Indian Defence Part - I

FORMERLY TIMES IAS ACADEMY INDIAN DEFENCE PART - I Join Our Aim Civils Telegram Channel https://t.me/aimcivilser vices Evolution of Defence Forces in India since Independence: Indian Armed forces are among the most powerful in the world. Fifth most powerful to be precise. The armed forces include three professional services-Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. The Indian Armed forces are supported by Indian Coast Guard, paramilitary organisations and other allied forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the forces. Coming under the Ministry of Defence, the Indian military forces have active 1.4 million personnel serving. Additionally, it is the world's largest volunteer army 1947 was the year India got independence. It was also the year when the subcontinent was bifurcated into two independent nations-India and Pakistan. Bifurcation was not only made on the territorial lines but also in terms of resources. Accordingly, the forces were divided too, in terms of personnel, ships, divisions and aircrafts. In January 1949, KM Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief. In 1954, Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force. And in the same year, Vice Admiral Ram Dass Katari became the first Chief of Naval Staff. Indo-Pakistan war of 1947-48 One of the first conflicts Indian Armed forces had to face was just after independence, the Indo-Pakistan war of 1947-48. This war was fought over the then princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The war ended with a ceasefire being declared on December 31, 1948. It concluded with 65% of the territory under Indian control and rest under Pakistan's. Apart from 1947 Indo-Pakistan war, the two countries engaged in conflicts on multiple occasions-1965, 1971 and 1999. India and Portugal-1961: In 1961, tensions rose between India and Portugal over the territory of Goa under the Portugal occupancy. This conflict was popularly known as Operation Vijay. The operation lasted for 36 hours, post which the Portugal forces retracted from Goan territory, after over 450 years of colonial rule. Sino-India war of 1962 The Sino-India war of 1962 was between India and China. The conflict over the Himalayan border was the main reason behind the war, however, tensions were growing since the time India started hosting Tibetan refugees. On November 21, China extended the unilateral ceasefire. Aram.Academy.IAS aramias_academy aram_ias_academy aimcivilservices aramiasacademy.com Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 The Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 was followed by Operation Gibraltar launched by Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian retaliated and this war saw the engagement of the largest tank battle since World War II. The war lasted for 17 days and resulted in casualties on both sides. The United Nations intervened and the Tashkent Declaration was signed. Bangladesh war of 1971 In 1971 war between India and Pakistan happened during the liberation in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The war lasted for 13 days and ended with Pakistani signing the Instrument of Surrender. On December 16, 1971, East Pakistan was formed into Bangladesh. The Kargil conflict of 1999 The Kargil conflict of 1999 was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan in Kargil district of Kashmir. The infiltration of Pakistani troops into the Indian side of the LoC resulted in the conflict. The conflict lasted for over two months. Conclusively, Pakistan withdrew its forces and July 26 since then has been celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas every year. Humanitarian Measures The Indian Armed Forces, apart from defending the borders, are also involved in various nation-building operations. Its contribution during natural calamities is of prime significance. In recent time, Indian Armed Forces have worked with the state machinery to help during Kerala floods of 2018, Cyclone Fani in Odisha and the Assam floods, among many others. Indian Armed Forces have also been active participators in the UN peacekeeping missions. So far, India has participated in over 40 peacekeeping missions and has contributed about 2 lakh troops. In 2014, India became the third-largest troop contributor. International Military Exercises Introduction International military exercises are an extension of military training for partner countries and a significant military diplomacy tool. Since 2012, the Indian armed forces have engaged more than 20 countries in international military exercises Training of and with military personnel of partner countries has a dual impact: In capacity building in the partner country; In generating an understanding between two militaries in terms of professionalism, procedures and processes, and the military ethos. Aram.Academy.IAS aramias_academy aram_ias_academy aimcivilservices aramiasacademy.com Sharing of military training aspects through international military exercises is one of the most effective confidence-building measures (CBMs) between partners. It helps in understanding the intent and perspectives of participants and normally gives a boost to bilateral ties. Necessity of joint military exercises For military alliance partners, joint military exercises are an operational necessity to ensure interoperability of operational, communication related, logistical as well as procedural aspects. Failure to achieve synergy in these aspects would result in suboptimal operational execution. However, for countries like India which are not part of any military alliance, the objective of international military exercises is not only to learn from the best operational practices of others but also to gain from their maintenance, logistical and administrative experiences. Exposure to technological advances, associated problems and varied operational environment management assists all participants in enhancing their individual capabilities and helps in charting a future course of action based on realistic appraisal. Besides operational objectives, international military exercises are designed to institutionalise a framework for quick and efficient HADR missions. Joint military exercises provide the necessary impetus to such an understanding and play a pivotal role in efficient aid disbursement in the provision of humanitarian assistance and conduct of disaster relief (HADR) situations. Operation Maitri is a good example of efficient support provided by the Indian armed forces to Nepal in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck the country in April 2015. Due to these reasons, a large number of structured military exercises are planned and executed in various regions of the world every year. Necessity of joint military exercises According to the Annual Reports of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India, from 2011–12 to 2015–16, the Indian armed forces have been engaging a number of countries through regular international military exercises in India and abroad The Indian Army has expanded the engagement envelope for international exercises focused on various domains of warfare that are decided mutually with the partner countries. The Indian Navy regularly exercises with various foreign navies at both at bilateral and multilateral levels in three participative formats: passage exercises (PASSEX); occasional exercises; and institutionalised exercises Institutionalised exercises are conducted on regular basis with partner countries in areas of maritime interest, with the scope and content progressively enhanced for traditional and non- traditional maritime challenges.13 Exercise Malabar (with the US since 1992); Exercise Thammar-al-Tayyib, renamed as Exercise Naseem-al-Bahr in 2007 (with Oman since 1993); SIMBEX (with Singapore since 1994); Exercise Varuna (with France since 2001) etc., all into this category Aram.Academy.IAS aramias_academy aram_ias_academy aimcivilservices aramiasacademy.com The Indian Air Force (IAF) has come a long way after its first international exercise with participation of fighter aircraft, Exercise Garuda-I with France, in India in 2003. Other exercises in various formats have also been conducted since then. The Indian policy of engagement with neighbours indicates 55 per cent share for Asian countries in international military exercises. Africa's share, at just 4 per cent, is considerably lower than its strategic significance. the largest engagement is by the Indian Army .The probable reason for this is the multiple roles that being the largest of the three services, the army needs to play in the prevailing environment in counter-insurgency/terrorist operations, special operations and disaster relief. A large number of international military exercises, in fact, are focused on these themes.15 The navy, owing to its nature, has been involved in international port calls and anti- piracy operations, and as it continuously operates in international waters it needs to coordinate and synchronise operations with the other players there. Selection of Location and Participant The location, time, scale and nature of participants, and stated objectives of an international military exercise can be selected to send a signal to a common adversary. The number of participants in a military exercise should be decided based on the following: objectives that are sought to be achieved, the level(s) of engagement, equipment profile, language and common interests. Bilateral exercises result in greater interaction between the participants and a focused approach for the achievement of objectives. However, multilateral exercises allow for simultaneous engagement with multiple countries, thus making

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