Army To Set Up New Battle Groups For Offensive Punch

Jun 7, 2021

Army to set up new battle groups for offensive punch by… The initial lot of IBGs, each with around 5,000 soldiers and a varying mix of infantry, tanks, artillery, air defence, signals, engineers and other units permanently deployed together, should be carved out of existing formations by early-2022, say officers.

NEW DELHI: The is now firmly on course to create new self-contained fighting units called `integrated battle groups (IBGs)’, which can mobilize fast and hit hard, after some delay due to the Covid pandemic and military confrontation with China.

The initial lot of IBGs, each with around 5,000 soldiers and a varying mix of infantry, tanks, artillery, air defence, signals, engineers and other units permanently deployed together, should be carved out of existing formations by early-2022, say officers.

Army chief General , in turn, told TOI: “Creation of IBGs is a logical step towards our operational thought process on how to conduct future operations in an integrated all-arms paradigm.”

This recalibration includes the change in the operational role of the 1 Corps towards the northern sector with China, including Ladakh, from the earlier focus on Pakistan. The truncated 17 Corps, in turn, will have a strike role in the eastern sector, including the Chumbi Valley opposite , as was earlier reported by TOI.

“But the 1 Corps will also retain operational flexibility to deploy against Pakistan at short-notice. So, with an adequate number of acclimatized troops, the corps will be available for both China and Pakistan. This will be in addition to the Leh-based 14 Corps,” said an officer.

So, IBGs meant for Pakistan will be focused more on tanks and heavy artillery due to the plains involved, while the ones for China will revolve more around infantry and light artillery for mountain warfare.

Courtesy: TOI