Offensive defence: Army to ready its first set of new battle groups by September end

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army is giving the final touch to the Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs), the ambitious combat formation aimed at making the force more lethal and suitable to fight a modern war with the support of technology.

The IBGs are agile, brigade-sized, and self-sufficient combat formations. In case of hostilities, they can swiftly strike against the enemies. Every IBG will be tailor-made and will be based on the three Ts — Threat, Terrain, and Task.

A source said on Monday, “The officials led by the military operations met on Monday to finalise the formation of the Integrated Battle Groups with officials of other wings in presence.”

All the officials concerned worked together as it affects almost all the Arms and the services of the Army and with them together decisions will be swift, the source added.

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In the first go, of the two IBGs planned one is coming up under the 9 Corps mandated to operate on the Western Borders with Pakistan. The other one is being raised under the 17 Corps raised as the sole strike Corps to operate along the Northern borders with China. The aim is to firm up two IBGs by September end.

The IBGs will be self-contained fighting formations with the elements of every arm and service mixed together as per the terrain and operational requirements.

As reported earlier by The New Indian Express, each IBG will have a troop strength of around 5,000, bigger than a Brigade (3000-3,500) but smaller than a Division (10,000-12,000). These will have a mix of every arm and service like Infantry, Artillery, Armoured, Engineers, Signals, Air Defence, and others. In the initial phase, the Army has decided to reconstitute its standing forces into 12 modernised IBGs. The forces reassigned and reconstituted would be smaller but swifter with greater combat thrust.

As per the plan, there will be four IBGs under the nine Corps, five or six under 33 Corps, and three under the 17 Corps.

More formations will be approved once the first set is raised as the ambition is to do away with the Division Headquarters which function under the Corps and remove one complete layer from the organisational setup.