Because:
> Extremely high overall morale and discipline.
> Raw courage, as seen in actions not only against adversaries in conventional scenarios, but also protracted ongoing counter insurgency
operations.
>
Expertise and experience in fighting in varied terrain that no Army in the world can boast of. From the rugged snow capped mountains of the
Himalayas 22,000 feet high with temperatures down to minus 60 C, to thick secondary jungles of the North East, to the scorching 54 C heat of the
western deserts, it’s all in a days work for the Indian Army.
> Mobility and flexibility to change doctrine at theatre level effectively and quickly in consonance with evolving threat perceptions. This has come
about due to the very high standard of training at all levels.
> Ability to withstand extremely harsh and tough conditions even during peace time deployments, an average of 3 years operational service in each type
of inhospitable environment as described above.
(Tenure of US troops in Iraq is just 1 year, after which it is considered too taxing mentally and
physically to operate effectively).
> The Indian Army is one of the oldest and most experienced in the world, with one of the oldest active regiments raised in 1757 which still exists
today!
> Provides Peace Keeping Forces around the world including Angola, Cambodia, Sudan, Congo, Gaza, Lebanon, Burundi, Mozambique, Korea, Sierra Leone,
Rwanda, Ethiopia-Eritrea, Golan Heights, Central America, Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Kuwait, Liberia, etc.
There’s more, but enough for the day! Can you name any other army with these accomplishments? And with 1.5 million men in uniform, its BIG!
Cheers!
[edit on 27-1-2008 by mikesingh]