India is a very massive and powerful country. So in order to defend, the interests of India are not just domestically but around the world as well. They must have a very powerful and massive military. India has the second-largest military in the entire world, with 1,215,049 active personnel and approximately 96,0000 soldiers are in reserve.
India ranks 4th in the list of global firepower, next only to the USA, Russia, and China. The Indian armed force has the greatest ‘deliberate’ military power on the planet. In the Indian army, all serving and Reserve Personnel have actually opted for service, but there is a provision for description, which is the forced recruitment constitution of India.
India also has a horse cavalry regiment, one of the last 3 remaining in the world! By the way, it was a regiment of the armored Core, and it was a primary combat arm of the Indian army since it was formed in 1776 some sources say 1774. It’s just a matter of when it was formed versus when it was actually active. But apart from that, it is the oldest armored regiment created by the East India Company, Kolkata. So prior to India getting independence in 1947, the Army actually had its origins from the East India Company Military Department.
Indian Army carried out one of the biggest civilian rescue operations ‘Operation Rahat’ in the year 2013 with the help of the Indian Air Force. Evacuating the civilians that were affected by the floods in Uttarakhand is the biggest operation that has ever been conducted in the world by any Air Force using helicopters in the forests. During the principal period of the activity From 17 June 2013, the IAF carried an aggregate of 19,600 individuals – flying a sum of 2,140 forays and dropping/handling an aggregate of 3,82,400 kg of alleviation material and hardware, 43 aircraft were used in the operation Rahat.
The Indian land systems, when it comes to the tanks, have a total of 4292, armored fighting vehicles sit at 8686, they have 235 self-propelled artillery, 266 rocket projectors, and 4060 towed artillery. The Indian military has a total of 538 fighter jets, their attack aircraft have around 172, 250 transport aircraft in their possession, as well as 359 trainer aircraft, also their helicopters, which have really come in handy. 722 of the helicopters and 23 attack helicopters. When it comes to the navy of the Indian military, they have a naval asset count of 285, one aircraft carrier, 10 destroyers, 13 frigates, 19 corvettes, 16 submarines as well as they have139 patrol crafts and three mine warfare vessels.
According to the latest numbers, India’s Defence budget for 2020 to 2021, that total was reported to be 73.65 billion dollars in the US and this was according to an official statement from the Indian government, which is not enough for the modernization project that India is going through. India is set to spend about 90% of its defense Budget on existing expenses and obligations. So there is hardly any room to advance and modernize their military. India will need $238 million to meet its arms and equipment requirements in the next decade. That number has been calculated according to the Long-Term Integrated Perspective Plan or LTIPP for the Years 2012 up until 2027.
In late 2016, India completed its nuclear Triad by actually adding a strategic nuclear submarine, the INS Airavat into their Military Arsenal. India has become one of the only countries to do that. And by the way, the nuclear Triad refers to the ability of a country to launch nuclear warheads from the land, sky, and from sea. This is very important to India’s second-strike capability because India had committed to no first use policy when it comes to nuclear attacks. The second strike capability refers specifically to the ability or the capability to strike back after being hit by a nuclear weapon first. The nuclear triad is a testament to the greatness in the power of the military of India.
India has fought over five major battles with the neighboring countries, four with Pakistan and one with China ever since its independence. India’s military has experienced fighting in all kinds of terrain because there is everything from deserts, high mountains, tropical forests, plateaus, valleys, deltas. So they do regular combat training in all kinds of surroundings and environments. India is not part of any major military alliance but is considered an ally by many.
fittingly, very informative.