The Indian Army changing the way it operates – Firstpost

According to a report, the Indian Army is making a significant change by converting select formations into Rudra All-Arms Brigade, marking a departure from its traditional single-arm structure. The Times of India.

The 11.5 lakh-strong army is reorganizing some of its more than 250 single-arm brigades – each comprising more than 3,000 soldiers – into integrated units that combine multiple combat and support elements.

Unlike conventional brigades, which have only one combat arm, the Rudra Brigade integrates infantry, armour, artillery, engineers, air defence, signals and logistics units into a self-sustaining structure even during peacetime. This ensures far better cohesion, seamless coordination and faster mobility for combined-arms operations.

The new structure is designed to deliver faster and more powerful offensive strikes into enemy territory, allowing the Army to respond with greater speed, flexibility and battlefield coordination.

From the beginning of the cold to the end of the cold

When a nation updates its military doctrine, it signals a change in its intention to fight future wars. Following the successful testing of the newly formed Rudra All-Arms Brigade during the tri-service Exercise Trishul on the Western Front, the Indian Army appears to be ready for a shift from the traditional ‘Cold Start’ approach to a faster, faster ‘Cold Strike’ strategy.

According to the Times of India, India’s Cold Start doctrine was conceived after Operation Parakram (2001–02). The operation revealed that it took about a month for conventional strike formations to be mobilized along the Pakistan border after the December 2001 Parliament attack. By the time India was ready to respond, Pakistan had strengthened its security and international diplomatic pressure, especially from the US, kept the situation from escalating.

Cold Start was therefore designed as a rapid mobilization conventional war strategy that would enable India to launch swift, limited strikes under the nuclear shadow.

Lieutenant General Seth on Rudra Brigade and Cold Strike

During Exercise Trishul, Southern Army Command chief Lieutenant General Dheeraj Seth confirmed that the Rudra Brigade under Konark Corps (XII Corps) has been “operationally validated”, indicating the Army’s readiness to adopt this modern, integrated approach.

Lt Gen Seth said, “Now, with the Rudra Brigade, the time has come to convert the Cold Start doctrine into Cold Strike. I am fully satisfied that in the times to come, the Rudra Brigade will be successful in multi-domain operations and will carry out its task effectively against the enemy.”

Origin of cold start

After Operation Parakram exposed the slowness of strike formations, the Army originally formulated its proactive conventional warfare strategy, popularly called the Cold Start doctrine. By the time India was ready, Pakistan had strengthened its position, and American pressure prevented a cross-border response. The Army has since refined the strategy to enable rapid mobilization for multiple limited strikes under a nuclear threat.

Pakistan, which does not have a “no first use” nuclear policy like India, countered this by demonstrating shorter-range Nasr (Hatf-IX) and other nuclear-capable missiles.

Rudra Brigade: A new operational paradigm

The 11.5 lakh-strong army is converting select single-arm brigades into Rudra All-Arms Brigades, integrating infantry, mechanized infantry, armored units, artillery, air defence, engineers, signals, drones and combat support elements.

The Rudra Brigade unites all combat and support elements into a self-contained structure even during peacetime, ensuring better cohesion and faster mobility. Two Rudra brigades are already deployed on the northern borders with China – one in eastern Ladakh and the other in Sikkim.

“Each Rudra Brigade will be tailored according to its assigned area of ​​operations, terrain and operational task. Units can be combined or separated depending on the requirements,” an officer said.

Full-spectrum verification during Akhand Prahar exercise

During Exercise ‘Akhand Prahar’, Konark Corps demonstrated its full-spectrum combat readiness. The exercise included integrated use of all arms – from mechanized and infantry maneuvers to land operations executed by the Rudra Brigade, called ‘Black Mess’, as well as special heliborne operations and coordinated attack helicopter missions.

“It also saw seamless coordination between the Army and the Indian Air Force carrying out combat ground attack missions in close support of the ground forces,” another officer said.