Exclusive: Plans for four agile Army battle groups in the east gather pace

The XVII MSC is one of the Army’s four strike corps — the other three are the Mathura-based I Corps, the Ambala-based II Corps, and the Bhopal-based XXI Corps. Before 2021, the XVII MSC had one division, but after that, it was equipped with an additional division from an existing corps to arm it further for its role in the eastern theatre.

As per current plans, each of the proposed IBGs will have battalions of infantry, artillery regiments, as well as elements of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Combat Engineers, Army Service Corps, and a field hospital or others.

The IBGs will be able to draw logistics and other support elements from the corps units under corps headquarters and the other holding formations of the XVII MSC if and when needed. A separate group can also be established under the corps headquarters from which the IBGs can draw fire support. The plans of their establishment are still under discussion and could be further refined before being implemented.

They are part of a larger restructuring plan of the Army which includes the creation of Bhairav battalions, Rudra brigades, Divyastra batteries and Shaktibaan units. Rudra brigades have been established with a similar concept as IBGs.

Once established, these will be the first IBGs of the Army – a move proposed in one of the four studies initiated by then Army chief General Bipin Rawat – on the restructuring of the Army. The plans to establish IBGs have been under discussion for about seven years now. These plans of capability development are premised on capacity, and not a threat-based model.

The IBGs were proposed with the intention of carrying out both offensive and defensive roles against an adversary’s attack.

The concept was test-bedded at the IX Corps on the western border with Pakistan around 2019, but remains to be implemented. The IBG concept was also experimented with multiple exercises conducted in the eastern theatre, including Exercise HimVijay in 2019.

The establishment of the IBGs will be especially crucial in mountainous terrains. Their agile nature allows for rapid deployment in any area where they are needed, eliminating the wait for the entire corps to mobilise. A corps can comprise up to one lakh troops and takes a much longer time to get deployed.

The strength of an IBG lies in its swift application and its flexible nature, sources said, adding that the creation of the IBGs will also ensure better cohesiveness as agile units for various combined arms operations, and can be deployed under specific theatre commands once they come into existence.

In the last 10 years, China has also transitioned from older divisions to smaller, more versatile Combined Arms Brigades (CABs), integrated with tanks, artillery, air defence and support units, designed for joint operations.