Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces (Devangar:

, Bhratya Saastra Snn) are
the military forces of the Republic of India. They consist of the Army, Navy, Air Force and
Indian Coast Guard,[5][6][7] supported by Paramilitary forces[8] (Assam Rifles and Special Frontier
Force) and various inter-service institutions such as the Strategic Forces Command. The
President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. The Indian Armed
Forces are under the management of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which is led by the Union
Cabinet Minister of Defense.

The President of the Republic of India is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces
The Indian armed forces have been engaged in a number of major military operations, including
the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1947, 1965 and 1971, the Sino-Indian War, the 1987 Sino-Indian
skirmish, the Kargil War, and the Siachen conflict among others. India honours its armed forces
and military personnel annually on Armed Forces Flag Day, 7 December.
Since 1962, the IAF has maintained close military relations with Russia, including cooperative
development on programs such as the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the
Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA). The Indian armed forces are steadily undergoing
modernization,[9] with investments in such areas as a missile defense system and a nuclear
triad.[10][11]
The Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence is responsible for the
indigenous production of equipment used by the Indian Armed Forces. It comprises the 41
Indian Ordnance Factories under control of the Ordnance Factories Board and 8 Defence PSUs
namely, HAL, BEL, BEML, BDL, MDL, GSL, GRSE, Midhani. The Indian Armed Forces are
currently the world's largest arms importer, [12] with Russia, Israel, and to some extent, France
and United States being the primary foreign suppliers of military equipment.[13][14][15] The
country is expected to spend around US$112 billion between 2010 and 2016 on military
modernisation.[16][17][18]

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Indian Armed Forces
'
'

Emblem of India

Indian Army
Service
branches

Headquarters

Indian Navy
Indian Air Force
Indian Coast Guard
Strategic Nuclear Command
Integrated Space Cell
New Delhi

Leadership
Commanderin-Chief
Minister of
Defence
Chairman of
the Chiefs of
Staff
Committee

President Pranab Mukherjee

A. K. Antony

Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne[1]

Manpower
Military age
Conscription
Available for
military
service
Fit for
military

18 years of age[2]
None
319,129,420 males, age 1649 (2010 est.),
296,071,637 females, age 1649 (2010 est.)
249,531,562 males, age 1649 (2010 est.),
240,039,958 females, age 1649 (2010 est.)

service
Reaching
military
age annually
Active
personnel
Reserve
personnel

12,151,065 males (2010 est.),

10,745,891 females (2010 est.)
1,325,000 (ranked 3rd)
2,142,821

Expenditures
Budget
Percent of
GDP

US$ 48.9 billion (FY12)[3] (ranked 7th)

2.5% (2012 est.)

Industry
Domestic
suppliers
Foreign
suppliers
Annual
imports
Annual
exports

List[show]
Russia[4]
Israel[4]
France[4]
USA[4]
Russia
None
List[show]

Related articles
History

Military history of India

British Indian Army
Indian National Army
Air Force
Army

NavyHistory
Main article: Military history of India

Ranks

India has one of the longest military histories, dating

back several millennia. The first reference of armies is
found in the Vedas as well as the epics Ramayana and
Mahabaratha. Classical Indian texts on archery in
particular, and martial arts in general are known as
Dhanurveda.

Ancient era

Indian maritime history dates back 5,000 years.[19] The

first tidal dock is believed to have been built at Lothal

around 2300 BC during the Indus Valley Civilization,
near the present day Mangrol harbour on the Gujarat
coast.[20] The Rig Veda written around 1500 BC, credits
Varuna with knowledge of the ocean routes and
describes naval expeditions. There is reference to the
side wings of a vessel called Plava, which give stability
to the ship under storm conditions. A compass, Matsya
yantra was used for navigation in the fourth and fifth
century AD.
The earliest known reference to an organization devoted
to ships in ancient India is to the Mauryan Empire from
the 4th century BC. Emperor Chandragupta Maurya's
Prime Minister Kautilya's Arthashastra devotes a full
chapter on the state department of waterways under
navadhyaksha (Sanskrit for Superintendent of ships) [2].
The term, nava dvipantaragamanam (Sanskrit for
sailing to other lands by ships, i.e. Exploration) appears
in this book in addition to appearing in the Buddhist
text, Baudhayana Dharmasastra as the interpretation of
the term, Samudrasamyanam.
Medieval era

Sea lanes between India and neighboring lands were the

usual form of trade for many centuries, and are
responsible for the widespread influence of Indian
Culture on other societies. Powerful navies included
those of the Maurya, Satavahana, Chola, Vijayanagara,
Kalinga, Mughal and Maratha empires.[21] The Cholas
excelled in foreign trade and maritime activity,
extending their influence overseas to China and
Southeast Asia.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Maratha and
Kerala fleets were expanded, and became the most
powerful Naval Forces in the subcontinent, defeating
European Navies at various times (See the Battle of
Colachel). The fleet review of the Maratha navy took
place at the Ratnagiri fort in which the ships Pal and
Qalbat participated.[22] The Maratha Kanhoji Angre and
Kunjali Marakkar, the Naval chief of Saamoothiri were
two notable naval chiefs of the period.
Colonial era (1857 to 1947)

India under British rule.

Main article: Royal Indian Navy

The Royal Indian Navy was first established by the

British while much of India was under the control of the
East India Company. The first Indian to be granted a
commission was Sub Lieutenant D. N. Mukherji, who
joined the Royal Indian Marine as an engineer officer in
1928. Indian sailors started a rebellion known as the
Royal Indian Navy mutiny in 1946, on board ships and
in shore establishments which spread all over India. A
total of 78 ships, 20 shore establishments and 20,000
sailors were involved in the rebellion.
Republic of India (1947 to present)
Main article: History of the Republic of India

When India became a republic on 26 January 1950, the

navy became known as the Indian Navy, and its vessels
as Indian Naval Ships (INS). On 22 April 1958 Vice
Admiral R. D. Katari assumed office as the first Indian
Chief of the Naval Staff. India fought four major wars
with its neighbour Pakistan in 1949, 1965, 1971 and
1999, and with China in 1962. The beginning of the
21st century saw reorientation for India in the global
stage from a regional role in the subcontinent to a major
role in the Indian ocean region stretching from Gulf of
Aden to the Malacca Strait.[23]

Today
Command and organisation

The headquarters of the Indian Armed Forces is in New

Delhi, the capital city of India. The President acts as de
jure Commander in chief of the Armed Forces.[24] while
de facto control lies with the executive. The Ministry of
Defence (MoD) is the ministry charged with the
responsibilities of countering insurgency and ensuring
external security of India.
General Bikram Singh is the Chief of the Army Staff
(COAS), Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi is the Chief of
the Naval Staff (CNS) and Air Chief Marshal NAK
Browne is the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).[25] The
Indian armed force are split into different groups based
on their region of operation. The Indian Army is
administratively divided into 7 tactical commands, each
under the control of different Lieutenant Generals. The
Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and
two functional commands. Each Command is headed by
an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief with the rank of
Air Marshal. The Indian Navy operates three
Commands. Each Command is headed by a Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief in the rank of Vice Admiral.
There are two joint commands whose head can belong
to any of the three services. These are the Strategic
Forces Command and the Andaman and Nicobar
Command.

Service branches
Indian Army
Main article: Indian Army

Soldiers of the, 1 Gorkhas Rifles in a training exercise.

It is a completely voluntary service, the military draft

having never been imposed in India. The army has rich
combat experience in diverse terrains, due to India's
diverse geography, and also has a distinguished history
of serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations.
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 northeast. The force is headed by the Chief of Army Staff of
the Indian Army, currently General Bikram Singh. The
highest rank in the Indian Army is Field Marshal, but it
is a largely ceremonial rank and appointments are made
by the President of India, on the advice of the Union
Cabinet of Ministers, only in exceptional circumstances.
(See Field Marshal (India)). Late General S.H.F.J.
Manekshaw and the late General K.M. Cariappa are the
only two officers who have attained this rank.
The Indian Army has seen military action during the
First Kashmir War, Operation Polo, the Sino-Indian
War, the Second Kashmir War, the Indo-Pakistani War
of 1971, the Sri Lankan Civil War and the Kargil War.
Currently, the Indian army has dedicated one brigade of
troops to the UN's standby arrangements. Through its

large, 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 peacekeeping operations, including the ones
in Cyprus, Lebanon, Congo, Angola, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Namibia, El Salvador, Liberia, Mozambique
and Somalia. The army also provided a paramedical
unit to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded
in Korea. The Indian Army has embarked on an infantry
modernization program known as Futuristic Infantry
Soldier As a System (F-INSAS).
Indian Navy
Main article: Indian Navy

INS Shivalik the first indigenous stealth frigate of the Indian

Navy.

The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the Indian

armed forces. With 58,350 men and women, including
7,000 personnel of Indian Naval Air Arm, 1,200 Marine
Commandos (MARCOS) and 1,000 personnel of the
Sagar Prahari Bal,[49][50] it is one of the world's largest
navy.[51]
In recent years, the Indian Navy has undergone
modernization and expansion with the intention of
countering growing Chinese maritime power in the
Indian Ocean and reaching the status of a recognized
blue-water navy.[52][53] New equipment programs
include; the lease of a nuclear-powered submarine INS
Chakra from Russia, the ex soviet carrier INS
Vikramaditya and the first of the indigenously built
Arihant class ballistic missile submarines by 2012, the
first of the Scorpene class submarines by 2015 and the
indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant by 2017.
The plan in the near future is to have two aircraft

carriers at sea at all times, with a third docked up in

maintenance.[54] Other programs include the Talwar and
Shivalik frigates and the Kolkata class destroyers, all of
which will be equipped with the BrahMos cruise
missile.
The production of INS Arihant makes the Indian Navy
one of six navies world wide that are capable of
building and operating nuclear powered submarines others include China, France, Russia, the United
Kingdom and the United States.
Indian Air Force
Main article: Indian Air Force

An IAF Sukhoi Su-30 MKI in-flight.

The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed
forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian
airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict.
It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an
auxiliary air force of the British Raj and the prefix
Royal was added in 1945 in recognition of its services
during World War II. After India achieved
independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the
Royal Indian Air Force served the Dominion of India,
with the prefix being dropped when India became a
republic in 1950.
Historically, the IAF has generally relied on Soviet,
British, Israeli and French military craft and technology
to support its growth. However, in recent times India
has manufactured its own aircraft such as the HAL
Tejas, a 4th generation fighter, and the HAL Dhruv, a
multi-role helicopter, which has been exported to

several countries, including Israel, Burma, Nepal and

Ecuador. India also maintains UAV squadrons which
can be used to carry out ground attacks and aerial
surveillance. India is also testing its own long range
BVR air to air missile named Astra.[55] and also building
a Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle (UAV) called Rustom.[56]
Indian Coast Guard
Main article: Indian Coast Guard

The Indian Coast Guard is a maritime force created to

patrol and secure India's vast coastline. It was created
on 18 August 1978 as an independent entity as per the
Coast Guard Act. The coast guard works closely with
the Indian Navy and the Indian Customs Department,
and is usually headed by a naval officer of the rank of
Vice-Admiral. India's coast guard has a large number of
fast craft including hovercrafts and hydrofoils. They
patrol the seas and river mouths. The coast guard has
performed a number of commendable tasks of rescuing
distressed personnel. It has also apprehended pirates on
high seas and cleaned up oil spills. Heavy patrolling of
sensitive areas such as Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal
and Mumbai have resulted in the nabbing of a large
number of smugglers and illegal immigrants.

Nuclear weapons
Main article: India and weapons of mass destruction

Range comparison of Agni missiles.

India has been in possession nuclear weapons since

1974 and maintains a no-first use and a nuclear
deterrence policy against nuclear adversaries.[citation

needed]

India's nuclear missiles include the Prithvi, the

Agni, the Shaurya, Sagarika, Dhanush, and others. India
has long range strategic bombers like the Tupolev Tu22 M3 and Tupolev Tu-142 as well as fighter jets like
Sukhoi Su-30MKI,[57] Dassault Mirage 2000,[58] MiG29[59] and HAL Tejas capable of being armed with
nuclear tipped bombs and missiles. Since India doesn't
have a nuclear first use against an adversary, it becomes
important to protect from a first strike. Presently, this
protection is provided by the two layered Anti-ballistic
missile defense system. India conducted its first test
with the Agni-V, a MIRV ICBM, in April 2012.
India's Strategic Nuclear Command controls its landbased nuclear warheads, while the Navy controls the
ship and submarine based missiles and the Air Force the
air based warheads. India's nuclear warheads are
deployed in four areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Ship based mobile, like Dhanush. (operational)

Land-based mobile, like Agni. (operational)
Submarine based, like Sagarika. (operational)
Air-based warheads of the Indian Air Forces'
strategic bomber force (operational)

Missile defence programme

Main article: Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Programme

Launching of Advanced Air Defense (AAD) missile.

The Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Programme is an

initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered Ballistic
missile defense system to protect India from missile
attacks.[60][61]
Phase 1 Development of ABM System began in 1999.
Around 40 public and private Companies were involved
in the development of ABM System. They include
Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Astra
Microwave, ASL, Larsen & Toubro, Vem Technologies
Private Limited and KelTech. Development of LRTR
(Long Range Tracking Radar) and MFCR (Multifunction Fire Control Radar) was led by Electronics and
Radar Development Establishment (ERDE).[62][63]
For the AAD Missile System, Defence Research and
Development Laboratory (DRDL) developed the
mission control software. Research Centre, Imarat
(RCI) developed navigation, electromechanical
actuation systems and Active Radar Seeker. Advanced
System Laboratory (ASL) provided the motors, jet
vanes and structures for the two missiles. High Energy

Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) supplied the

propellants for the missile.[63]
Phase 2 Two new anti-ballistic missiles that can
intercept IRBM/ICBMs are being developed. These
high speed missiles (AD-1 and AD-2) are being
developed to intercept ballistic missiles with the range
of 5000 km.[64] The test trials of these two systems is
expected to take place in 2011.[65] The new missile will
be similar to the THAAD missile deployed by the
U.S.A. These missiles will have to travel at hypersonic
speeds and will require radars with scan capability of
over 1500 kilometers to successfully intercept the
target.[66]
India is also planning to develop a laser based weapon
system as part of its Ballistic Missile Defence to
intercept and destroy missiles soon after they are
launched towards the country. DRDO's Air Defence
Programme Director V K Saraswat says its ideal to
destroy a ballistic missile carrying nuclear or
conventional warhead in its boost phase. Saraswat
further added that it will take another 1015 years for
the premier defence research institute to make it usable
on the ground.[67]

Mission

The Armed Forces have six main tasks;[26] To assert the territorial integrity of India. To defend
the country if attacked by a foreign nation. To send own amphibious warfare equipment to take
the battle to enemy shores.[27] Cold Start which means Indian Armed Forces being able to
quickly mobilise and take offensive actions without crossing the enemy's nuclear-use threshold.
To support the civil community in case of disasters (e.g. flooding). Participate in United Nations
peacekeeping operations in consonance with Indias commitment to the United Nations Charter.
There is a semi-official book called "Customs and Etiquette in the Services", written by retired
Major General Ravi Arora, which details how Indian personnel are expected to conduct
themselves generally.[28] Arora is an executive editor of the Indian Military Review.[29]
Budget

India currently maintains the 7th largest defence budget in the world. In 2011 the budget stood at
$48.9 billion ($112 billion PPP), this represented 2.5% of GDP.[3] Additional spending is
provided separately by the government to be spent on infrastructure in border areas and for

paramilitary organizations.[30] A considerable portion of India's defense budget is allocated to the

modernization of the country's armed forces, over the period 2007-2012 India was expected to
spend about $50 billion on new equipment.[31]
In 2009 India increased defence expenditure by 21%.[32]
Personnel

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 Award. The highest decoration for meritorious service is the
Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
During 2012, the Indian Armed Forces has a reported strength of 1.45 million active personnel
and 2.20 million reserve personnel. In addition, there are approximately 1.40 million paramilitary
personnel, making it one of the world's largest military forces.[33] A total of 1,578,400 ex
servicemen are registered with the Indian Army, majority of them hailing from UP (17.35%),
Kerala (14.16%), Haryana (12.57%), Punjab (11.58%), Maharashtra (9.18%), TN (6.58%),
Rajastan (6.42%) and HP (5%). Many of them are re-employed in various Central government
sectors.[34]
Component

Active (2010)[33] Reserve (2010)[35]

Indian Army

1,129,900

960,000

Indian Navy

58,350

55,000

Indian Air Force

127,200

140,000

Indian Coast Guard

5,550

4,200

Indian Paramilitary Forces 1,300,586

987,821