Royal Bhutan Army
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The Royal Bhutan Army (RBA; Template:Langx)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is a branch of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Bhutan responsible for maintaining the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty against security threats. The King of Bhutan is the Supreme Commander in Chief of the RBA.<ref name="Constitution">Template:Cite book</ref> The Chief Operations Officer is Goonglon Gongma (Lt. Gen.) Batoo Tshering.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The RBA includes the Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan (RBG), an elite branch of the armed forces responsible for the security of the King, the royal family and other officials.<ref name="csaf">Template:Cite web</ref>
It was customary, but not obligatory, for one son from each Bhutanese family to serve in the army.<ref name="csaf" /> In addition, militia may be recruited during emergencies. It may, from time to time, be called on to assist the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) in maintaining law and order.<ref name="cs">Template:Cite web</ref>
History
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With intense support from India, the RBA was formed in the 1950s in response to the Chinese annexation and subsequent People's Liberation Army actions in Tibet. In 1958, the Royal Government of Bhutan introduced a conscription system and plans for a standing army of 2,500 soldiers.<ref name=csaf /> The Indian government had also repeatedly urged and pressured Bhutan to end its neutrality or isolationist policy and accept Indian economic and military assistance. This was because India considered Bhutan one of the most vulnerable sectors in its strategic defense system in regards to China.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> When Bhutan accepted the Indian offer, the Indian Army became responsible for the training and equipping of the RBA. By 1968 the RBA consisted of 4,850 soldiers; by 1990 this had risen to 6,000.<ref name=csaf/> Following the increases after an anti-militant operation in 2003, the RBA peaked at over 9,000 in 2007 before being reduced to 8,000 in 2008.<ref name=fhcross>Template:Cite web</ref> By 2017 the military rose to approximately 10,000 or above.
Bhutanese officers were deployed to UNDOF as staff officers in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2021, the first cohort of women were admitted to the Army.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Relationship with the Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Army maintains a training mission in Bhutan, known as the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), which is responsible for the training of RBA and RBG personnel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All RBA and RBG officers are trained at the Indian Army's officer training institutes, namely the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, and the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Project DANTAK of the Border Roads Organisation, a subdivision of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers, has been operating in Bhutan since May 1961. Since then Project DANTAK has been responsible for the construction and maintenance of over 1,500 km of roads and bridges, Paro Airport and Yongphulla Airport (upgraded in 2018, with scheduled fixed-wing civilian flights), heliports and other infrastructure. While these serve India's strategic defense needs, they are also an obvious economic benefit for the people of Bhutan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Army aviation
The Royal Bhutan Army relies on Eastern Air Command of the Indian Air Force for air medical evacuation assistance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Indian Air Force helicopters evacuated RBA casualties to India for treatment during Operation All Clear in 2003.<ref name=tribute>Template:Cite news</ref>
2003 Operation: All Clear
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} During the early '90s Indian separatist groups United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO) had begun to clandestinely set up camps in Bhutan's dense southern jungles. These camps were used to train militants, store equipment and launch attacks on targets in India.<ref name=problem>Template:Cite news</ref> The Bhutanese government became aware of their presence in 1996, and from 1997 the issue was regularly discussed in the National Assembly.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The Government of India began exerting diplomatic pressure on the Royal Government of Bhutan to remove the militant presence and offered to conduct joint military operations with Bhutan against the militants. The Royal Government of Bhutan, preferring a peaceful solution, declined the offer and instead initiated dialogue with the militant groups in 1998.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By December 2003 negotiations had failed to produce any agreement and the Royal Government, unable to tolerate the groups' presence any longer, issued a 48-hour ultimatum on 13 December. On 15 December the RBA commenced military operations against the militant groups.<ref name=problem/>
Combat operations
Under the leadership of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck the RBA and RBG, with a total strength of 6,000, attacked an estimated 3,000 militants spread across 30 camps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By 27 December 2003 all 30 camps had been captured. Additionally, the RBA seized "more than 500 AK 47/56 assault rifles and 500 other assorted weapons including rocket launchers and mortars, along with more than 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition. An anti-aircraft gun was also found at the site of the GHQ of the ULFA."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
By 3 January 2004 all 30 camps (ULFA-14, NDFB-11, KLO-5) and an additional 35 observation posts were destroyed and the militants dislodged.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A total of 485 ULFA, NDFB and KLO militants were killed or captured; those captured along with the seized weapons and ammunition were handed over to the Government of India. Captured non-combatants were handed over to Assamese civil authorities. The RBA suffered 11 soldiers killed in action and 35 wounded in action.<ref name="tribute" />
Personnel
As of 2008 the RBA stood at 8,000 active-duty personnel.<ref name=fhcross/> This follows an initiative introduced in 2005 by the Royal Government of Bhutan to reduce the strength of the RBA while increasing militia training of the Bhutanese population.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bhutan has a well trained military force, with formidable logistics and effective tactics, as proven in the 2003 Operation all-clear. Soldiers have high advantage in mountain warfare and jungle warfare, given Bhutan's geographic location.Template:Cn
Army Welfare Project
The Army Welfare Project (AWP) is a commercial enterprise of the RBA established in 1974 to provide benefits for retired RBA and RBG personnel in the form of employment, pensions and loans.<ref name=csaf/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The AWP manufactures alcoholic beverages in two distilleries located in Gelephu and Samtse.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Equipment
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Bases
The Royal Bhutan Army maintains a camp at Zompelri which is a border outpost under the control of army's Wing I at Tendruk, Samtse.<ref name="Hindustan">Template:Cite news</ref>
The Army's Military Training Centre is in Tencholing, Wangduephodrang.