Indian Army’s New Commandos: To be ready for modern warfare, the Indian Army has created a new commando formation named the Bhairav (Bhairon) Commando Force — a specialized intermediate unit designed to fill the capability gap between existing Ghatak platoon commandos and the Army’s Special Forces / Para Commandos. The new commando formation called the Bhairav Commando Force is now a reality. Five elite “Bhairon Battalions” have been raised initially to bridge the operational gap between Ghatak Commandos and full Special Forces. The plan is to raise around 25 units, each of ~250 troops, within six months, drawing personnel from key combat arms.
Deployment and Mission Areas
These units will be deployed across several corps responsible for the security of Leh, Srinagar, Nagrota, western India, and the Northeast. The Army’s objective is to create roughly 23–25 Bhairav commando units; the first tranche has already been prepared.
Training Arrangements
According to exclusive information obtained by ZEE News, the Bhairav Commandos are being given training at their own regimental training centres. Names of volunteer soldiers and officers from various regiments have already been requested for the Bhairav commando training course. Candidates are being sought from across different units to join the course voluntarily.
Why “Bhairav”? Idea Behind Name
In Indian belief, Bhairav is regarded as an intense (ugra) form of Lord Shiva; the literal meaning is “Lord of Fear.” Naming the unit “Bhairav” is intended to create a psychological effect — to instil fear in adversaries. Bhairav is traditionally seen as a protector of dharma against evil forces, which is another reason the symbol has been attached to this national-security preparation.
Role And Responsibility
The Indian infantry already fields Ghatak (lethal/assault) commandos in each platoon, and the Army uses Para Commandos / Special Forces for deep-strike and large counterterror operations. The Bhairav Commando units are being created to occupy the middle ground: more capable than Ghatak commandos, but intended to handle many roles so that Para Commandos can be reserved for the most critical or sensitive (critical/confidential) operations.
Independent Units
Ghatak commandos are a section-sized group within each platoon and report through platoon channels. Bhairav Commandos, by contrast, will not be subordinated to individual platoons. They will operate as independent detachments and will be deployed directly from Army Headquarters. After deployment, Bhairav units will take on roles that reduce the operational burden on Para Commandos, allowing Para units to focus primarily on the highest-priority special operations.
Legacy of Ghatak Commandos
Ghatak commandos have long been a backbone of the Indian Army’s fighting capability, especially in Kashmir, and have carried out major historic operations. Examples cited in the original article include: participation in major actions during the Kargil War (where members received multiple gallantry awards), support roles during the 2016 surgical strikes, the 2017 Poonch-sector strike, and significant action during the 2020 Galwan clashes. The Bhairav concept builds on this tradition but aims to field a more capable, multi-role commando element.
Weapons and Equipmen
Bhairav Commandos will receive specialised weapons and training. They are likely to be equipped — similar to some Special Forces — with automatic rifles (AK-patterns mentioned) and designated sniper rifles (Dragunov-type referenced). A key distinguishing capability will be drone warfare: these commandos will be trained on both surveillance and attack drones as part of their core skill set.
Drone Warfare Training
Training will include operating surveillance drones (sensors, communications) and rapidly converting, readying, and employing attack drones. The article highlights the evolution of drone warfare (noting lessons from the Ukraine conflict) and India’s growing emphasis on drone capabilities, referencing India’s own operations (Operation Sindoor mentioned) as examples of drone employment. Bhairav units will therefore be drilled heavily in drone employment and counter-drone tactics.
Unit Structure
* Size per unit: ~250 commandos.
* Planned total (23 units): about 5,750 commandos.
* Officers per unit: roughly 7, with unit command under an officer of Lieutenant Colonel rank.
Training length
Training will cover physical conditioning, weapons handling, communications and electronic warfare, demolition of enemy bridges and critical infrastructure, and laying/removing explosive tunnel systems. There is also a possibility that Para Special Forces instructors will conduct Bhairav training, meaning the curriculum would be closely aligned with Special Forces standards.
Joint-Capability
Unlike service-specific special units, the Bhairav Commandos will not be solely an Army/IA, Air Force or Navy formation; they are intended to be taskable across varied tactical environments and deployed according to operational need across land and littoral theatres.
Rudra Brigades
Concurrently, the Army is forming Rudra Brigades — brigade-level combined-arms formations intended to operate independently in a given sector. A Rudra Brigade contains infantry, tanks and armoured vehicles, long-range artillery, drone-trained personnel, logistics units, and embedded commando detachments (like Bhairav units).
Current Status
Some media reports indicate two Rudra Brigades have already been formed — one deployed on the northern frontier (near the LoC) and another on the western frontier. The Army reportedly aims to convert a larger number of brigades into Rudra-type formations to ensure rapid, self-sufficient response capability at the sector level.
Strategic Rationale
Because Rudra Brigades house all the required combat and support elements within a single formation, they reduce the time needed to get ready for combat and lower the chance of surprise enemy action. The model mirrors similar combined-arms innovations adopted by military powers such as the U.S. and Russia; India is accelerating this transformation to prepare for future warfare.
Highly Capable
In short, the Bhairav Commando Force is an intermediate, highly capable commando layer meant to multiply the Army’s operational options — more potent than platoon-level Ghataks, taskable for a wide range of missions (including drone-enabled strikes and sabotage), and intended to preserve Para Commandos for the most critical special operations. Together with Rudra Brigades, these changes reflect a broader Indian Army shift toward more modular, integrated, and drone-savvy force structures for rapid and flexible response.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
