Seeing the changing aspects of Afghanistan, the Defence Ministry of India considers forming Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) as a quick decision-making aspect during wartime. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated the above-mentioned concern while addressing the Defence Services and Staff College at nearby Wellington on Sunday.
“The changing equation in Afghanistan is a challenge for us…These situations have forced our country to rethink its strategy. We are changing our strategy and the formation of Quad underlines this strategy,” he said.
On IBGs, the Minister said these groups would not only facilitate faster decision-making but also increase the number of integrated fighting units.
Without naming Pakistan, Singh said, “After losing two wars, one of our neighboring countries has started resorting to proxy war, and terrorism has become an integral part of its state policy.”
A unilateral attempt was made last year to change the status quo on the border. “There too, we faced our adversary with a new dynamism,” Singh said.
“If the ceasefire (between India and Pakistan) succeeds today, it is because of our strength. The cross-border attacks in 2016 changed our reactionary mindset to a proactive mindset, which was declared in 2019. It was further strengthened by the Balakot airstrike,” he added.
“Ever since our country became independent it has been the endeavor of enemy forces to create an atmosphere of instability within the country through one or the other means. Taking the history of the last 75 years, it seems that we have inherited the challenges,” he added.