Integrated Battle Groups get go ahead after army commanders meet
NEW DELHI: Integrated Battle Groups (IBG) – smaller, meaner, self-contained fighting units of the Indian Army comprising of elements of air power, artillery, amour etc – is now a reality. The biennial Army Commanders Conference that concluded on Saturday in New Delhi cleared formations of IBGS.
As against the somewhat antiquated fighting formation of Corps – each comprising 8-10 Brigades - each IBG is likely to have just about 6 battalions. Each Brigade comprises 3-4 battalions each with 800 fighting men.
In addition, more sweeping changes, for instance, “right-sizing” of the 1.3 million strong Indian Army, having language skills with men and officers being trained in different languages – both Indian and foreign like Mandarin, Urdu, Dari, Pashto etc have been accepted at Amy Commanders Conference in New Delhi.
The changes will be “implemented progressively i n a phased manner,” the Indian Army said in a statement issued Saturday evening. The Hindustan Times earlier reported that Indian Army was shifting gear to form IBGS changing the way the Indian Army fights its enemies.
Currently, Brigades followed by the Corps respectively are the smallest and biggest formations that are committed to battle. The IBGS, on the other hand, are smaller and more flexible allowing faster mobilisation and more flexibility to the army.
The reorganisation of the fighting elements and “right-sizing” of the Indian Army will, however, be preceded by “testbedding” or a series of exercises to validate the concept so that implementation is smooth and effective, the army said. “Not every Corps, Division or Brigade will be replaced by an Integrated Battle Group. The terrain, threat perception and options available to the enemy will go into deciding whether an IBG will replace the current structure,” a senior officer said.