NEW DELHI: With the collusive military threat from China and Pakistan figuring high on India's radar screens, which was reinforced during Operation Sindoor , the Army is now setting up some new 'Rudra' all-arms brigades and 'Bhairav' light commando battalions for a greater and swifter offensive punch along the borders.
The 11.5-lakh strong Army is also going in for 'Shaktibaan' artillery regiments, with special 'Divyastra' surveillance and loitering munitions batteries, and will also progressively equip all its 400-odd infantry battalions with drone platoons, against the backdrop of drone warfare upending all conventional military tactics in conflicts across the globe.
Announcing these steps towards transforming and modernising the Army into "a future-ready force" during the Kargil Vijay Diwas in Drass on Saturday, General Upendra Dwivedi said India had delivered "a well-planned, precise, and decisive response" to Pakistan during the May 7-10 cross-border hostilities to "achieve a decisive victory".
‘Rudra brigades to have all combat elements, to be deployed together’
We gave them (Pakistan) a chance for peace but they acted with cowardice. We then answered with only valour...Operation Sindoor is our resolve, our message, and our response," General Upendra Dwivedi said, warning Pakistan against misadventures in the future. "With the unwavering trust of the countrymen and the strategic autonomy granted by the govt, the Army delivered a well-planned, precise, and decisive response."
The Army chief's transformation announcements involve conversion of existing units and formations, without fresh troop accretions, a senior officer told TOI. Some of the existing over 250 single-arm brigades (over 3,000 soldiers each) are now being converted to all-arms ones with integration of fighting elements like infantry, mechanised infantry, armoured (tanks), artillery, Special Forces and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), which will be backed by customised logistics and combat support. The bulk of the existing brigades are from the infantry, with the others being from other arms like the artillery, armoured, mechanised infantry, air defence and the like. At present, these brigades, commanded by one-star officers or brigadiers, come together only during exercises or actual combat.
"Now, the ones being converted to Rudra brigades, tailor-made for specific areas and tasks along the borders, will have all combat elements and be permanently deployed together in peace and war. Their re-structuring has been validated and approved. Two Rudra brigades have already been set up," the senior officer said.
This is in tune with the long-pending proposal to restructure some Army formations into self-contained ' integrated battle groups (IBGs)', with 5,000-6,000 soldiers and a varying mix of infantry, tanks, artillery, air defence, signals, engineers and other units to be commanded by Major-Generals, which is yet to be approved by the govt.
The new Bhairav light commando battalions will be in addition to the existing specially-trained and equipped 10 Para-Special Forces and five Para (Airborne) battalions (each has around 620 soldiers) meant for covert warfare deep behind enemy lines.
The plan is to raise at least 40-50 Bhairav battalions, drawn from existing infantry units and equipped with the latest weapons, gadgets and drones, in phases. Indicating that a few have already been raised, Gen Dwivedi said, "The agile and lethal special forces Bhairav units are ready to surprise the enemy on the borders."
"Every infantry battalion will have drone platoons, while the firepower of the artillery has been multiplied many times through Divyastra batteries and loiter munitions batteries. The Army Air Defence (AAD) is being equipped with indigenous missile systems," he added.
The AAD is slated to get two new regiments of the Akash Prime surface-to-air missiles designed for air defence in high-altitude areas along the frontier with China for Rs 8,160 crore as well as three regiments of the new quick reaction surface to air missile (QRSAM) systems for Rs 36,000 crore (which includes three squadrons also for IAF), as was reported by TOI earlier.
Akash Prime has the capability to intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters and drones at a 25km range, it is 30km for the highly-mobile QRSAMs. They will add to India's existing multi-layered air defence network that played a crucial role in thwarting multiple waves of Turkish-origin drones and Chinese missiles launched by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
The 11.5-lakh strong Army is also going in for 'Shaktibaan' artillery regiments, with special 'Divyastra' surveillance and loitering munitions batteries, and will also progressively equip all its 400-odd infantry battalions with drone platoons, against the backdrop of drone warfare upending all conventional military tactics in conflicts across the globe.
Announcing these steps towards transforming and modernising the Army into "a future-ready force" during the Kargil Vijay Diwas in Drass on Saturday, General Upendra Dwivedi said India had delivered "a well-planned, precise, and decisive response" to Pakistan during the May 7-10 cross-border hostilities to "achieve a decisive victory".
‘Rudra brigades to have all combat elements, to be deployed together’
We gave them (Pakistan) a chance for peace but they acted with cowardice. We then answered with only valour...Operation Sindoor is our resolve, our message, and our response," General Upendra Dwivedi said, warning Pakistan against misadventures in the future. "With the unwavering trust of the countrymen and the strategic autonomy granted by the govt, the Army delivered a well-planned, precise, and decisive response."
The Army chief's transformation announcements involve conversion of existing units and formations, without fresh troop accretions, a senior officer told TOI. Some of the existing over 250 single-arm brigades (over 3,000 soldiers each) are now being converted to all-arms ones with integration of fighting elements like infantry, mechanised infantry, armoured (tanks), artillery, Special Forces and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), which will be backed by customised logistics and combat support. The bulk of the existing brigades are from the infantry, with the others being from other arms like the artillery, armoured, mechanised infantry, air defence and the like. At present, these brigades, commanded by one-star officers or brigadiers, come together only during exercises or actual combat.
"Now, the ones being converted to Rudra brigades, tailor-made for specific areas and tasks along the borders, will have all combat elements and be permanently deployed together in peace and war. Their re-structuring has been validated and approved. Two Rudra brigades have already been set up," the senior officer said.
This is in tune with the long-pending proposal to restructure some Army formations into self-contained ' integrated battle groups (IBGs)', with 5,000-6,000 soldiers and a varying mix of infantry, tanks, artillery, air defence, signals, engineers and other units to be commanded by Major-Generals, which is yet to be approved by the govt.
The new Bhairav light commando battalions will be in addition to the existing specially-trained and equipped 10 Para-Special Forces and five Para (Airborne) battalions (each has around 620 soldiers) meant for covert warfare deep behind enemy lines.
The plan is to raise at least 40-50 Bhairav battalions, drawn from existing infantry units and equipped with the latest weapons, gadgets and drones, in phases. Indicating that a few have already been raised, Gen Dwivedi said, "The agile and lethal special forces Bhairav units are ready to surprise the enemy on the borders."
"Every infantry battalion will have drone platoons, while the firepower of the artillery has been multiplied many times through Divyastra batteries and loiter munitions batteries. The Army Air Defence (AAD) is being equipped with indigenous missile systems," he added.
The AAD is slated to get two new regiments of the Akash Prime surface-to-air missiles designed for air defence in high-altitude areas along the frontier with China for Rs 8,160 crore as well as three regiments of the new quick reaction surface to air missile (QRSAM) systems for Rs 36,000 crore (which includes three squadrons also for IAF), as was reported by TOI earlier.
Akash Prime has the capability to intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters and drones at a 25km range, it is 30km for the highly-mobile QRSAMs. They will add to India's existing multi-layered air defence network that played a crucial role in thwarting multiple waves of Turkish-origin drones and Chinese missiles launched by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
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