For the first time, Operation Sindoor — the military strike launched by India earlier this month against terror targets in Pakistan — employed the concept of “red teaming” as part of its operational planning, The Indian Express has learnt. Red teaming involves embedding a small group of experts familiar with the adversary’s mindset, tactics and response patterns into the planning process. Their role is to critically challenge the plan, simulate enemy reactions, and help test the robustness of the intended military strategy. According to sources, this is the first time the Indian military has tested this concept in an actual operation, marking a shift in India’s strategic doctrine, bringing in a more dynamic and anticipatory approach to such cross-border operations. It is learnt that the red team embedded in the broader planning process comprised five senior officers drawn from different commands and postings across the country. Although red teaming has long been a formalised component of military operations abroad - particularly during the Cold War, when it was instrumental in anticipating Soviet strategies - it has only recently been test-bedded within the Indian Army. The term 'red team' originates from war-game exercises where one group, designated as the red team, simulates enemy tactics and launches hypothetical attacks against a defending force, known as the blue team. In the Indian Army, the concept was named 'Vidur Vakta' - after the advisor to the Pandavas in the Mahabharata - and was under discussion for some time before being test-bedded across various Army commands, sources said. Trials were held at multiple levels to draw lessons from different operational scenarios and refine the approach accordingly. Sources said the concept was introduced following the Army Commanders' Conference in October 2024, after which a group of 15 officers underwent specialised training in red teaming. A roadmap has now been drawn up to expand and formalise the 'Vidur Vakta' programme over the next two years, they said. The aim is to build in-house expertise and eventually reduce dependence on foreign trainers. In May last year, as first reported by The Indian Express, the Army had begun exploring the feasibility of creating a dedicated unit to function as an adversarial force - OPFOR (Opposing Force) - to conduct realistic wargaming and enhance combat preparedness. Several militaries, including in the US, have long employed such units to simulate enemy behaviour during training exercises. The Army already has a REDFOR (red forces) unit within its training command (ARTRAC) headquartered in Shimla, which is responsible for vetting wargame plans and simulations - typically conducted on paper or using sand models - and for laying down the parameters and terms of reference within which these exercises are to be planned and executed. However, officials explained that while REDFOR simulates adversary tactics and is a tool used for training, the red team studies own plans and their impact on the adversary, and the adversary’s gauged reaction at every step.
