Integrated Battle Groups to be established this year? How IBGs can enhance defence against China and Pakistan

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi emphasized the final stages of the Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) project, aiming to enhance India's rapid combat capabilities against threats from China and Pakistan.

Integrated Battle Groups to be established this year? How IBGs can enhance defence against China and Pakistan snt

New Delhi: Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday expressed optimism that the Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) would be established this year, as the project is in its final stages. However, he suggested that if progress is not made, the initiative should be shelved.

General Dwivedi revealed that the Army has already presented the proposal to the Ministry of Defence and other key decision-makers.

Also read: 'No plans to reduce troop deployment along LAC', says Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi

In a reply to a question during his first-ever press conference ahead of 77th Army Day celebrations, General Upendra Dwivedi said: “As you are aware IBG as what we are working on. It is basically restructuring of a particular strike corps. Now, when we look at it, it has some financial implications, also it has implication in terms of equipping as well as Human Resource. It is taken a long period, it is in final stages and we are hopeful as of now, as I speak to you, the presentations have been given to the ministry of defence.”

“Few queries have been raised. We are hopeful because this is the first special purpose vehicle as the restructuring is concerned and if it goes through others will also follow suit,” the Army chief said.

However, he did not divulge the timeline of the project to get operational.

“Timeline is difficult to give because wherever the bureaucracy gets involved, it will take time. We are hopeful that by 2025 we will either create this IBG or cancel this project completely,” General Dwivedi said.

Several months ago, the Army submitted a draft Government Sanction Letter (GSL) for the creation of Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs), aiming to enhance India's military capabilities in contested regions.

What is the Integrated Battle Groups?

The Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) are envisioned as lethal, brigade-sized, agile, and self-sufficient combat formations designed to counter threats from both China and Pakistan, replacing the traditional division formation in the Indian Army.

Commanded by officers of the Major-General rank, the IBGs are set to revolutionize conventional warfare tactics. As previously reported by Asianet Newsable, these IBGs will be established under the Yol-headquartered 9 Corps along the western border and the Panagarh-based 17 Corps along the northern border.

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The 17 Corps will oversee four IBGs, while three will operate under the 9 Corps. Each IBG will be customized based on the specific terrain, operational task, and threat profile. Designed for rapid deployment, these formations will remain light and capable of being combat-ready within 12 to 48 hours.

Each Integrated Battle Group (IBG) will consist of approximately 5,000 troops, making it larger than a brigade (3,000-3,500 troops) but smaller than a division (10,000-12,000 soldiers). These formations will feature a permanent mix of infantry, artillery, armoured units, air defence, engineers, signals, and other supporting units.

India shares a 3,488-km-long border with China, spanning Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. With Pakistan, the border extends 3,323 kilometers.

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