Indian Army introduces new unit for realistic military training simulations

According to reports, senior officials of the Indian Army have recently made headlines with their plans to establish a pioneering unit aimed at simulating the role of adversaries during military exercises and war gaming training. The officials revealed that the creation of the new unit, OPFOR, short for ‘opposing forces’, is currently in the discussion stage and awaiting final approval from the higher authorities of the army.

The officials reported that the genesis of the idea emerged during the Army Commanders’ Conference held last month. According to the reports, top officials have been discussing the potential benefits of forming a specialized organization that could act as a realistic opponent. Inspired by countries like the United States, which have successfully implemented similar concepts, the Indian Army aims to increase its combat readiness through customized wargaming and training.

The officials privy to the matter further mentioned that the proposed unit will consist of personnel drawn from existing formations. They explained that the unit’s primary purpose will be to imitate adversaries’ weapons, tactics and operational strategies, providing regular troops with a scenario that closely resembles actual combat situations.

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Traditionally, military exercises categorize participating forces into ‘blue country’ and ‘red/yellow country’, with the latter representing enemy forces. Although the military currently offers courses on the organizational roles and tactics of enemy forces, these are primarily reserved for officers.

The existing REDFOR (Red Forces) unit, operating under the Army’s training command, ARTRAC, oversees the validation of exercises and wargaming plans through paper and sand model simulations. In addition, several commands maintain war centers where computer-generated models simulate different scenarios using artificial intelligence.

The introduction of OPFOR promises to revolutionize military training by providing participating troops with first-hand experience during on-the-ground exercises. By highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of participating formations, this initiative aims to increase combat effectiveness across all ranks, transcending current restrictions that limit wargaming activities to officers and selected personnel.