cooperating with the Russian Federation to upgrade its air technology. Strategic Forces Command Indian Paramilitary Forces India and weapons of mass destruction Nuclear doctrine The Indian military possesses nuclear weapons and sufficient means — by means of missiles and aircraft — to deliver these over long distances. However, India has a ''nuclear no-first-use'' policy. It also maintains a nuclear doctrine based on credible minimum deterrence. India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), arguing that it unfairly favours the established nuclear powers: While the treaty places restrictions on the non-nuclear weapons states, it does little to curb the modernization and expansion of the nuclear arsenals of the nuclear weapons states; it provides no provision for complete nuclear disarmament. Gallantry awards The highest wartime gallantry award given by the Military of India is the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), followed by the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and the Vir Chakra (VrC). Its peacetime equivalent is the Ashoka Chakra. The highest decoration for meritorious service is the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. See also Notes Does not include members of the Indian Police Service | |||||||||
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