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Indian Army Commands

A compact, tabular revision of the seven operational and training commands of the Indian Army, the commands of the Navy and Air Force, the tri-service commands and the higher defence structure, for CAPF defence questions

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One screen per section. Cover the right column and test yourself. The command structure and headquarters are durable static facts; the current commanders rotate, so for any named office-holder verify the latest. The wider defence forces are treated in indian defence forces and modernisation.

Indian Army operational and training commands

Command Headquarters
Northern Command Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir)
Western Command Chandimandir (Panchkula)
South Western Command Jaipur
Eastern Command Kolkata
Central Command Lucknow
Southern Command Pune
Army Training Command (ARTRAC) Shimla

The Indian Army has seven commands: six operational and one (ARTRAC) for training.

Indian Navy commands

Command Headquarters Note
Western Naval Command Mumbai Operational
Eastern Naval Command Visakhapatnam Operational
Southern Naval Command Kochi Training

Indian Air Force commands

Command Headquarters
Western Air Command New Delhi
Eastern Air Command Shillong
Central Air Command Prayagraj
South Western Air Command Gandhinagar
Southern Air Command Thiruvananthapuram
Training Command Bengaluru
Maintenance Command Nagpur

Tri-service and integrated commands

Command Note
Andaman and Nicobar Command India's first and only joint tri-service command; headquartered at Port Blair
Strategic Forces Command Manages India's nuclear arsenal and delivery systems
Integrated Defence Staff Coordinates the three services; supports the Chief of Defence Staff

Higher defence structure

Office / body Role
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Single-point military adviser; heads the Department of Military Affairs; post created 2019
Department of Military Affairs Within the Ministry of Defence; headed by the CDS
Chiefs of Staff Committee The three service chiefs collectively
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces The President of India

Recall pegs

Peg Recall
Number of Army commands Seven (six operational, one training)
Northern Command HQ Udhampur
Army training command ARTRAC, Shimla
Only tri-service command Andaman and Nicobar Command
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces The President
First Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat

Cross-references

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