India Cold Start Doctrine and Pakistan's Tactical Nukes

[IndianHawk]

It doesn't takes care of range, payload, radar size and general engine power.

The positive advances made in LCA are dwarfed by similar advances made by medium weight fighters.

For example, MK1A doesn't have any space for a passive sensor such as IRST or FSO. It cannot supercruise, It doesn't have MAWS, It doesn't have OBOGS, etc.

As for standoff weapons, they are not solution to every problem. They have lower accuracy, higher chance of interception and much higher cost. Saving money on the aircraft just to spend it on standoff weapons is foolishness unless no options are available.


It can and does crosses 3 tonnes. Why do you think B2 has such huge weapon carrying capacity? These aircraft are built to take out multiple targets in a single sortie. Tejas cannot do that. It requires multiple sorties which increase operational cost.



Yes they are useless in this era and yes advanced nations are already going for Su30 size fighters. There is a reason F35's MTOW is 32 tonnes vs 19-20 tonnes for F16. There is a reason why not a single light 5th gen aircraft project exists in the World today.

Now you shifted the goal post to stealth fighter and strategic bombers like B2.
Well then rafale is useless too. So is everything which is not stealth.

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[Defcon 1]

Now you shifted the goal post to stealth fighter and strategic bombers like B2.
Well then rafale is useless too. So is everything which is not stealth.

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I am not shifting goalposts. I am simply telling about advantage of using a bigger fighter in strike role. Rafale would have the same advantage over Tejas, though to a lesser extent. I mentioned B2 because of its bigger size, not stealth.

 

[IndianHawk]

I am not shifting goalposts. I am simply telling about advantage of using a bigger fighter in strike role. Rafale would have the same advantage over Tejas, though to a lesser extent. I mentioned B2 because of its bigger size, not stealth.

Lca was supposed to be primarily air defence replacement for mig21. Multirole capacity is add on bonus.
Yes rafale is much better for strike but that is in place of mig27 or jaguar.

I still stand by my point iaf should have gone for 250 mk1/mk1a as complete replacement for mig21s.

Anyway they are going for 123 only.
So in the end of the day only half of mig21 fleet are being replaced by LCA while rest 120 are God knows what as mwf will replace jaguar and mirage now.

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[Defcon 1]

Lca was supposed to be primarily air defence replacement for mig21. Multirole capacity is add on bonus.
Yes rafale is much better for strike but that is in place of mig27 or jaguar.

I still stand by my point iaf should have gone for 250 mk1/mk1a as complete replacement for mig21s.

Anyway they are going for 123 only.
So in the end of the day only half of mig21 fleet are being replaced by LCA while rest 120 are God knows what as mwf will replace jaguar and mirage now.

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Rest are to be replaced by MMRCA. MMRCA tender was floated in the first place due to delay in Tejas.

 

[Okabe Rintarou]

Coming back to Cold Start from 6th gen aircraft, can someone tell me what our IBG are going to look like? @Bhadra sir?
Sandeep Unnithan has this crazy article about all 40+ Divs and all Independent Bdes being converted into some 140 IBG.

140 IBG is a big number. My back of the envelope calculations tell me that we might have less about 90 IBG if we restructure the entire Army along those lines. These 90 would include:-

• 1 Airborne IBG
• 13 Armoured IBG
• 5-6 Artillery IBG
• 40 Infantry IBG (Plains)
• 30 Infantry IBG (Mountains)

Apart from that, CIF in the valley.
Where does Sandeep come up with the 140 figure? Another thing, what is an Engineer IBG? First time I ever heard of the idea. I thought that IBG were meant to be combat formations integrated with support units and tailored to their respective areas of responsibility. So how come there are supposed to be Engineer IBG now?

Thinking back to the interview Gen Rawat had given to Nitin A Gokhale just last December, Gen Rawat had mentioned only about 20-30 IBG in total. So where does this guy Sandeep get the information that all Divs are being restructured to IBGs? Just a case of bad reporting?

Edit: The infographic also mentions that Arty Divs have 500 guns each. That is patently false, isn't it?

 

[IndianHawk]

Rest are to be replaced by MMRCA. MMRCA tender was floated in the first place due to delay in Tejas.

Not really. Iaf wanted 126 mirages since 2003-04. That was always a separate requirement. Tejas delay only added to urgency of mmrca.

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[IndianHawk]

Cold start is quite old doctrine now. It's original purpose was to thrust in Pakistan swiftly and brutally in case of s paki misadventure.

Now after Uri and balakot we learn that paki aren't going to retaliate militarily. Paki won't give us an excuse for proper war. So the probability of cold start like thrust into Pakistan is much less now.

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[Okabe Rintarou]

Cold start is quite old doctrine now. It's original purpose was to thrust in Pakistan swiftly and brutally in case of s paki misadventure.

Now after Uri and balakot we learn that paki aren't going to retaliate militarily. Paki won't give us an excuse for proper war. So the probability of cold start like thrust into Pakistan is much less now.

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No offence, but it is quite audacious of you to talk about fighter jets and 6th gen and what not on a thread about Cold Start. And then, when prompted to revert to the topic of the thread, you come up with "cold start is old and obsolete now"....

Cold start is not old. Sunderji doctrine was old. Cold start required multiple changes, most of which have still not happened. A lot also has to do with a lull in military modernization and general policy paralysis under UPA. The Army is still working towards making Cold Start the default option if the political establishment declares war. This is the reason why IBG are being test-bedded by II Corps as we speak. Cold Start is far from obsolete.

 

[IndianHawk]

No offence, but it is quite audacious of you to talk about fighter jets and 6th gen and what not on a thread about Cold Start. And then, when prompted to revert to the topic of the thread, you come up with "cold start is old and obsolete now"....[emoji23]

Cold start is not old. Sunderji doctrine was old. Cold start required multiple changes, most of which have still not happened. A lot also has to do with a lull in military modernization and general policy paralysis under UPA. The Army is still working towards making Cold Start the default option if the political establishment declares war. This is the reason why IBG are being test-bedded by II Corps as we speak. Cold Start is far from obsolete.

None taken . I got carried away with lca topic.

Cold start has been mentioned again and again after 2001 parliament attack stand off. It's been 20 years already. In fact Pakistan even claims that it developed and operationalized nasr missile to counter cold start.
A doctrine towards which our enemy claims to have developed a dedicated weapon is an old doctrine.

IBG are still relevant but Pakistan isn't going to give us chance for an open war. After Uri and balakot strikes Pakistan could've escalated conflict but chose to hide the damage and sued for peace before the battle began.

So what I am really questioning is a probability of a scenario in which cold start will be applied.

The future of Indo Pakistan conflict is surgical and air strikes.




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[HariPrasad-1]

Pinaka MLRS barrage which is of same range as NASR

One and half time range and 2/3 time payload with deadly accuracy.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

What happened in Tarbela? ?????????????

 

[patriots]

What happened in Tarbela? ?????????????

Only baba knows...and dgispr too.........,.........

 

[Bhadra]

There are some confusions emerging with respect to cold start doctrine which I wish to clarify :

Cold start doctrine is a way to retain an option of exercising military options against Pakistan as an instrument of state policy :
* Neutralise Pakistani advantages in forward location of its forces, parallel and forward interior and exterior lines of communications which allows Pakistan quick deployment and easy switching of forces. Gain surprise and initiative against Pakistani military.
* Quick military action post political go ahead before own political leadership, diplomates, intelligentia and pressure groups force the political leadership to dither postpone military action.
* Exercising the military instrument of policy before external agencies interfere and prohibit make military actions

Cold start is a doctrine of Limited War under Nuclear overhang by undertaking limited shallow multiple thrusts into Pakistan to divide, confuse and draw in Pakistani military forces to battle and thereby reduce their reaction and overall military capabilities. This will be done in such a manner as to not escalate the war into nuclear escalation nor provide Pakistan an excuse to use nuclear options.

Retain own military capabilities to carry out deep devastating and powerful military thrusts inside Pakistan to break its cohesion and destruction of Pakistani military machine decisively and in detail.

Sundarji doctrine still remains the bedrock of Indian Army war fighting doctrine and has not been abandoned. Cold start doctrine is meant to carry out military operations against Pakistan by forces other than those required to execute Sundarji doctrine by means of concentration in time differentials and also recreation, redeployment and switching of reserve forces. Offensive operations by four strike corps into Pakistan to wage war for destruction of Pakistani military machine will always remain.

Cold Start Doctrine is only meant to enable India apply its military capability as an instrument of policy in response to Pakistani terrorist activities in limited but effective manner and to act as a deterrent to Pakistani Hybrid Warfare.

Applications of IBGs, their numbers, manner, sizes, time and space will be according to the aims and objectives of military operations.

 

[IndianHawk]

There are some confusions emerging with respect to cold start doctrine which I wish to clarify :

Cold start doctrine is a way to retain an option of exercising military options against Pakistan as an instrument of state policy :
* Neutralise Pakistani advantages in forward location of its forces, parallel and forward interior and exterior lines of communications which allows Pakistan quick deployment and easy switching of forces. Gain surprise and initiative against Pakistani military.
* Quick military action post political go ahead before own political leadership, diplomates, intelligentia and pressure groups force the political leadership to dither postpone military action.
* Exercising the military instrument of policy before external agencies interfere and prohibit make military actions

Cold start is a doctrine of Limited War under Nuclear overhang by undertaking limited shallow multiple thrusts into Pakistan to divide, confuse and draw in Pakistani military forces to battle and thereby reduce their reaction and overall military capabilities. This will be done in such a manner as to not escalate the war into nuclear escalation nor provide Pakistan an excuse to use nuclear options.

Retain own military capabilities to carry out deep devastating and powerful military thrusts inside Pakistan to break its cohesion and destruction of Pakistani military machine decisively and in detail.

Sundarji doctrine still remains the bedrock of Indian Army war fighting doctrine and has not been abandoned. Cold start doctrine is meant to carry out military operations against Pakistan by forces other than those required to execute Sundarji doctrine by means of concentration in time differentials and also recreation, redeployment and switching of reserve forces. Offensive operations by four strike corps into Pakistan to wage war for destruction of Pakistani military machine will always remain.

Cold Start Doctrine is only meant to enable India apply its military capability as an instrument of policy in response to Pakistani terrorist activities in limited but effective manner and to act as a deterrent to Pakistani Hybrid Warfare.

Applications of IBGs, their numbers, manner, sizes, time and space will be according to the aims and objectives of military operations.

And how does that fit with new narrative of " non military preemptive strike " on terrorist camps?

How would whole IBG enter Pakistan and attack a non military target without engaging Pakistan military?

That's why I questioned relevance of cold start today. At the very best presence of armed and ready IBG acts as a check on Pakistan's options when we do a surgical strike or air strike.

But Pakistani tepid response to our strikes proves that we can attack non military target within Pakistan and get away with it. That opens a new paradigm of policy response to terrorism.

It is much less escalatory then cold start also much less controversial and much less expensive and more time cost effective.




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[Bhadra]

And how does that fit with new narrative of " non military preemptive strike " on terrorist camps?

How would whole IBG enter Pakistan and attack a non military target without engaging Pakistan military?

That's why I questioned relevance of cold start today. At the very best presence of armed and ready IBG acts as a check on Pakistan's options when we do a surgical strike or air strike.

But Pakistani tepid response to our strikes proves that we can attack non military target within Pakistan and get away with it. That opens a new paradigm of policy response to terrorism.

It is much less escalatory then cold start also much less controversial and much less expensive and more time cost effective.




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Surgical strikes and deep air strikes are part of Cold start Doctrine.
The talk of hitting Non military targets is an exercise in diplomacy and not military logic.
A target is a target menat to achive an objective and aim.
If India retains the freedom to use military instrument as a tool of policy and uses that in the manner of Blakot - it is Cold Start.

Has not Pakistan been forces to reply militarily ? If India had chosen to indulge in attrition warfare any further, PAF would have suffered significant losses and paid for terrorist activities.

Use of IBG is an option - if not IBG then Air Strikes, If not air strikes then Naval Action. The question is "use military instrument as part of policy" before any "Love Pakistan Forces" influence the govt from carrying out such actions. They can do that after military action has been undertaken.

That my friend is "Cold Start Doctrine" - Strike from your bed before your terrified wife catches you.

 

[Bhadra]

Coming back to Cold Start from 6th gen aircraft, can someone tell me what our IBG are going to look like? @Bhadra sir?
Sandeep Unnithan has this crazy article about all 40+ Divs and all Independent Bdes being converted into some 140 IBG.

140 IBG is a big number. My back of the envelope calculations tell me that we might have less about 90 IBG if we restructure the entire Army along those lines. These 90 would include:-

• 1 Airborne IBG
• 13 Armoured IBG
• 5-6 Artillery IBG
• 40 Infantry IBG (Plains)
• 30 Infantry IBG (Mountains)

Apart from that, CIF in the valley.
Where does Sandeep come up with the 140 figure? Another thing, what is an Engineer IBG? First time I ever heard of the idea. I thought that IBG were meant to be combat formations integrated with support units and tailored to their respective areas of responsibility. So how come there are supposed to be Engineer IBG now?

Thinking back to the interview Gen Rawat had given to Nitin A Gokhale just last December, Gen Rawat had mentioned only about 20-30 IBG in total. So where does this guy Sandeep get the information that all Divs are being restructured to IBGs? Just a case of bad reporting?

Edit: The infographic also mentions that Arty Divs have 500 guns each. That is patently false, isn't it?

All that is bunkum.

Indian Army is organised around six static Regional Commands with a border sagement and a rare area placed under its command. All commands have two or more Corps placed under their command. Every Corps has two or more Division placed under them.

Whereas Commands are strategic level commands, Corps and Divisions are operational / Tactical level commands. Corps and division are operational formations but Commands are Static as also operational both.
Rare areas and Lines of Communications including logistics are looked after by Area HQs.

Pakistan Border

Four Commands and about 7-8 Corps are responsible for defense of Indo - Pak border called Pivot Corps. Besides about 4 Corps exist solely for offensive / counter offensive roles against Pakistan called Strike Corps. Every Corps in plains have at least one independent armoured brigade integral to them to restore adverse situation and maintain defensive balance. Besides, Divisions in these Corps are organised as RAPIDS having at least one armoured / mechanised brigade to them.

Pivot Corps Resources

Every Pivot Corps has two to three Infantry Divisions called RAPID, minimum one independent armoured brigade / mountain brigade, one independent artillery brigade, One Engineer brigade and AD resources, aviation resources with them. It is these resources which are utilised to form IBG.

IBG
One Pivot Corps can form one large IBG out of its own integral resources. Since India has 7-8 Corps facing Pakistan, India can launch minimum 7-8 IBGs inside Pakistan in one go or as iteration.

IBG is a task oriented / mission oriented temporary operational grouping which is nothing but an extension of terminology used in mobile mechanised warfare such as CT/ CG / CC. If the grouping is under a divisional HQ then call it IBG. That is all.

Thus one IBG may have minimum one or two Infantry brigade, one or two armoured brigades, required artillery, Engineers, AD Elements and aviation assets beside close air support.

Defensive / Offensive Balance

Four strike Corps not touched for forming IBGs will be in their operational areas to restore any adverse situation as also launch a major offensive into Pakistan following any one or two IBGs or independently

Fire Support
Due to increased ranges of guns (41 -45 kms) artillery will be able to concentrate fire of double the fire units in the intended ares as artillery on flanks will also be able to participate. At Corps level fire of Grad BM, Pinaka and Smerch coupled with Brahmos will be available. At Corps level launching an IBG and supported by artillary division, it is possible to support shallow (30-40 km) operations with 100 gun fire.

Overall Comparative Balance

Having launched 8 IBGs, it is expected that Pakistan will be forced to commit significant reserves for stopping the IBG. However four strike Corps in their launch pads will get an opening into Pakistani territory with very less reserves available as balance. In such a definite scenario, Indian strike will run through deep into KPK and Baluchistan dismembering Pakistan.

What are Pakistani Options

* Make houses of their soldiers next to fighting bunkers so that they are permanently deployed on forward line. Future Pakistani generation will be born in bunkers.....
* Raise three - four more divisions and burn their burnt pockets.
* Stop terrorism.
* Use nuclear weapons and ensure Pakistan is finished for ever.

Pakistan in fact has no credible answer to this new doctrine except inviting full nuclear retaliation.

 

[Bhadra]

Coming back to Cold Start from 6th gen aircraft, can someone tell me what our IBG are going to look like? @Bhadra sir?
Sandeep Unnithan has this crazy article about all 40+ Divs and all Independent Bdes being converted into some 140 IBG.

140 IBG is a big number. My back of the envelope calculations tell me that we might have less about 90 IBG if we restructure the entire Army along those lines. These 90 would include:-

• 1 Airborne IBG
• 13 Armoured IBG
• 5-6 Artillery IBG
• 40 Infantry IBG (Plains)
• 30 Infantry IBG (Mountains)

Apart from that, CIF in the valley.
Where does Sandeep come up with the 140 figure? Another thing, what is an Engineer IBG? First time I ever heard of the idea. I thought that IBG were meant to be combat formations integrated with support units and tailored to their respective areas of responsibility. So how come there are supposed to be Engineer IBG now?

Thinking back to the interview Gen Rawat had given to Nitin A Gokhale just last December, Gen Rawat had mentioned only about 20-30 IBG in total. So where does this guy Sandeep get the information that all Divs are being restructured to IBGs? Just a case of bad reporting?

Edit: The infographic also mentions that Arty Divs have 500 guns each. That is patently false, isn't it?

Further to my post #478

IBG

There is nothing called as Ifntry IBG, Armour IBG or any artillery IBG or Engineer IBG.
An IBG - Integrated battle group is a functional and mission oriented task force under a divisional HQ. Disional HQ can be provided by an Infantry Division or an armoured division as these two entries are only organised to conduct and control a division size force into battles. Since the three Armour Divisions and Six to Eight Infantry (RAPID) divisions and their resources are likely to remain as reserves and poised for subsequent bigger operations, these may not be utilised to form IBGs.

Pivot Corps

Pivot Corps in plains have two to three RAPIDs with them for Defensive task. Besides all Pivot Corps have one independent armoured Brigade available to them. In mountains they have at least one Mountain Brigade integral to Corps.

Thus these armoured brigades or mountain brigades will form core of the IBG to which mission orinted forces will be added from the Pivot Corps resources.

Say a Pivot Corps IBG may have one to two infantry brigades, one independent armoured brigade, one Recce and Support battalion, four to six artillery regiments (12 to 18 fire units), Rocket and Missile fire support, one assault Engineer squadron, one engineer regiment, One AD group and logistics elements etc. It will entirely depend on the task or mission. Thus IBG has no fixed composition except that it will be under a Divisional HQ.

IBG are out of forces already available in border areas as far forward as possible. There is no mobilisation for long period and IBG forces can group into battle formation within 24-48 hours and can launch operations withing 48-72 hours of political clearance.

Such forces will normally be predetermined, well rehearsed and well trained during peacetime. It is only the positioning of logistics that will take 24-48 hours to be carried out during warning period.

Since these forces are part of holding / defense elements, their being launched will retain element of surprise and the initiative will remain with Indian commanders. It would be difficult for Pakistani army to determine where in a frontage of 100 km this force is being launched. Even if the likely area of launched is determined, there would be very little time available to react.

Objectives.

The objective of the IBG is likely to be within 20-40 km from the border and most probably to remain within own artillery range of 42 km so that no pause is required to redeploy artillery. The area will be :
* Areas Vital for Defensive battles to Pakistan.
* Areas that will aid and facilitate further deep penetration operation by Strike Corps.
* Forward Communication Centres.
* Command, Control and communication assets.
* Water obstacles and water control and distribution centres.
* Population Centers.
* Pakistani mobile reserves and other military capabilities..

Joint Operations

Success of operations will largely depend on India's ability to achieve local / total air superiority for a limited period over the areas of operations and CAS provided to the advancing IBGs. Joint operations by Indian Navy and Army over coastal areas of Pakistan will pay great dividends. Naval operations of interdiction / blockade or support by Naval aviation to IBGs will be force multipliers.

 

[Okabe Rintarou]

So what I am really questioning is a probability of a scenario in which cold start will be applied.

Intent changes overnight. The job of the Indian Armed Forces is to train for every eventuality. They need to give a capable response option to the GoI. The Pakistanis think that they will not give us a chance at exercising Cold Start. Just like they thought that doing Pulwama just before elections will ensure Modi's defeat. Just like they thought that doing Kargil will win them Siachen. Pakistan is in the habit of making miscalculations. In the future, they might miscalculate and make a move on the hybrid front that will give India legal authority to attack Pakistan. The Cold Start doctrine will be implemented then. And the diplomatic Corps will ensure that the international sentiment supports India. You are questioning the probability of a scenario which I say is not a matter of if but when. Its inevitable. And we had better be prepared to implement Cold Start on the ground on that fateful day.

 

[Okabe Rintarou]

Thank you for this treasure trove of information @Bhadra sir. There is a lot in here that is new info to me.

In summary, what I have understood from your posts on the crux of the Cold Start doctrine is that:-

• Cold Start is not a replacement of Sundarji doctrine but an improvement to shorten mobilization times, shorten OODA loop and to take into account the nuclear overhang.
  
• Each Holding Corps will be transformed into a Pivot Corps by creating an IBG out of the Corps' resources.
  
• Hence a total of about 8 IBG, one within each of the 8 Pivot Corps will be created.
• These IBG will be prepositioned in forward areas.
  
• The offensive power and mission of the Strike Corps will not change.
  
• Start of IBG offensive ops will be within 72 hours of receiving directive from the Government.
  
• IBG will aim to capture areas upto 40 km depth from the IB or LoC with swift ops utilizing element of surprise.
• Once the Pivot Corps spearheaded by IBGs have punched the holes into Pakistani defences and opened a path into the hinterland, the Strike Corps will stage in chosen Sub Areas and then attack through the salients created by IBG.
  
• Strike Corps will aim to penetrate x00 km inside Pakistan and attack areas of strategic importance (cities?).

I have some more questions:-

• Why is II Corps being chosen to run the test-bed for IBG this/next month given that II Corps is a Strike Corps, not a Pivot Corps?
• Is the purpose of IBG and Pivot Corps also to force Pakistan to draw out its Strategic reserve formations (I and II Corps), making them attack an IBG thereby allowing Strike Corps to flank and encircle these formations?
  • Once the IBG capture their objectives, will the IBG be able to hold against Pakistani counter-offensive launched by I and II Corps? What if the Indian Strike Corps are not able to advance quickly enough to reinforce an under-attack IBG on time? That IBG could be pincered by I and II Corps.
    
  • What rear echelon forces will reinforce the IBG and guard its rear once the IBG reach its stated objectives? An Infantry Div from that Corps?
    
  • Will the advent of IBG make the Pakistan Army split its Strategic Reserve into smaller formations? I can see that Pakistan is hopelessly out of options here.
• Strike Corps will remain the same and Holding Corps will be provided with more Armour and Mechanised Infantry to convert them to Pivot Corps. So why do we not see any accretion in the total number of Tank Regiments and Mechanised Infantry Battalions?
  • Are the existing number of Tanks and Infantry Fighting Vehicles in the Independent Armoured Brigades sufficient to form the armoured nucleus of an IBG?
  • But we have only seven Independent Armoured Brigades.
  • Similarly, we have only six RAPIDs.
    
  • How can we make 8 IBG out of 7 Independent Armoured Brigades and 6 RAPIDs?
  • Is the new order for 450 T-90MS also going to help here? These should be enough to raise 10 more Armoured Regiments taking the total to 77. Or is it just meant for Depsang plains and North Sikkim plateau?
• About missile and MBRL support available to the IBG, will it be from existing Arty Divs or will new missile and MBRL regiment(s) be raised as part of new Arty Bde/Div for each Pivot Corps?
  • Are current Arty Divisions placed under Command HQ or Strike Corps HQ?
  • Will Mountain Strike Corps also get Arty Divs? So far I only know about 40, 41 and 42 Arty Divs which are all meant for plains.
• From the looks of it, the plan is to stay close to the Pakistani cities and suburbs (to prevent "Tactical" Nuclear Strikes) but not enter the cities (to prevent a Stalingrad). How does the Army plan to augment Western Command's urban fighting capablity? Particularly the armour. Will armour survive
• Application of air cavalry. I remember reading last year that the Army was trying "Air Cavalry" concept. Obviously this concept is difficult to apply until the Air Force relents and allows Army to fulfill its Battlefield Support Helicopters (Mi-17 and IMRH) as part of Army Aviation. But which units, do you think, will be trained for Air Assault. (Bit confused about difference between Air Cavalry and Air Assault). As far as I can tell, a larger number of light infantry in air assault roles will require more effort in sanitizing the area off enemy AD. But Air Assault can also prove to be instrumental as seen in Meghna Heli lift in 1971.

That my friend is "Cold Start Doctrine" - Strike from your bed before your terrified wife catches you.

Nice one

 

[Bhadra]

Thank you for this treasure trove of information @Bhadra sir. There is a lot in here that is new info to me.

• Each Holding Corps will be transformed into a Pivot Corps by creating an IBG out of the Corps' resources.

Post Op Parakram all holding corps in plains have been converted into Pivot Corps. They are called "pivot" keeping in line with the terminology and meaning of mobile mechanised warfare in which a pivot is firm base for orchestrating a mechanised battle. The task of pivot is to act like a anvil for the strike of a hammer.

For example Pakistan ARS launches offensive into say 10 Corps Zone. Then 10 Corps should be able to channelise, dealy, disrupt and hold Pakistani strike Corps with two infantry divisions holding the ground and three armoured brigades of the Corps conducting mobile battles. The entire corps thus becomes an anvil or pivot for own strike corps armoured division hammer to strike and destroy Pakistani ARS.

A pivot Corps is thus capable forming an IBG as also retain their defensive balance to act like a pivot.

• [*]a total of about 8 IBG, one within each of the 8 Pivot Corps will be created.
  [*]These IBG will be prepositioned in forward areas.
  
  [*]The offensive power and mission of the Strike Corps will not change.
  
  [*]Start of IBG offensive ops will be within 72 hours of receiving directive from the Government.
  
  [*]IBG will aim to capture areas upto 40 km depth from the IB or LoC with swift ops utilizing element of surprise.
  [*]Once the Pivot Corps spearheaded by IBGs have punched the holes into Pakistani defences and opened a path into the hinterland, the Strike Corps will stage in chosen Sub Areas and then attack through the salients created by IBG.
  
  [*]Strike Corps will aim to penetrate x00 km inside Pakistan and attack areas of strategic importance (cities?).

As per my understanding, you have understood the application of Cold War Doctrine correctly.

The Forces that form IBG are prepositioned near their defended areas which is their primary tasks during peacetime say for example in Fazilka, Sriganganagar, Firozpur or Suratgarh etc. They are within 20-30 km of the border. The forces occupy their defences during Warning period and IBG forces may quitely group together somewhere behind the forward defences. On the word go, IBGs cross the border for intended task and rest of the Corps occupy the defenses as usual.

Thus a pivot corps has held its defences as also launched an IBG. Pivot Corps still has two infantry divisions minus and two armoured brigades left behind and its defensive balance is intact.

It is necessary that all pivot Corps must have those elements integral to it which are required to form an IBG eg additional artillery, rocket artillery, missile regiment, aviation assets, engineers and AD and should not wiat for them to come from somewhere near Delhi or Jhansi.

It is also imperative that logistics elements are also prepositioned in such a manner that the intended ares of operations of IBG are not revealed.