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All about Indian Army's new Rudra brigade and Bhairav Commando units
Army chief general Upendra Dwivedi said the creation of the new Rudra and Bhairav units will increase the force ‘multifold’.
The Indian Army is considering setting up new ‘Rudra’ all-arms brigades and ‘Bhairav’ light commando battalions, a significant move aimed at increasing the operational capabilities along the borders with China and Pakistan.
The Rudra brigades and the Bhairav light commando battalion are a part of the army’s future-ready force.
Army chief general Upendra Dwivedi said the creation of the new units will increase the force ‘multifold’. He made the announcement during the Kargil Vijay Diwas in Drass on Saturday.
But what exactly are the ‘Rudra’ brigade and the ‘Bhairav’ light commando battalions?
All about Indian Army’s ‘Rudra brigade’ and ‘Bhairav' commandos
The Indian Army has reportedly converted two of its infantry brigades, which are deployed on the border, into Rudra brigades. The Rudra brigades include components such as infantry, mechanised infantry, tanks, artillery units, special forces and unmanned aerial systems.
"Rudra, all of the brigade, is being established for which I gave approval yesterday. Under this, we will have infantry, mechanised infantry, armoured units, artillery, special forces and unmanned aerial units at one place to provide logistics and combat support," CoAS general Upendra Dwivedi said.
Rudra Brigades are all-arms formations that combine infantry, mechanised units, tanks, artillery, special forces, and unmanned aerial systems with dedicated logistics and combat support.
On the other hand, the army has also formed a lethal Special Forces unit named Bhairav Light Commando Battalion.. The unit is "always ready to surprise the enemy at the border."
"We are driven towards becoming a developed, modern and futuristic power. A new brigade is being established, and I approved it yesterday. This will have fighting components like mechanised infantry, armoured units, artillery, special forces with logistic and combat support... Special forces have also been established that will always be ready to shock the enemy on the border," general Dwivedi said about the ‘Bhairav' commandos.
The plan involves converting existing units and formations without fresh troop accretions, the Times of India reported, quoting a senior officer.
As part of the plan, 250 single-arm brigades (over 3,000 soldiers each) are now being converted to all-arms ones with integration of fighting elements like infantry, mechanised infantry, armoured (tanks), artillery, Special Forces and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), it reported. These brigades will be backed by customised logistics and combat support.
