Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs)
In the future, Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) will be used instead of brigades oe diviaiona. The new Indian doctrine talks of using all its forces as IBGs, with equipment matching their envisaged roles and potential for greater flexibility. Each IBG comprises a little over 4000 troops — slightly larger than conventional brigades — drawn from different combat arms. Two Integrated Battle Groups would form one Division, while each Integrated Battle Group would include Infantry, Armoured, Artillery, Signals & Engineers in a full fighting unit. The IBGs involve the integration of infantry, armoured tank regiments, artillery, UAVs, engineers and signals into one fighting unit, whereas the old model had each of these functioning formed separatedly.
The Integrated Battle Group delayered the Indian Army along lines previously seen in other countries. Russia had already delayerd the Army, effectively eliminating most Division level commands in favor of a Corps/Brigade chain of command. In the US Army, the Unit of Action was the unit that will eventually replaced the Current Force Brigade Unit of Action. As of late 2003 the Army planned to convert each division into four brigade Unit of Action. The plan was reminiscent of the Armys Pentomic reorganization of the 1950. The Unit of Employment employs Units of Action to achieve tactical decision. The Unit of Action integrates organic and supporting ISR, fires, and maneuver to close with and destroy the enemy. Under the Objective Force nomenclature, the Unit of Action is the term used for the Brigade, the Unit of Employment level 1 (UE1) replace today's divisions; and the Units of Employment level 2 (UE2) replace the current corps structure.
The IBGs can be as varied as Integrated Infantry Battle Groups (IIBGs), Integrated Armoured Battle Groups (IABGs) or Integrated Artillery Battle Groups (IArtyBGs). Each Integrated Battle Group will consist of four to six infantry/mech battalions or armoured/artillery battalions as required. And each battle group would be commanded by a Major General.
While there is agreement concerning the need for combined arms, there has been much controversy over the nature of combination and the organizational level at which it should occur. The practice of creating adhoc BGs on being launched in battle as in the past, is increasingly being challenged in the context of future wars. Such an arrangement had often resulted in time consuming disjointed capabilities, creating adverse force mobilisation and application differentials. In contrast, complementary and integrated combined arms, pose a more complicated threat much greater than the sum of individual arms.
The enhanced footprints of Pakistan’s Proxy War and need for generating space for conventional response under a nuclear umbrella, further raised the neccessity of rapid deployment of combat ready forces in a time and space constrained environment. However, it was only post Operation PARAKRAM, that the operational construct of IBG for the Western Front assumed eminence with the evolution of the Cold Start Strategy or its variant Pro-Active Operations Strategy. The evolution of this new retribution strategy based on Man oeuvre Warfare looked at a punitive response to Pak sponsored proxy war crossing tolerance threshold, against the backdrop of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence and international pressures to limit the scope of war. The force application matrix entailed executing a Short Notice Intense Proactive Escalatory (SNIPE operations by reconstituted Pivot Corps and Strike Corps based on the concept of “Hit by in situ joint forces, simultaneously Mobalise Strike Formations in depth and Hit Harder.
Earlier ideas of deploying large military formations on the battlefield have given way to the new Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs), specialist forces with warfare capabilities and equipment to suit the terrain and the task assigned for a battle. IBGs are a significant transition from the ‘Cold Start’ doctrine, a loose term for a swift, short war with Pakistan with deployment in just about two days.
The plan was discussed in the Army commander’s conference in October 2018. In an exclusive interview 03 august 2019, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat told India Today TV that he took the decision in the matter after an extensive deliberation with the Army commanders and junior officers. "After we received the reports from the Army commanders, we carried out field trials and exercises to validate the concepts of Integrated Battle Group (IBG). I'm happy to tell you that from now, top to bottom, our troops are really happy with the formation of the IBGs," he said.
The IX Corps at Yol Cantonment in Himachal Pradesh, under the Chandimandir-based Western Army Command, will be the first to be tested, followed by the XVII Mountain Strike Corps. the Army has tested two types of configurations of the IBG during the exercise, including one for offensive roles which during hostilities involves cross-border operations and the other for defensive postures to withstand an enemy onslaught. In 2020 the Army planned to fully raise a dozen or more IBGs with about 5,000 soldiers each within a year. These battle groups, which are theatre-based formations for fighting a quick, short war, will be equipped with specialist weapons and platforms to meet their unique requirements. By 2022 IBGs were to cover the entire expanse of India’s western and eastern borders. In a first, three integrated battle groups are going to be raised along the borders of Pakistan. The plan will further be extended to the McMahon Line as well.
To arm these new battle groups, fresh procurement such as the Rs 20,000-crore contract for 464 more T-90 battle tanks has begun. IBGs—composed of a mix of infantry, artillery, air defence, signals and engineers—will be centred around T-90S tanks and will be backed by attack helicopters on the western border. A different battle composition will focus on China based on the terrain and nature of combat by using Chinook helicopters and ultralight M777 howitzers. This transition is to prepare India for a joint Pakistan-China two-front war to squeeze Indian troops and test their capabilities and capacities on both the western and northern borders.
By 2021, the Indian Army planned by 2022 to form and deploy 11 to 13 Integrated Battle Groups to guard its western and eastern borders. The Indian Army is fully prepared to deploy Integrated Battle Group (IBG) on the Pakistan border. IBG will have expert personnel from different fields. In this, soldiers from all the fields including infantry, tanks, cannons, engineers, logistics, support units will be together which are necessary for any war. Till now all these are deployed as separate units and come together during war. Be it defense or attack, this squad will be ready at every moment to deal with any situation like war. Its biggest feature is to strike immediately as soon as it is needed. That is, it will not require any extra time for preparation or strategy, only it will be late to get the order.
Special training is being given to its fighters keeping in mind the threat of the enemy, the geographical challenges and the target (3T- Threat, Terrain and Task) in every area adjacent to the border. This group has also been equipped with equipment suited to the circumstances. The size of an IBG would be larger than any military brigade and slightly less than a division. The number of officers, jawans involved will be decided on the basis of regional and operational requirements. The IBG will be commanded by an officer of the rank of Major General and will be under the GOC of the corps concerned.
Firstly 8 IBGs will be brought under 9 Corps (Yole Headquarters), 17 Corps, (Panagarh) and 33 Corps (Sukna). The IBG will be more lethal and will be structured according to the task and geographical location. For example, where there are roads, the need for construction is less, then the structure there will be different, in the desert where the road is to be built, the structure will be different. The objective of the IBG is to unite and attack the enemy as soon as possible under a pro-active war strategy or cold war strategy in case of war.
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