Difference between Army & Military, their Roles, Missions & Ranks

The primary objective of a nation's army and military is to safeguard our nation's integrity. However, each carries different roles and responsibilities, differentiating one from another. The military is the larger Armed Force of any country or state. On the other hand, an army is only one of the many divisions of the military system.

Read through this article below to understand the difference between an army and a military.

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What Is the Difference Between Army and Military in India?

In this modern world, every nation and country has a separate military that they raise with sufficient weapons. Every wing of a military receives extensive training that allows them to defend a country's territories in hours of need.

Below are the differences between the army and the military in India in detail.

1. Definition

To know the difference between the army and the military, it is important to understand their definition.

Parameters	Military	Army
Meaning	The word 'military' was first used in the year 1582. It was spelt 'militarie', a Latin word 'militaris' meaning 'soldier'.	The word ‘army’ is also a Latin word “armata” meaning “armed force.”
Classification	The military system of any nation comprises three essential units – the army, the navy and the air force.	An army comprises armed soldiers in the infantry. There are no classifications within this.
Functions	Besides the army, the Navy protects the territorial waters of a country, and the air force conducts aerial warfare during conflicts and secures a nation's airspace against air threats.	An army of any nation is the land-based division of a military system that safeguards a country against any external threats and aggression.

2. Role and Responsibilities

When discussing military vs army, it is necessary to understand what role and responsibilities each one of them plays.

Military

The roles and responsibilities of a military system are as follows:

The Military Forces are combined forces -air, navy and army, who are specialised military assets having advanced weapons and strategies. They are trained to respond to any external aggression immediately.
As military forces are extensively trained, they know when to aid reconnaissance and surveillance missions and function in amphibious actions.
These combined forces aid counter-terrorism operations by providing special reconnaissance missions.
The Indian Military Forces are evolving continuously to meet challenges and critical situations. Furthermore, they work to improve their psychological, spiritual, physical, cognitive, and social outlook.
Our Indian military forces adapt to the emerging global trends in military functions. During warfare and strategic functions, they use crewless aerial vehicles or Drones, AI systems, cyber capabilities, and other advanced technologies to support their missions.
Besides ensuring territorial integrity in India, our Indian military also participates in United Nations peacekeeping missions in agreement with India's commitment to the United Nations Charter.
Special Military Forces ensure the safeguarding of Indian border posts in critical regions. These are special in land borders with China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
Special Military Forces ensure the security of the Indian High Commission in foreign nations. Besides, they protect Indian dignitaries who visit various offices in a foreign land.

Army

The duties of an army are as follows:

The primary function of an army is to preserve national interests and safeguard India’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity against any external aggression through warfare or deterrence.
An army must ensure humanitarian support and aid civilians during natural calamities.
Indian Army assists government agencies and helps them to cope with any other internal threats.
Indian Army forces projections and participates in army exercises with soldiers of friendly foreign countries.
Besides, they help in peacekeeping operations and allow military assistance to foreign nations when necessary.

3. Missions

The military operations of India have three levels: strategic, operational, and tactical. Here are the differences between the two in terms of mission:

Military

The military system in India and any other nation focus collectively on ground, air, and naval missions.

Army

An army is a specific military branch responsible for performing land-based operations and defending India’s territorial borders. The Army focuses on ground missions.

4. Size

Both military and army also differ from each other in terms of size.

Military

The military system in India combines all three forces that safeguard a country conclusively. Therefore, they are much larger in size. Since our military system has maximum strength, India is the world's second-largest military force and has the world's largest volunteer army.

Active Personnel: 1455550
Reserve Personnel: 1155000

Army

As the Army is just one important constituent of the military, it is always smaller than the military.

Active Personnel: 1237117
Reserve Personnel: 960000

5. Divisions

The Indian military and army are divided further into groups. While the Indian military system comprises three divisions, the Indian Army is categorised into several other divisions. Here they are in detail:

Military

India’s defence services comprise three uniformed services:

Indian Army
Indian Navy
Indian Air Force

Paramilitary forces, Indian Coast Guard, and several other organisations support the Indian Armed Forces. The supreme commander of the military is the President of India. The Ministry of Defence is the reporting authority of all three forces.

Army

Bhartiya Thal Sena or Indian Army, is the land-based division of the military system. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) commands this division. The Indian Army has 37 Divisions. These divisions include:

18 Infantry Divisions
3 Armoured Divisions
10 Mountain Divisions
4 RAPID or Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Divisions
2 Artillery Divisions

6. Ranks

The Indian military rank signifies the hierarchical structure. It comprises authority, responsibility, and leadership aspects within the military. The Field Marshal is the highest rank in the Indian Army. Here is how an army and military differ in terms of rank:

Military

Since the military is a collaboration of the Armed Forces, there are different ranks of different forces.

You will find ranks such as Lieutenant General, Major General, and Major for Army officers.
Naval Officers have ranks such as Midshipman, Rear Admiral, Commander, and Admiral.
Air Force Officers have ranks such as Air Marshal, Air Chief Marshal, and Wing Commander.

Army

Our Indian Army follows a well-defined rank structure. It includes Commissioned, Non-Commissioned, and Junior Commissioned Officers:

Commissioned Officers
- General
- Field Marshal
- Lieutenant General
- Brigadier
- Major General
- Major
- Colonel
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Captain
- Lieutenant
Junior Commissioned Officers
- Subedar Major
- Subedar
- Naik Subedar
Non-Commissioned Officers
- Company Quarter Master Havildar or CQMH
- Havildar
- Naik
- Lance Naik
- Sepoy

So, now you must have a clear idea of the difference between the army and the military. They differ in terms of rank, division, size, mission, operation, duties and responsibilities. The military system in the Union of India has separate mandates and is handled by ministries.

However, the majority of the external security threats in India are managed by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

All

Are Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), considered a part of the military system in India?

The Central Armed Police Forces or CAPF is considered the Paramilitary Forces in India. There are seven Central Armed Police Forces. Each of these forces conducts a separate function and they operate under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The other divisions of military forces are the ones that assist military forces. Military officers command them.

What are the seven Commands of the Indian Army under the military system?

The Indian Army is divided into seven commands, operationally. Amongst them is one training command and 6 operational commands. These are – Central Command, Northern Command, Southern Command, Eastern Command, Western Command, South-western Command and the Army Training Command.

What are the Special Forces of the Indian Army?

A part of the military, the Indian Army has Special Forces or Para Commandos. The Para Commandos undertake missions and operations behind anti-terrorist, enemy lines and counterinsurgency operations. They also provide rescue operations during natural disasters or emergencies.