Army strike formation validates new assault concepts

[thestringshredder]

Army strike formation validates new assault concepts

The Army's 36 Reorganised Army Plains Division (RAPID), part of the Bhopal-based 21 Strike Corps has successfully validated a slew of new war-fighting concepts in Exercise Shahbaaz Ajay in the Thar Desert.

The formation "refined existing battle procedures as prevalent in the 21st century battlefield milieu," the Army said in a statement.

The high-level exercise saw 15,000 troops and over 100 tanks and armoured vehicles, including T-90 tanks. Artillery units and rocket regiments also took part.

"A high degree of integration was achieved with the Indian Air Force while undertaking specialised operations which included an airborne assault and a special helicopter borne operation," said the Army. Two IAF C-130J aircraft conducted a low-level night flight simulating a dash into enemy airspace to deploy special forces commandos in a narrow drop zone. Army commander, Southern Command, Lt General Ashok Singh reviewed the exercise on one of the days.

The Shahbaaz Ajay exercise is only one in what will be a series of manoeuvers through 2014 to validate fresh war-fighting doctrinal concepts that envisage rapid deployment, backward integration of strike units and the deep integration of airborne assets in a border scenario.

Link - Army strike formation validates new assault concepts | idrw.org

 

[HariPrasad]

Very Nice. Formation and validation of new concept is key to optimization of resources. We should keep creating scenarios put them to test validate them refine them and so on.....

 

[Armstrong]

I swear that I read something similar a few days ago or maybe its deja vu ?

 

[janon]

I swear that I read something similar a few days ago or maybe its deja vu ?

It happened and was reported 6 days back. IDRW, as usual, is copy-pasting old news from other sources and pretending it to be its own.

Army carries out wargames near Indo-Pak border - Hindustan Times

Here are some interesting pictures from the exxercise by torqueaviation. Note that IDRW has copied the captions verbatim, and made an article out of it.

EXERCISE SHAHBAAZ AJAY | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[Manindra]

When would IA start exercise at brigade level instead of corps level.

 

[T90TankGuy]

When would IA start exercise at brigade level instead of corps level.

Do enlighten me as the the above statement you made.

 

[Manindra]

Do enlighten me as the the above statement you made.

Today all modern militaries validates their doctrine in brigade level because in modern time their are not war with full military force but in small numbers which can break enemy formation swiftly without deploying large corps which would be logistical nightmare in country like India.
Brigade level = small number but well equipped = better coordination = swift deployment = more punch

 

[T90TankGuy]

Today all modern militaries validates their doctrine in brigade level because in modern time their are not war with full military force but in small numbers which can break enemy formation swiftly without deploying large corps which would be logistical nightmare in country like India.
Brigade level = small number but well equipped = better coordination = swift deployment = more punch

The IA does hold battalion and brigade level exercises , they are just not news worthy enough .

 

[Manindra]

The IA does hold battalion and brigade level exercises , they are just not news worthy enough .

True but IA hold all exercise which base on doctrine on Corps level. For example Cold Start is based on corps level but its wants swift deployment of troops which are serious concern for IA.
IA needs to upgrade it to modern age from WWII era practices.

 

[T90TankGuy]

True but IA hold all exercise which base on doctrine on Corps level. For example Cold Start is based on corps level but its wants swift deployment of troops which are serious concern for IA.
IA needs to upgrade it to modern age from WWII era practices.

If you get a chance read up on Gen Sunderji, and his army 2000 plan , also the tactics employed by the IA today are all based on their study of the first and second gulf wars. Of course adapted to suit our need.

 

[Manindra]

If you get a chance read up on Gen Sunderji, and his army 2000 plan , also the tactics employed by the IA today are all based on their study of the first and second gulf wars. Of course adapted to suit our need.

General Sunder Ji was genious but he laid his plan in late eighties but today is different scenerio. In those days IA use 7.62 mm assault rifle but today 5.56 mm assault rifle.

 

[T90TankGuy]

General Sunder Ji was genious but he laid his plan in late eighties but today is different scenerio. In those days IA use 7.62 mm assault rifle but today 5.56 mm assault rifle.

And many army men want to go back to the 7.62

 

[janon]

Today all modern militaries validates their doctrine in brigade level because in modern time their are not war with full military force but in small numbers which can break enemy formation swiftly without deploying large corps which would be logistical nightmare in country like India.
Brigade level = small number but well equipped = better coordination = swift deployment = more punch

IA holds exercises at all levels, from company to command.

The IA's doctrine since the 2000s has been to fight at division levels, with Independent Battle Groups and RAPIDS. This exercise was held at division level, as the article states.

Having a doctrine centered around brigades will be way beyond our means for a long time to come. That will need a lot more mechanisation, and a lot more heliborne assets, which we simply cannot afford. Our 100 billion dollar modernisation plan will enable us to fight at division level.

Note that western countries, with the exception of the US, field very small armies. Even the US army is only half as big as ours, numerically. We, because of our geography and threat scenario, need a very large army. And it is simply not possible to mechanize all of them, without spending half our GDP on that.

Our doctrine is based on our requirement and our financial means. We need several mountain divisions, which have to be line infantry and not mechanized. So how do we have brigade sized formations with enough firepower and mobility in our mountains, the most likely flashpoint? It is not possible. And on the plains, we simply cannot field as many mechanized and heliborne formations that the US can.

So aiming for division sized independent groups is our best bet, and that is what we are doing. Note that corp sized fighting formations have been discarded already. The doctrine as we know from public sources, is that in the event of an Indo-pak war, eight highly reinforced division sized formations will attack pakistan from eight different places, with overwhelming firepower.

 

[Omega007]

And Manindra ji,what makes you think what worked for U.S and NATO will also work in our case?
Did the U.S of A or NATO have to face a highly trained and well equipped commonwealth army like our western neighbour commands??Heck they didn't even fight against any army!

Do you think even a mechanised brigade can breakthrough the kind of defences that Pakistan has put in place over the years?Infact the smaller brigade will be more vulnerable against a Pak out flanking maneuver since a brigade will have hardly eneough power for contact battle,let alone flank protection!

Even if the brigade does manage to breakthrough,can it hold its ground against a counter attack by elements of PA's large reserve formations?

And lastly,when was the last time your U.S of A or NATO armies had to face an opponent which itself operates two massive corps sized strike formations named Army Reserve North and Army Reserve sout And lastly,when was the last time your U.S of A or NATO armies had to face an opponent which itself operates two massive corps sized strike formations named Army Reserve North and Army Reserve sout And lastly,when was the last time your U.S of A or NATO armies had to face an opponent which itself operates two massive corps sized strike formations named Army Reserve North and Army Reserve sout And lastly,when was the last time your U.S of A or NATO armies had to face an opponent which itself operates two massive corps sized strike formations named Army Reserve North and Army Reserve south??

 

[Khan_patriot]

one thing to practice war games and a whole new ball game when it comes to war, in its actual sense, but I am not a strategics savvy guy, happy to know more about India's combat doctrine though....I am sure the Pakistan army (I am not paranoid, its obviously aimed at Pakistan hence its the ''Plains Div'')
is concocting something to counter this....