The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of peace loving country India. The Indian Armed Forces consist of - Army, Navy and Air Force along with the Paramilitary forces and the Strategic Forces Command. The Paramilitary forces consist of the Indian Coast Guard, Assam Rifles and Special Frontier Force.
The India's Armed Forces comprise the world's second largest Army, the fourth largest Air Force, the eighth largest Navy and the largest Coast Guard in the northern Indian Ocean.
The Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces is the President of India. 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 history of Indian Armed Forces is very long even way before the British raj. Here we talk about modern day armed forced basically after the India's Independence on 14th August 1947.
Indian Army
The Headquarter of Indian Army is located at New Delhi. The army of India is headed under the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is wholly responsible for the command, control, and administration. The highest rank in the Indian Army is Field Marshal, which is a largely ceremonial rank. This rank is appointed by the President of India, on the advice of the Union Cabinet of Ministers, only in exceptional circumstances. There are only two Field Marshal till now in the history of Indian army, they are - General S.H.F.J. Manekshaw and General K.M. Cariappa. The Army is divided into six operational commands (field armies) and one training command, each under the command of a Lieutenant General, who has an equal status to the Vice-Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS), working under the control of Army HQ in New Delhi.
Indian army has fought many wars including - war with Pakistan in 1947, 1965, 1971 and kargil war 1999 , with China in 1962. Indian army also have involved in the Sri Lankan Civil war as well. India had sent it's army as UN Peacekeeping Force in countries - Cyprus, Lebanon, Congo, Angola, Cambodia, Vietnam, Namibia, El Salvador, Liberia, Mozambique and Somalia. Indian Army is second largest contributor to UN Peacekeeping Force.
Not only wars Indian Army has acted to help peoples in Natural calamities like Earthquake, Slides, Storms etc.The army personnel's have helped to give emergency services. Best know for it's public help example in the uttarakhand floods 2013 tragedy.
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Indian Navy
The Indian Navy was founded in the seventeenth century when the East India Company had established a maritime force, thereby graduating in time to the establishment of the Royal Indian Navy in 1934. After Independence it remain same but when India became republic on 26 January 1950, the navy became known as the Indian Navy. On 22 April 1958 Vice Admiral R. D. Katari assumed office as the first Indian Chief of the Naval Staff.
The Headquarters of the Indian Navy is located in New Delhi, which is under the command of the Chief of the naval staff – Knows as an Admiral, the highest post. The Indian navy is deployed under three area commands, each headed by a flag officer. The Western Naval Command is headquartered in Bombay on the Arabian Sea; the Southern Naval Command in Kochi (Cochin), in Kerala, also on the Arabian Sea; and the Eastern Naval Command in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on the Bay of Bengal.
Indian navy has duty of saving the country sea and oceans and prevent insurgency. It has acted in protecting many leader during a submit in Sri Lanka as well as helped Somali Government to beat pirated.
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Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force was officially established on 8th October 1932 to help British in World war II. After independence the royal prefix was dismissed when India became republic. On the 1st April 1954, Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, one of the founding members of the Air Force became the first Indian Chief of Air Staff. It's Headquarter is at New delhi.
IAF was involved in the war against pakistan and china but more effectively used in 165 and 1971. It also sent in many UN Peacekeeping Missions includes the - Congo. The major role in Kargil war in 1999 was IAF contribution. Not only in wars IAF acted in emergency service- provides regular relief operation for food and medical facility.
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Strength of Indian Armed Forces
Component
Active (2010)
Reserve (2010)
Indian Army
1,129,900
960,000
Indian Navy
58,350
55,000
Indian Air Force
127,200
140,000
Indian Paramilitary Forces
1,300,586
987,821