Artillery

Army Headquarters

ARMY HEADQUARTERS

Introduction

The Indian Army's HQ is located in New Delhi and functions under the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), currently General Deepak Kapoor, who is responsible for the command, control & administration as a whole. The COAS presides over the Principal Staff Officers Committee, who all have ranks of Lieutenant General, and is comprised ofthefollowing;

  • Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS)
  • Deputy Chief of Army Staff (DCOAS - the Army has two)
  • Adjutant General
  • Quartermaster General
  • Master General of Ordnance
  • Engineer-in-Chief
  • Military Secretary

General Staff Branch: Nos. 1 through 6 come under the responsibility of the VCOAS and the remainder under the two DCOAS;

1. Directorate of Military Operations --> Military Survey
2. Directorate of Military Intelligence --> Signal Intelligence
3. Directorate of Combat Development
4. Directorate of Military Training
5. Directorate of Engineer Staff
6. Directorate of Operational Logistics
7. Directorate of Artillery
8. Directorate of Infantry
9. Directorate of Army Aviation
10. Directorate of Armoured Corps
11. Directorate of Mechanised Infantry
12. Directorate of Army Air Defence
13. Directorate of Weapons & Equipment
14. Directorate of Staff Duties
15. Directorate of Signals
16. Directorate of Assam Rifles
17. Directorate of Rashtriya Rifles
18. Directorate of Territorial Army
19. Directorate of Army Education
20. Directorate of Financial Planning
21. Directorate of Perspective Planning
22. Directorate of Management Planning
23. Directorate of Defence Security Corps

Adjutant General's Branch: Headed by the Adjutant General and consists of the following appointments;

1. Additional Director General of Organisation
2. Additional Director General of Personnel Services
3. Additional Director General of Medical Services
4. Additional Director General of Recruiting
5. Director General of Discipline & Vigilance and Ceremonials & Welfare
6. Judge Advocate General
7. Statistical Officer
8. Provost Marshal

*The Army Welfare Housing Organization (AWHO) and the Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF) also function under the Adjutant General.

Quartermaster General's Branch: Headed by the Quartermaster General and consists of the following appointments;

1. Deputy Quartermaster General
2. Master General of Logistics (Ops & Plans)
3. Additional Director General of Movements
4. Deputy Director General of Quartering
5. Director General of Supply & Transport
6. Additional Director General of Remounts & Veterinary Services
7. Additional Director General of Military Farms
8. Deputy Director General of Army Postal Services
9. Deputy Director General of Pioneers
10. Chief Technical Examiner of Works
11. Chief Canteens Officer

Master General of Ordnance's Branch: Headed by the Master General of Ordnance and consists of the following appointment;

1. Director General of Ordnance Services

Engineer-in-Chief: Headed by the Engineer-in-Chief and consists of the following appointments;

1. Brigadier Engineer Staff
2. Director General of Works
3. Director of Engineer Stores & Plant
4. Procurement & Progressing Organization
5. Chief Inspector of Works
6. Director of Works Study

*The Engineer-in-Chief heads the Corps of Engineers and advises the Chiefs of Staff of the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Director General of Ordnance Factories on all matters concerning works, including their planning and construction.

Military Secretary: The Military Secretary maintains personal records of officers and is responsible for their postings and transfers, promotions and retirement and for the grant of honorary ranks. Appointments to regimental commands and in corps & departments above the rank of Lieutenant Colonels, other than the Medical Corps, are controlled by the Military Secretary.

Defence Planning Staff Directorate

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has a Defence Planning Staff Directorate. It's role role is much akin to to the policy staff attached to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States. It is in fact the only Directorate where all the three services are represented (apart from the Military Wing of the Cabinet Secretariat). This Directorate is headed by an Officer from one of the three services of the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent. He has two deputies from the other two services to help him (they have the rank of Major General or equivalent).

Their main role is to provide the Chief's of Staff Committee (COSC) a comprehensive view of the ground situation facing the Armed Forces. They deal with the Financial & Management situation and might also be in charge of Operations & Intelligence. If the DGMO (Directorate of Military Operations) decides to draw up a plan for war, the DGPS (Directorate of Defence Planning Staff) will run an evaluation whether it is viable to do so in terms of equipment/spares needed, finances involved, logistics, etc. Thus they recommend a course of action to the COSC to help them in their decision making. The Financial Planning, Perspective Planning, & Management Planning Directorates all play an active role in this process. The Navy and Air Force also have their respective directorates but may or may not be separate from the DGPS.

The Military Wing of the Cabinet is to liaise with other Government agencies like the Research & Analysis Wing, Intelligence Bureau, Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), etc. It has proportionate representation from the Military Operations and Military Intelligence of the three services. The Military Wing is headed by an Officer from one of the three services with the rank of Major General or equivalent. He is given the status of a Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. There is also the JCEWS (Joint Committee of Electronic Warfare Staff) committee. It is an inter-service committee and is headed by an Officer with the rank of Lieutenant General or equivalent and deals with Electronic Warfare & Intelligence.