Indian Armed Forces

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. In their respective domains, these four services are entrusted with the security of the air space above India, of more than 14,000 kilometers of land borders, 7,500 kilometers of coastline, 156,000 kilometers of shore line, and an exclusive economic zone of two million square kilometers. In its sixty-year postcolonial history, India’s army, navy, and air force have fought five wars, one against China and four against Pakistan. Every year, these armed services provide succor to thousands of people when rivers overflow their banks, when cyclones devastate coastal districts, and when occasional tsunamis and earthquakes maroon hundreds of thousands of people. Overseas, India has been a leading contributor to the United Nations peace-keeping missions. This book provides an excellent overview by veterans who served with honor in India’s armed forces.