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Indian Army Enhances Combat Capabilities to Advance the Integrated Battle Group Doctrine | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Indian Army Enhances Combat Capabilities to Advance the Integrated Battle Group Doctrine

Posted 28 Jul 2025

2 min read

Amid rising collusive threats from China & Pakistan (reinforced during Operation Sindoor), the Indian Army is establishing ‘Rudra’ brigades & ‘Bhairav’ commando battalions to enhance swift offensive capabilities along borders.

Structural Reforms in Indian Army’s Combat Capabilities

  • The Army is going in for ‘Shaktibaan’ artillery regiments, with special ‘Divyadrishti’ surveillance and loitering munitions batteries
    • The Army will equip all its infantry battalions with drone platoons, against the backdrop of drone warfare.
  • Bhairav Light Commando Battalions: Raised from regular infantry, these battalions are trained for high-speed, high-mobility operations with modern drones, gadgets, and lightweight weaponry.
  • Rudra All-Arms Brigades: Existing units are being converted into integrated formations combining infantry, mechanised infantry, tanks, artillery, UAVs, and special forces. 
    • This is in tune with the long-pending proposal to restructure some Army formations into self-contained Integrated Battle Groups.

About Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs)

  • Concept: The IBGs are envisioned as agile, brigade-sized combat formations better suited for modern warfare with the support of technology. 
    • These formations will be tailor-made based on three factors: Threat, Terrain, and Task.
  • Size: Each IBG will have a troop strength of around 5,000 personnel.
  • Post-Operation Parakram, the IBG Doctrine emerged as part of the Cold Start or Pro-Active Operations Strategy.
    • Cold Start Doctrine: Military strategy developed by India to rapidly mobilize and deploy forces for limited, swift, and focused strikes against Pakistan.

IBGs Operational Philosophy

  • IBG Application: Pre-emption (gain initiative); Dislocation (striking at vulnerability); Disintegration  (breaking the cohesion of the enemy by disrupting his command-and-control systems).
  • Time-Space-Force-Information Dominance: The operational art of IBG application will be to gain control/ dominate spaces with requisite force capability, in the earliest time frame.
  • Technology Empowerment and Force Modernisation: IBGs, with complementary technologies and empowered leadership, will be the key to tactical wins and operational success.
  • Tags :
  • Integrated Battle Groups
  • Cold Start
  • Shaktibaan
  • Divyadrishti
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