The army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, on Saturday announced the formation of an “all-arms brigade” named Rudra, which will integrate multiple combat units backed by logistics and combat support.
Speaking at a commemorative ceremony at Drass in Ladakh to mark Kargil Vijay Divas, General Dwivedi said: “Rudra is being established for which I gave an approval yesterday. Under this, we will have infantry, mechanised infantry, armoured units, artillery, special forces and unmanned aerial units at one place.”
He said the surgical strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack had sent a strong message to Pakistan that supporters and facilitators of terrorism would not be spared. A stern response to the adversary is the new normal established by India, he added.
“This time, India not only mourned but also showed that the response will be decisive. With the faith shown by the countrymen and the free hand given by the government, the Indian Army gave a befitting surgical response,” he said.
“Any power that tries to challenge the unity, integrity and sovereignty of India or harm the people will be given a befitting reply. This is the new normal of India.”
General Dwivedi said the army had eliminated nine high-value terrorist targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during Operation Sindoor, with zero collateral damage, and also thwarted Islamabad’s aggressive military actions.
“India attained a decisive victory by effective targeting of terror infrastructure in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. The army targeted the terrorist infrastructure and foiled the other aggressive moves of Pakistan,” he said.
Highlighting how the armed forces had responded to Pakistan’s military actions, he said India had given peace a chance but Pakistan had shown cowardice.
“The Pakistani action on May 8 and 9 was responded to effectively. Our army air defence stood like an impregnable wall, which could not be breached by any missile or drone,” he said.
Announcing the new “all-arms brigades”, General Dwivedi said the army was aiming to evolve into a “future-oriented force” through the creation of integrated brigades and stronger special force units.
He said the army had recently formed a special strike force, Bhairav Light Commando Units, which is “always ready to surprise and shock the enemy at the border”.
“Every infantry battalion now has a drone platoon. In the artillery, the Shaktiban regiment has been set up, which will be equipped with a drone, counter-drone, and loitering munitions,” General Dwivedi said.
“Every regiment will have a composite battery equipped with these things.”
Students and veteran army staff during the unveiling of the 75-ft Veeragallu (hero stone) to mark the 26 years of Kargil Vijay Diwas, at National Military Memorial in Bengaluru PTI
The army chief added that the Indian armed forces’ capability would increase manifold as “we are equipping the army air defence systems with indigenous missiles”.
Sources said that two of the army’s infantry brigades deployed along the Pakistan frontier had already been converted into Rudra.