India’s Defence System: Structure, Capabilities and Strategic Framework

India’s defence system is dedicated to safeguarding the nation’s integrity, sovereignty, and geo-economic interests. With the President as the supreme commander, the Ministry of Defence oversees the armed forces, comprising the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy. This robust structure ensures India’s preparedness and strategic advantage in both regional and global contexts.

An Overview of the Indian Defence System and its Organizational Structure

Structure and Capabilities of India’s Armed Forces

• • Defence is protecting the integrity, sovereignty, international borders and geo-economic interests of a nation. 
  • The Indian Defence system has been organised with the President as the supreme commander at the helm and the Ministry of Defence, which exercises administrative control over the armed forces. 

• Indian Defence has been divided into three services:

• • Indian Army: 1.3 million active personnel organised under six operational and one training command.
  • Indian Air Force: over 127000 active personnel organised under five operational, one training and one maintenance command.
  • Indian Navy: Blue water Navy with strength of 58000 plus active personnel.

Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence comprises five Departments, viz. 

• Department of Defence (DOD).
• Department of Defence Production (DDP). 
• Department of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D). 
• Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
• Finance Division.

• • Defence Acquisition Council: Serves as the paramount decision-making entity within the Defence Ministry; 
    • The DAC is responsible for formulating new policies and overseeing capital acquisitions for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Indian Coast Guard.
  • DAC Composition: The Defence Minister serves as the Chairperson of the DAC, which consists of 11 other members, including the Minister of State for Defence, the Chief of Staff of the three wings of the Armed Forces, the Defence Secretary, the Secretary-Defence Production, the Secretary-Defence R&D, Chief of Integrated Defence, Director General-Acquisition, Chief of Integrated Staff Committees HQ IDS.

• DAC Functions:

• • • Granting approval for AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) concerning Capital Acquisition Proposals.
    • Categorising acquisition proposals into ‘Buy,’ ‘Buy & Make,’ and ‘Make’ projects:
    • Providing in-principle approval for the 15-year Long-Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTPP) for Defence Forces.
    • Overseeing the projects (progress) based on feedback from the Defence Procurement Board.
  • Defence Research and Development Organisation: Established in 1958 with the objective of Military research, achieving self-reliance in defence technology and development of advanced technologies in diverse areas, including missile systems, aeronautics, electronics etc. 
    • The scientific adviser of the Defence Ministry is the secretary of DDR&D and the chairman of DRDO.

• Important Contributions of DRDO

• • Missile Systems: Agni series for deterrence, Prithvi, Akash, Nag for various applications.
  • Aerospace Technologies: LCA Tejas, PSLV, GSLV for satellite launches.
  • Radar and EW Systems: Arudhra, Rohini radars, electronic warfare advancements.
  • Naval Systems: Sonar systems, BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
  • Armoured Vehicles: Arjun tank.
  • UAVs and Drones: Surveillance, combat UAVs, advancements in drone tech.
  • Besides the above, DRDO has also played an important role in the development of Nuclear Capabilities, Cyber Security, Biomedical Technologies, Strategic Technologies ( AI, Quantum Tech) etc.

NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation)

Technical Intelligence Agency under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office, which operates as an autonomous organisation

• Objective: The primary objective is the acquisition of technical intelligence involving the interception and analysis of communication signals, imagery intelligence, and cyber intelligence.
• The National Institute of Cryptology Research and Development functions under it.

Chief of Defence Staff 

Objective and Establishment: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) created (2019) the post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to enhance the quality of military advice to political leadership through the integration of service inputs.

• Role of the Chief of Defence Staff: The Chief of Defence Staff is the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and acts as the Principal Military Adviser to Raksha Mantri on all tri-services matters. 
  • The CCS also created the Department of Military Affairs. 
• Department of Military Affairs: The overarching principle of this arrangement is that work related to Military Affairs is to be done only by the ‘Department of Military Affairs’, while the Department of Defence will deal with issues related to the defence of the Country, including defence policy. 
• Former Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, was appointed as the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff on 31st December 2019.

Conclusion

India’s defence framework is comprehensive, integrating various departments and organizations to maintain national security. 

• Key entities like the Ministry of Defence, DRDO, and NTRO contribute to advanced defence technologies and strategic capabilities. The creation of the Chief of Defence Staff position further enhances military advice and coordination. 
• Through continuous development and strategic planning, India aims to strengthen its defence system and safeguard its interests effectively.

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