New Delhi: India has the third largest army in the world after China and the United States.It has battle weapons like the Heckler & Koch MP5 sub machine guns, AK-47, Glock 17 9 mm pistols, ballistic missiles and even nuclear warheads. The highest military designation is that of the Field Marshal. But this is a largely ceremonial designation that has so far only been held by the Late General KM Cariappa and the Late Gen Maneskshaw. The central command of the Indian army lies in the hands of the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army. Indian Army Rifles The light weapons of the Indian army include handguns like the FN Browning GP35 9mm x 19 mm; sub machine guns like the Heckler & Koch MP5A3 and MP5K 9mm x 19mm SMG, the Indian Sterling L2A1 SMG; assault rifles like the AK-7 which is a clone of the AK-47, AK-101 and 103. AK-47, TAVOR TAR21, T91 assault rifles and the INSAS assault rifle which is the standard issue infantry weapon, etc. The Indian army also uses multimode grenades called Shivalik and sniper rifles like the Mauser SP66 7.62mmx51 mm Sniper Rifle and the Dragunov SVD59 7.62mmx54 mm Sniper Rifle. Among the machine guns used by the Indian army are the Indian made MAG58, MG2A1, MG5A and 6A 7.62mmx51 mm and INSAS 5.56mmx45 mm. The projectile launchers include RPG-7 and SHIPON rocket launchers and AGS Plamya 30 mm automatic grenade launcher. The Indian army also possesses an impressive and indigenously made anti-tank guided missile system that includes the NAG; a third generation fire and forget IIR guided ATGM. They also have the 9M113, 9M111, 9M14 and 9M119.Indian Military Armored Vehicles The armored vehicles owned by the Indian army are made up of two categories the armored fighting vehicles and the battle tanks. Apart from these combat vehicles; other vehicles are used for logistics and as ambulances.Indian Army Tanks The battle tanks with the Indian army are Arjun MBT Mk1, the T-90S Bhishma, the T-72 M1 AAmirtanks and the Vijayanta. The armored vehicles owned by the army include the BMP-1 which is now being phased out and the BMP-2 and its upgraded version the BMP-2M. They also posses numerous multiple rocket launchers like the Pinaka MBRL the BM-21 and the Smerch 9K58 MBRL. The anti-ballistic missile system includes indigenously developed Prithvi Air Defense which is an exo-atmospheric interceptor system and the endo-atmospheric advanced air defense system. Additionally the Indian army also has several indigenously developed surface to surface missiles like the BrahMos, Prithvi1 and the Agni. India has also made considerable progress in the development of nuclear weapons but it maintains a no first use and non-use against non-nuclear nations policy.
