Wazid at 06:44, 27 January 2026

2026-01-27T06:44:31Z

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{{Short description|Air defence arm of the Indian Army}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Corps of Army Air Defence
| image = Army Air Defence Corps Insignia (India).svg
| image_size = 200px
| alt =
| caption = Regimental crest
| dates = {{start date|1939}} – present day
| country = {{flag|British India}} (1939-1947) {{IND}} (1947-present)
| allegiance = {{flag|United Kingdom}} {{flag|Republic of India}}
| branch = {{army|British India}} {{army|India}}
| type = [[Army Corps]]
| role = [[Anti-aircraft warfare|Air Defence Warfare]]
| size = Around 85,000 soldiers and 6,000 officers.
| command_structure = {{army|India}}
| garrison =
| garrison_label =
| nickname =
| patron =
| motto = [[Sanskrit]]: {{lang|sa|आकाशे शत्रुन् जहि}} [[English language|English]]: {{lang|en|Annihilate the Airborne Enemy}}
| colors = {{color box|#81BFFD}} {{color box|#DB0606}} Sky blue & Red
| colors_label =  Regimental colors
| march =
| mascot =
| equipment =
| equipment_label =
| battles = [[World War II]] [[1947 Indo-Pakistani War]] [[Sino-Indian War of 1962]] [[Indo-Pak War of 1965]] [[Indo-Pak War of 1971]] [[Kargil War]]
| anniversaries = January 10<ref name="The Corps of Army Air Defence Celebrates Its Raising Day -PIB">{{cite web|title=The Corps of Army Air Defence Celebrates Its Raising Day|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114512|website=Press Information Bureau|publisher=Government of India-Ministry of Defence|accessdate=23 October 2015}}</ref>
| decorations =
| battle_honours =
| battle_honours_label =
| disbanded =
| flying_hours =
| website = [http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTemp2P_SameRow1Flash2C.aspx?MnId=gmpP1cf6uoiY3eOkskSnew==&ParentID=gsMFwlm4djxe3mmi6OcRng==&flag=46el9QhNMlic/TNm+FrDUw== Indian Army Official Site]
| commander1 = Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gazette.central.w.2025-12-27.268912/|title=Gazette of India, No 52|date=2025-12-27|access-date=2026-01-16}}</ref>
| commander1_label = Director General of Corps of Army Air Defence
| commander2 =
| commander2_label =
| commander3 =
| commander3_label =
| commander4 =
| commander4_label =
| commander5 =
| notable_commanders =
| native_name =
| countries =
| current_commander = 
| identification_symbol = [[File:Regimental Flag of the Corps of Army Air Defence.jpg|200px]]
| identification_symbol_label = Regimental flag
}}
The '''Corps of Army Air Defence''' (abbreviated as '''AAD'''), is an active corps of the [[Indian Army]] and a major combat support arm tasked with [[Anti-aircraft warfare|air defence]] of the country from foreign threats. The AAD is responsible for the protection of Indian air space from enemy aircraft and missiles, especially below 5,000 feet.<ref name="21 Different Branches Of Indian Army That Make It Such An Efficient Defence Force">{{cite web|author1=Rishabh Mishra|title=21 Different Branches Of Indian Army That Make It Such An Efficient Defence Force|url=http://topyaps.com/branches-of-the-indian-army|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625233132/http://topyaps.com/branches-of-the-indian-army|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 25, 2015|website=TopYaps|accessdate=7 June 2016|date=24 June 2015}}</ref>

The history of the AAD dates back to 1939 during the times of the [[British Raj]] in India. The corps actively took part in the [[Second World War]] fighting on behalf of the [[British Empire]]. Post independence, the corps has participated in all the [[wars involving India]], starting from the [[1947 Indo-Pakistani War]] to the [[1999 Kargil conflict]].

The corps enjoyed autonomous status from 1994, after the bifurcation of the Corps of Air Defence Artillery from the Army's [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]]. A separate training school, the [[Army Air Defence College]] (AADC), was established to train its personnel.<ref name="Indian Army Air Defence-GC">{{cite web|title=Corps of Army Air Defence|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/air-defence.htm|website=Global Security|accessdate=23 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="Indian Armed Forces AAD">{{cite book|author1=Bharat Verma|author2=BK Pandey|author3=GM Hiranandani|title=Indian Armed Forces: Army Air Defence|publisher=Lancer Publishers LLC|isbn=9781935501732|edition=1st|language=English}}</ref>

As of 2026, the Indian Army is responsible for the tracking and monitoring of flying objects at a range of {{Convert|35|km|abbr=on}} and up to an altitude of {{Convert|3|km|ft|abbr=on}} beyond the [[Line of Actual Control|Northern]] and [[India–Pakistan border|Western]] borders. Several air [[command and control]] centres are being established along the borders. These centres will coordinate 97% of the friendly drone and aircraft activities in the 35×3 km envelope.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-27 |title=Indian Army to monitor low-altitude airspace along China, Pakistan borders |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-army-to-monitor-low-altitude-airspace-along-china-pakistan-borders-101769477379114.html |access-date=2026-01-27 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

== History and origin ==

===Pre-independence===
[[File:The Mounted ZU 23 MM Twin Gun with its crew passes through the Rajpath on the occasion of Republic Day Parade-2005, in New Delhi on January 26, 2005.jpg|thumb|305x305px| Mounted ZU 23 MM Twin Gun |alt=|right]]
[[File:The Tangushka Mount System gliding down the Rajpath during the Republic Day Parade - 2006, in New Delhi on January 26, 2006.jpg|thumb|305x305px| [[2K22 Tunguska|Tunguska]] Mount System |alt=|right]]
[[File:OSA- AK Weapon System passes through the Rajpath during the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade-2014, in New Delhi on January 23, 2014.jpg|thumb|305x305px| OSA- AK Weapon System|alt=|right]]
[[File:Akash (Army Version) passes through the Rajpath during the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade-2015, in New Delhi on January 23, 2015.jpg|thumb|305x305px| Akash surface to air missile|alt=|right]]
Air Defence Artillery in India was first established by the [[British India|British Government]] ruling India in 1939, at the start of [[World War II]] to counter the growing aerial threat from the [[Axis powers]], especially from the [[Japan]]ese in [[East Asia]]. A small number of Indian troops were initially trained to use [[QF 3-inch 20 cwt|3-inch Ack-Ack guns]] and in the later stages of the conflict to operate [[Bofors 40 mm gun#40 mm L.2F60|Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns]]. The trained troops formed part of the [[anti-aircraft]] batteries of the [[Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery]] (HKSRA) to counter the Japanese air threat in [[South-East Asia]]. They were also assigned to Indian artillery formations. In the early 1940s, several anti-aircraft units and training establishments were established throughout the country with Indian personnel being posted into these establishments from the [[List of regiments of the Indian Army#Infantry Regiments .2832.29|infantry]] and [[List of regiments of the Indian Army#Units of the Regiment of Artillery|artillery]] regiments.<ref name="Need to Expeditiously Modernise Army Air Defence">{{cite web|author1=Major General P K Chakravorty (Retired)|title=Need to Expeditiously Modernise Army Air Defence|url=http://bharatshakti.in/need-to-expeditiously-modernise-army-air-defence/|website=Bharat Shakti|date=22 February 2016 |accessdate=7 June 2016}}</ref>

By 1942, the air defence branch had grown considerably with eighteen operational anti-aircraft regiments, of which nine were Heavy Anti Aircraft regiments and nine were Light Anti Aircraft regiments. Besides the four brigades that were exclusively undertaking air defence tasks, one independent Heavy Anti Aircraft battery and two independent Light Anti Aircraftbatteries were also in existence, with two training centres established to train the personnel in anti-aircraft warfare. By the end of 1944, this had reached a total of thirty three air defence artillery units. However, after actively taking part in the second world war on behalf of the [[British Empire]], many of these were disbanded.<ref name="Indian Army Air Defence-GC" /><ref name="Modernisation of Army Air Defence -IDR">{{cite web|author1=Ram Pratap|title=Modernisation of Army Air Defence|url=http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/modernisation-of-army-air-defence/0/|website=Indian Defence Review|accessdate=23 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="INDIAN ARMY AIR DEFENCE-IPHB">{{cite web|title=INDIAN ARMY AIR DEFENCE|url=http://indianprideholders.blogspot.in/2012/01/indian-army-air-defence.html|website=Indian Pride Holders Blogspot|accessdate=23 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="History-AAD-Army Official">{{cite web|title=History|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=4Fm+GZejNPYci/u/KMAV7g==&ParentID=M/DOGn6JXk49a1ugLTlLfA==History|website=Indian Army|publisher=Govt.. of India|accessdate=23 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="Indian Defence Review 31.1">{{cite book|author1=Air Marshal Anil Chopra|author2=Vice Admiral AP Revi|author3=Lt Gen Gautam Banerjee|author4=Lt Gen VK Saxena|author5=Maj Gen AK Mehra|author6=Maj Gen PK Chakravorty|author7=Danvir Singh|author8=Maj Gen AK Chadha|title=Indian Defence Review|date=201|publisher=Lancer Publishers LLC|isbn=9781940988245|edition=31.1}}</ref><ref name="The Indian Army and the end of the Raj : decolonising the subcontinent">{{cite book|author1=Daniel Marston|title=The Indian Army and the End of the Raj: Decolonising the Subcontinent|date=2014|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521899758}}</ref><ref name="The Indian Army, 1939–47: Experience and Development">{{cite book|author1=Routledge|title=The Indian Army, 1939–47: Experience and Development|date=2016|publisher=Patrick Rose|isbn=9781317027645|edition=1st}}</ref><ref name="India's armed forces : fifty years of war and peace">{{cite book|author1=Ashok Krishna|title=India's Armed Forces: Fifty Years of War and Peace|date=1998|publisher=Lancer Publishers|location=New Delhi|isbn=9781897829479}}</ref><ref name="India 2014 Concise">{{cite book|title=India 2014 Concise|publisher=Kalinjar Publications|isbn=9789382732891}}</ref>

===Post-independence===

In October 1993, the Army Staff made a decision to remove all air defense units from the Indian Army Regiment of Artillery. The regiment had been recommended to bifurcate to remove all the AAA and aerospace missile defence formations so that on their basis a new service branch would be created to focus on air defence artillery. With the separation of the air defense from the Regiment, the Corps of Air Defence Artillery came into existence on 10 January 1994. The headquarters of the corps, the Directorate General of Air Defence Artillery, came into force the same day. Subsequently, the air defence wings and branches of the artillery present at various command headquarters throughout the country were bifurcated into the corps from the respective artillery units and regiments. Autonomous status was awarded to the Air Defence Guided Missile School at Gopalpur and the Air Defence Wing of the Artillery Centre, Nasik Road Camp was inducted into the Air Defence Guided Missile Centre. The day on which the Corps of Air Defence Artillery emerged as an autonomous corps of the Indian Army, 10 January, is celebrated as the raising day annually at air defence centers throughout the country.<ref name="The Corps of Army Air Defence Celebrates Its Raising Day -PIB" /><ref name="Defence, Army, Latest News, Interviews, Videos, Show Report - SP's Land Forces">{{cite web|title=VSHORADS Decision This Year?nd Forces|url=http://www.spslandforces.com/exclusive/?id=9&h=19-years-of-Corps-of-Army-Air-Defence-(AAD)|website=www.spslandforces.com|accessdate=7 June 2016}}</ref><ref name='2nd International Seminar on " Army Air Defence in 21st Century"'>{{cite web|title=2nd International Seminar on " Army Air Defence in 21st Century"|url=http://www.cii.in/Digital_Library_Details.aspx?enc=pZVQM37jtSRTHIkmBsithfJmz0qWfG+ttlzF5cKUVII+TdBCiMhnhxyJKQNG+R3J|website=www.cii.in|accessdate=7 June 2016}}</ref>

The Air Defence & Guided Missile School and Centre and the Corps of Air Defence Artillery were rechristened as the Army Air Defence College (AADC) and the Corps of Army Air Defence in 1998 and April 2005 respectively.<ref name="Indian Army Air Defence-GC" /><ref name="INDIAN ARMY AIR DEFENCE-IPHB" /><ref name="History-AAD-Army Official" /><ref name="The Indian Army and the end of the Raj : decolonising the subcontinent" /><ref name="India's armed forces : fifty years of war and peace" />

==Current overview==
===Band===
The regimental [[military band]] was raised in 1995 at the AAD Centre. To date, it takes part in various national and international functions. Its string ensemble the "Celestial Sentinels", was raised in November 2001. A [[pipe band]] is maintained by Army Air Defence College in [[Gopalpur, Odisha|Gopalpur]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTemp9P13C.aspx?MnId=+6nknKl37e+XLIDzqZFuLQ==&ParentID=fiQjvs0I3ChLZ01dWGLG5g==&flag=8CKP966uzg96kLov0aWdfQ==|title = The Official Home Page of the Indian Army}}</ref>

== Regimental insignia ==
=== Regimental crest ===
The Mukherjee Committee assigned the task of the designing the regimental crest to the [[National Institute of Design]] (NID), at [[Ahmedabad]]. After a series of reviews, modifications and improvements, finally the crest designed by Vijay Singh was adopted.

The crest depicts the neo-facet of the corps. It portrays a missile in silver tint, with radar antennae in gold colour fixed on the either side. At the bottom, the motto "{{lang|sa|आकाशे शत्रुन् जहि}}" in English "Akashe Shatrun Jahi" is imprinted.<ref name="Indian Army Air Defence-GC" /><ref name="INDIAN ARMY AIR DEFENCE-IPHB" /><ref name="Customs and Traditions-AAD-Army Official">{{cite web|title=Customs and Traditions|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTemp9P13C.aspx?MnId=LhNm3T62BPi4ET7tFzVf4A==&ParentID=PpKfAEavBXlrF+p/EKh95g==|website=Indian Army|publisher=Govt. of India|accessdate=23 October 2015}}</ref>

=== Regimental motto ===
The sentence "{{lang|sa|आकाशे शत्रुन् जहि}}" (Akashe Shatrun Jahi) of [[Devanagari]] script, which means "{{lang|en|Kill the Enemy in the Sky}}" was adopted as the regimental motto in 1996.<ref name="Indian Army Air Defence-GC" /><ref name="INDIAN ARMY AIR DEFENCE-IPHB" /><ref name="Customs and Traditions-AAD-Army Official" />

==List of Units==

{{See |List of Corps of Army Air Defence Units}}

==Current equipment==

{{See |List of equipment of the Indian Army#Air Defence System}}

== Director Generals ==
The office of ''Director General of Corps of Army Air Defence'' serves as the general headquarters to the corps. The position was first created when the Corps of Army Air Defence was bifurcated from the Regiment of Artillery on 10 January 1994. The post is generally held by a [[three-star general]]. It was first held by Lieutenant General PK Pahwa. Individual AAD Brigades, Regiments and Battalions come under operational command and control of the Army Corps, Divisions and Brigades that they are a part of.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ List of Previous Directors General of Corps of Army Air Defence<ref name="Director General – Photo Gallery Army Official">{{cite web|title=Director General – Photo Gallery|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmPhotoGalleryWithMenuWithTitle.aspx?MnId=gi0Uw4kcSIaT4fp7ZEMikg==&ParentID=LO8UBEhUBYb+EXkJwRWfgg==|website=Indian Army|publisher=Government of India|accessdate=23 October 2015}}</ref>
! S.No!! Rank !!Name !! Appointment date!! Left office
|-
|1|| [[Lieutenant general|Lt Gen]] ||PK Pahwa, {{small|[[PVSM]]}}|| 10 January 1994 || 31 October 1996
|-
|2|| Lt Gen || A Mukherjee, {{small|PVSM, [[AVSM]]}} || 1 November 1996 ||31 January 2001
|-
|3|| Lt Gen || Naresh Chand, {{small|PVSM}} || 10 February 2001 ||31 Aug 2003
|-
|4 || Lt Gen || CS Chima, {{small|PVSM}} || 1 September 2003 ||31 December 2005
|-
|5 || Lt Gen || KS Dogra, {{small|PVSM, AVSM**, [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]}} || 1 January 2006 ||30 November 2008
|-
|6|| Lt Gen || Ram Pratap, {{small|PVSM, AVSM, VSM}} || 1 December 2008 ||30 June 2011
|-
|7 || Lt Gen || Kuldip Singh, {{small|PVSM, AVSM}} || 1 July 2011 ||30 June 2013
|-
|8 || Lt Gen || VK Saxena, {{small|PVSM, AVSM, VSM}}
| 1 July 2013<ref name="Lt Gen V K Saxena takes over as DGAAD-IS">{{cite web|title=Lt Gen V K Saxena takes over as Director General of Army Air Defence|url=http://www.indiastrategic.in/topstories2057_Lt_Gen_VK_Saxena_DG_Army_Air_Defence.htm|website=India Strategic|accessdate=23 October 2015}}</ref>
|31 May 2015
|-
|9 || Lt Gen || Rajiv Bhatia, {{small|AVSM}} || 1 June 2015 ||31 December 2016
|-
|10 ||Lt Gen || AK Sahgal, {{small|AVSM, VSM}} || 1 January 2017 ||31 December 2017
|-
|11 || Lt Gen || PS Jaggi, {{small|AVSM}} || 1 January 2018 || 8 April 2018
|-
|12 || Lt Gen || AP Singh, {{small|AVSM}} || 11 May 2018 || 30 June 2021
|-
|13 || Lt Gen || Sunil Puri Goswami, {{small|AVSM, VSM}} || 01 July 2021 || 30 October 2023
|-
|14 || Lt Gen || Sumer Ivan D’Cunha || 31 October 2023 ||
|}

==President’s Colours==
[[File:President of India Awards Colours to Corps of Army Air Defence.jpg|thumb|right|305x305px|President of India, Mr Ram Nath Kovind awards 'Colours' to Corps of Army Air Defence]]
The President of India Mr [[Ram Nath Kovind]] awarded the President’s Colours to the Corps of Army Air Defence at [[Gopalpur, Odisha|Gopalpur]] Military Station on 28 September 2019 on completion of 25 years as an independent arm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive2/AdvSearch.aspx|title=President of India Awards Colours to Corps of Army Air Defence|date=2019-09-28|access-date=2021-02-22}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Indian National Defence University]]
* [[Military academies in India|Military Academies in India]]
* [[Sainik school]]

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}


{{Indian Army arms and services}}

[[Category:Administrative corps of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:Air defence corps]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1939]]

Corps of Army Air Defence - Revision history

Wazid at 06:44, 27 January 2026