Rudra Brigades And Bhairav Commandos: India’s New Edge Against Two-Front Threat – All You Need To Know

In the wake of rising tension with Pakistan and China on the western and northern borders, respectively, the Indian Army is setting up ‘Rudra’ Brigades and ‘Bhairav’ Commando Battalions to be a future-ready force. The announcement in this regard was made by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi on the occasion of the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas in Drass.

While speaking at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass, the COAS said, “Rudra, an all-arms 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.”

If media reports are to be believed, two infantry brigades have already been converted into Rudra Brigades. The Indian Army has also formed a special strike force, the ‘Bhairav Light Commando Unit’. As per General Dwivedi, this commando unit is always ready to “surprise the enemy” at the border.

Also Read: Indian Army Commemorates 26th Anniversary Of Kargil Vijay Diwas – In PICS

All About Rudra Brigade And ‘Bhairav’ Commando Unit:

Rudra Brigades are integrated all-arms formations. They comprise infantry, mechanised infantry, tanks, artillery, special forces, and unmanned aerial systems, along with dedicated logistics and combat support elements. Each Rudra Brigade will differ in composition depending on its operational role.

As per a report by The Economic Times, the Indian Army is planning to convert 250 single-arm brigades, comprising around 3,000 personnel, into all-arms formations.

The concept of Rudra Brigades is built on the Indian Army’s previous proposal of Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs).

On the other hand, the ‘Bhairav’ Commando Unit is a lethal Special Forces unit. It is intended for quick strikes and rapid border deployment.