“Not by action Not by progeny
Not by wealth But by sacrifice alone
Can Immortal Goal be achieved.”
– The Bhagawad Gita
Like all other modern armed forces, the Indian Army has been considerably influenced by the Revolution in Military Affairs and the great strides being made in technology
development. This has necessitated a transformation in strategic thinking along with a paradigm shift in organization and conduct of operations. As a consequence, military
doctrines, weapon systems and force structures need to undergo a review. Our vision for the twenty-first century is to have a well equipped and optimally structured army, enabling it to respond effectively to varied situations and demands whilst it continually adapts itself to meet future challenges.
Such a vision places emphasis on the ability to augment existing strengths, develop new skills, think imaginatively and attempt innovative approaches to cope with the emerging
environment. The challenges that we will be confronted with require us to visualize what our Army of the future should look like and accordingly develop suitable approaches to structures, equipping and training to emerge with flying colours in future
conflict situations. The impetus for change must come from within and flow through the entire Army.
This Doctrine emphasizes that the profession of arms is a calling. The hallmark of a good soldier entails having a sense of responsibility, professional expertise and loyalty to the
Nation and the Army. The ethos and moral code set forth principles and ideals; these exhort every man in uniform to abide by his duty without regard to personal safety. This ethos forms the bedrock of the Army’s preparedness in peace and is the key to its effectiveness in war.
Indian Army officers would do well to develop a broadbased, all-inclusive understanding of warfare and not become overly reliant on rigid adherence to prescriptive rules. The nature of this Doctrine is enduring and yet dynamic; it drives development of both, the art and science of war. In the Army it provides the focus for constructive debate within well-informed and professional circles and acts as a guide to the younger generation. Training in the Army should focus on management of change and operational adaptation to change. Towards this end, providing the kind of ambience that encourages and facilitates intellectual development should be an unceasing endeavour.
(NC Vij)
October 2004 General
Contents
Chapter 1- Geo-Strategic Environment and The Indian Army
Section 1 : Doctrine, Concept and Strategy
Section 2 : Environment and Threat
Section 3 : The Indian Army
Chapter 2 – Understanding War
Section 4 : Peace, Conflict and War
Section 5 : Types of Wars
Section 6 : Principles of War
Chapter 3 – Operational Perspectives
Section 7 : Elements for Operational Success
Section 8 : Operational Readiness and Effectiveness
Section 9 : Surprise and Deception
Section 10 : Impact of Technology on Operations and
the Revolution in Military Affairs
Chapter 4 – Conduct of Operations
Section 11 : Offensive and Defensive Operations
Section 12 : Special Forces Operations
Section 13 : Joint Operations
Chapter 5 – Operations Other Than War
Section 14 : Low Intensity Conflict Operations and
Counter-Insurgency Operations
Section 15 : Non-Combat Operations
Section 16 : United Nations Peacekeeping Missions
Chapter 6 – Logistics
Section 17 : Function, Principles and Logistic
Support Systems
Section 18 : Future Trends in Logistics
Chapter 7 – Preparing For War
Section 19 : Force Structuring
Section 20 : Training
Section 21 : Professionalism and Military Ethos
Read the full documents
India Army Doctrine 2004
