India Army

The Indian Army is directed by the Chief of the Army Staff from Integrated Defence Headquarters in New Delhi. The force is structured into seven commands: six operational commands—Northern Command in Udhampur, Western Command in Chandimandir, Eastern Command in Kolkata, Southern Command in Pune, Central Command in Lucknow, and South Western Command in Jaipur—and the Army Training Command in Shimla. Operational field formations consist of corps, categorized as holding corps responsible for border defense and strike corps tasked with offensive operations. These corps control infantry, mountain, armored, and artillery divisions, alongside independent specialized brigades.

Armored formations operate T-90S Bhishma, T-72M1 Ajeya, and Arjun Mk 1 and Mk 1A main battle tanks. For high-altitude operations along mountain borders, the army is fielding the Zorawar light tank. Mechanized infantry units are equipped with BMP-2 Sarath infantry fighting vehicles and Wheeled Armoured Platforms, supported by specialized armored recovery and engineering combat vehicles. Infantry arms include SIG716 battle rifles, AK-203 assault rifles, Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles, and AT4 anti-tank weapons.

Artillery units field 155 mm systems including the K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzer, M777 ultra-light towed howitzer, Dhanush, and Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System. Rocket artillery relies on the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher and BM-21 Grad systems. Air defense forces deploy Akash surface-to-air missile batteries, SAMAR systems, Igla-S man-portable air-defense systems, and L-70 towed anti-aircraft guns. The Army Aviation Corps operates HAL Dhruv utility helicopters, HAL Rudra armed variants, HAL Prachand Light Combat Helicopters, and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, supplemented by Searcher and Heron unmanned aerial vehicles.

Primary missions include defense along the Line of Control with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control with China. Operational experience includes high-altitude deployments along the Siachen Glacier and in Eastern Ladakh, as well as counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in Jammu & Kashmir and northeastern states. The army also supplies contingent forces to United Nations peacekeeping missions. Modernization programs focus on domestic production, including engine and protection upgrades for T-72 and T-90 tank fleets, serial production of Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems, local manufacturing of Wheeled Armoured Platforms, and procurement of additional HAL Prachand attack helicopters.