Indian Counter Terror Operations Pictures & Discussions

[Kunal Biswas]

Folded 1B1 are best for CT operations, They will be more effective if come with re-dots, UBGL, Magnifying optics for various tasks ..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

134 recruits take a tiger's leap to be Soldiers of #IndianArmy at The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre, from the State of J&K. One year of strenuous training so well showcased at the glittering parade at Bana Singh Parade Ground of JAK LI RC where more than 2000 parents, relatives of the young soldiers, civil and military dignitaries shared the moments of pride at the Passing Out Parade. Recruit Ajay Singh Jamwal of Udhampur district received the Sher-e-Kashmir Sword of Honour & Triveni Singh Medal for being adjudged ‘Over all Best Rect’ and Recruit Tawseef Ahmad of Anantnag district bagged the Chewang Rinchen Medal for being ‘Best in Firing’. Wishing all - Glory & Success. Do India proud. Jai Hind

Source : ADGPI - Indian Army

 

[Kunal Biswas]

This seems more than what it looks like ..

 

[ghost]

Yesterday 12 CRPF soldiers sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.This news has been sidelined by the media,politicians and the general public, who are busy in the election result.It is not surprising in a nation where soldier life is cheap,especially when they belong to paramilitary forces ,which often get step-motherly treatment when compared to the Army.Their death toll is just a number figure for most of us.

Let it be clear,DEATH is part and parcel of combat .No one;including me can run away from this fundamental truth.What disturbs me is that our soldiers die without any clear plan,mission and objective to finish the Maoist ,they are dying in a stalemate.I am pained by their death, but more devastated by the apathy of our political,bureaucracy and officer class toward the cause of the foot soldier.At least, give our soldiers basic means to enable them to survive,tackle and dominate the battlefield.Instead of using them just as a cannon fodder.


We clearly lack any strategic vision ,to take this war to its final objective,the emphasis is to let it be ,because of the empathy,unwillingness and vested interest in our high circles.Our soldiers are expendables in this war ,which no one want to win!


I do not claim to be an expert on this subject,whatever information I have is through various persons who have observed and have been involved in this mess .What I propose is not the ultimate solution but at-least a try to get us somewhere in this fight with Maoist:

CRPF soldiers:

Whenever things go bad many people demand for the deployment of army in this region,I wonder why? Just give the CRPF guys the equipment,training,leadership, definite direction and a clear goal they will deliver as good as the army.

The gear of the CRPF soldier should be at the level of any modern soldier,including enhanced first aid kit,night vision,reflex sight ,protective gear and a modern assault rifle(I would prefer in 7.62x39mm)

Now , I have observed three major tactics of Maoist attack.


a) Attack the base (big or small) in large numbers with overwhelming firepower.

b) Take out soldiers through IED planted on the route of their movement (big and small)

c) Ambush the soldiers on road after trapping them through IED and then move in for kill,or ambush them in jungles using the high ground and large numbers.


The two things that stand out in these tactics are Large number and IED,these are the core strength of any Maoist operation.To be successful we need to tackle these two core points.


1 Large numbers : Maoist are generally divided into small groups,which helps them to hide and evade.Whenever they plan to carry out a big attack they gather at a point; few days before the operation.carry out the attack as one large force and after the attack melt away into various sub groups.We have to convert these large numbers into our advantage.


Intel : We have to develop and enhance our intel,through HUMINT going undercover,developing contacts in each village and rewarding them with hefty sum,buying over some Maoist cadre etc,Using surveillance and night observation devices for long range ,unattended ground sensors in and around the area where CRPF have to operate,small recon team . All of these combined will be quite effective in gathering information about maoist gathering and their movement in the jungle.

Counter intelligence: CRPF should make sure to devoid maoist of any intelligence about them,through aggressive patrolling ,feeding locals wrong info about troop movement,camouflage,silence while on move and erratic pattern of movement are few of the counter intelligence measure that can be taken to either deny or mislead the maoist about the troop movement.

Recon and planning : Before any major movement in the jungles CRPF should carry out both ground and air recon of that place through drones ,aerial photography should be done through drones so that there is a clear map and awareness of the topography and features of the area where they are going to operate.This will help in identifying the danger areas,obstacles,and roads or clearing suitable for resupply.

System such as A160T with FORRESTER radar can detect human targets, such as ambush, hidden under dense trees.


Movement techniques : They should devise their movement technique and procedure and follow them to the core ,they should form multiple column which are mutually supporting .They should deploy the main force in center while scout and small element providing the front, flank and rear security.These teams should be far enough from the main team so that in case of any contact the whole force would not be engaged,however they should be close enough to provide quick support in case of any contact.Dogs should also be embedded into these teams as they are often alerted of the danger lurking in jungles much before the humans.


Reinforcement,counter attack : Whenever Maoist attack they rely on large numbers ,they cut-off the main party with the IED and place a team on all sides to fend off any reinforcement coming in ,and then move in for the final kill.The effectiveness of this technique is evident from the fact that they are able to snatch away all the weapon and gears of the soldiers most of the time ,this is mainly because they are able to isolate the main force for time enough to dominate and annihilate them .In such a case it is important to plan the reinforcement and support in advance..

Such as :

Air : CRPF should have their dedicated air wing which would provide CAS and reconnaissance .

Here the CRPF soldiers need to be trained for calling in and giving the correct Coordinates to the CAS elements at the time of contact.

Whole variety of aerial weapons can be used effectively to rain down hell on the Maoist ,here their large numbers can be turned against them as they will become a easy target of death from air,I would lay out special emphasize on use of NAPALM bomb.This will not only fry out them but also deliver a huge psychological effect on the maoist cadre ,when they will see a sea of fire had engulfed their fellow comrades.

Helicopters will be used to bring in resupply and reinforcement ,along with unmanned combat systems.


For those who will argue that this will result in maoist using shoulder fired MANPAD,yes! it is quite possible, but this can be countered by using decoy flares and other on board defense system present in a modern aircraft.You should also not forget that MANPAD are neither cheap nor easy to get,we can choke the financial supply of maoist hence they will not have enough resources to get these.





Artillery : I would like to see dedicated truck mounted artillery being inducted into crpf.System such as Caesar which has an operational range of 600km and firing range upo 42km.Such system should be embedded into crpf such as that they move in close coordination with the CRPF party ,they are attached tne or two gun attached to A CRPF party which will be placed at a safe distance at rear would be able to provide effective fire support .


Armoured support :

We need large number of armored vehicles such as Yuktirath for safe troop movement and to act as an effective fire support platform through RCWS mounted over them.



We also need certain number of unmanned combat system to provide fire support and dominate the battlefield at time of contact or ambush.This can be particularly effective to break the ambush .

Many of you can raise the point that our government want to avoid use of heavy weapons against our own people,to that I would say that we are in a war ,they are blowing up our soldiers ,so don't have any doubt about it! Our ultimate objective should be victory through strength , we should not shy away from using any means to achieve it .In current situation the path to peace is through destruction.

IED :

Effective system should be made to identify IED ,the main source of maoist IED is the explosive they get from the mining supply and fertilizers .Special teams should be made to investigate,track and choke these supplies lines of the maoist .If we are able to hamper their supply line of raw materials for IED we can drastically bring down the strength of their firepower.

Counter IED sensor system : We should make immediate purchase of counter IED sensors such as CIMS of israel.This can detect both surface and underground IEDS,mines,and roadside bombs.It also perform the necessary counter measures such as IED neutralization as well as hard kill,to autonomously defeat or destroy suspected IED from a distance.There are many such system available ,we should induct these as soon as possible and develop SOP integrating them.

Then there are man portable system such as Thor III dismounted CREW system:Which consists of three dismounted man-pack subsystems, one battery charger, and twenty-four batteries (BB-2590/U). Each subsystem contains a R/T (low band, mid band or high band), a Remote Control Unit (RCU), an integration/pack frame, an Rx/Tx Antenna (low band, mid band, or high band), a GPS antenna, cables, and software. Each subsystem is housed in a separate transit case with protective covers. The purpose of the Thor III dismounted system is to provide the user in the field with a wearable Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) jammer that has been designed to counter an array of frequency diverse threats. The system is an expandable, active and reactive, scanning-receiver-based jammer with multiple jamming signal sources that allow it to counter multiple simultaneous threats.


Other things that need improvement :


Training ,tactics and discipline:

New facility should be setup to provide training to one battalion of crpf over a year.They should be properly trained in weapons,tactics,and survival as well as field craft such as reading map,topography and how to call in CAS with accurate coordinates. Discipline is one thing which set the standard of a force ,a force which is able to maintain its discipline in thick and thin of battle is always a formidable force .This discipline should be engraved into CRPF troops.Whole culture of CRPF should be discipline eccentric,no compromises should be made and strict punishment vetted out to any sign of indiscipline. It should become part and parcel of CRPF troops.Training ,tactics ,weapons and equipment are only as good as discipline of the force.

Leadership : We should cultivate aggressive and tough minded leadership.They should be clear minded about their plan of action,It is the duty of the leader to provide supervision and maintain discipline .They should be able to command and control all the time in a effective way. Decentralized control is important to insure that subordinate units can react to multiple threats.



Involving locals:

CRPF should at-least employ 4 youth from each village in the area and then integrate them with the units fighting in that area.This will not only strengthen govt goodwill in those areas but also enhance the fighting abilities of the forces with the local youth integrated in them with knowledge of local terrain and people..

As government move forward clearing areas ,they should provide welfare,education and employment opportunity to the villages that are located in those areas.This will strengthen govt position in those villages and increase government goodwill among the locals.

Blocking the weapons supplies: Main source of maoist weapons is through the weapon smuggling via Myanmar,Nepal and Bangladesh ,it not hard to track down the major players in this weapon smuggling and eliminate them.Maoist are also known to operate a number of weapon making factories where they produce certain weapons ,we need to locate and destroy such makeshift weapon factory.


Turning the TAP off on their finances :

Main source of their finances is through the money they extort from the big private companies who are operating in their areas,plus through facilitating illegal mining .There is a unholy nexus between big private companies,politicians ,bureaucracy ,police and Maoist through which they generate and share the money.If government crackdown upon this nexus then their finances will dry down making them vulnerable.


Counter Propaganda :Government should launch a massive counter propaganda against Maoist,reporting large scale death and losses of Maoist ,we should create perception among maoist cadre and general public that maoist are a spent force which is near its elimination.This will increase the confidence of locals and raise doubts among maoist cadre about their future.


Deployment of cobra commandos:

Instead of a glorified infantry ,government should use these commandos for hunting mission only.Government should make a list of top 10 commanders of Maoist and task the cobra with locating and eliminating them.They should infiltrate through land,water or air eliminate their target and then exlfiltrate from there quickly.


This was just a brief explanation of what can be done,there would be many other things that are required and some which are already being implemented .This was just a minor attempt to flirt with the idea of maoist annihilation. One thing is quite clear that things in their current form are not right,nor does the government seem to have a correct approach or clear objective,whole effort against the maoist need a major overhaul ,with integration of new approach toward this problem.Many of you might not be aware of the fact that maoist were trained by LTTE .If small nation such as Srilanka with its limited resources can get rid of LTTE ,then why can't we!Government should draw clear plans and a strong will to eliminate the maoist menace from India in the next 5 years.

 

[ezsasa]

Yesterday 12 CRPF soldiers sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.This news has been sidelined by the media,politicians and the general public, who are busy in the election result.It is not surprising in a nation where soldier life is cheap,especially when they belong to paramilitary forces ,which often get step-motherly treatment when compared to the Army.Their death toll is just a number figure for most of us.

Let it be clear,DEATH is part and parcel of combat .No one;including me can run away from this fundamental truth.What disturbs me is that our soldiers die without any clear plan,mission and objective to finish the Maoist ,they are dying in a stalemate.I am pained by their death, but more devastated by the apathy of our political,bureaucracy and officer class toward the cause of the foot soldier.At least, give our soldiers basic means to enable them to survive,tackle and dominate the battlefield.Instead of using them just as a cannon fodder.


We clearly lack any strategic vision ,to take this war to its final objective,the emphasis is to let it be ,because of the empathy,unwillingness and vested interest in our high circles.Our soldiers are expendables in this war ,which no one want to win!


I do not claim to be an expert on this subject,whatever information I have is through various persons who have observed and have been involved in this mess .What I propose is not the ultimate solution but at-least a try to get us somewhere in this fight with Maoist:

CRPF soldiers:

Whenever things go bad many people demand for the deployment of army in this region,I wonder why? Just give the CRPF guys the equipment,training,leadership, definite direction and a clear goal they will deliver as good as the army.

The gear of the CRPF soldier should be at the level of any modern soldier,including enhanced first aid kit,night vision,reflex sight ,protective gear and a modern assault rifle(I would prefer in 7.62x39mm)

Now , I have observed three major tactics of Maoist attack.


a) Attack the base (big or small) in large numbers with overwhelming firepower.

b) Take out soldiers through IED planted on the route of their movement (big and small)

c) Ambush the soldiers on road after trapping them through IED and then move in for kill,or ambush them in jungles using the high ground and large numbers.


The two things that stand out in these tactics are Large number and IED,these are the core strength of any Maoist operation.To be successful we need to tackle these two core points.


1 Large numbers : Maoist are generally divided into small groups,which helps them to hide and evade.Whenever they plan to carry out a big attack they gather at a point; few days before the operation.carry out the attack as one large force and after the attack melt away into various sub groups.We have to convert these large numbers into our advantage.


Intel : We have to develop and enhance our intel,through HUMINT going undercover,developing contacts in each village and rewarding them with hefty sum,buying over some Maoist cadre etc,Using surveillance and night observation devices for long range ,unattended ground sensors in and around the area where CRPF have to operate,small recon team . All of these combined will be quite effective in gathering information about maoist gathering and their movement in the jungle.

Counter intelligence: CRPF should make sure to devoid maoist of any intelligence about them,through aggressive patrolling ,feeding locals wrong info about troop movement,camouflage,silence while on move and erratic pattern of movement are few of the counter intelligence measure that can be taken to either deny or mislead the maoist about the troop movement.

Recon and planning : Before any major movement in the jungles CRPF should carry out both ground and air recon of that place through drones ,aerial photography should be done through drones so that there is a clear map and awareness of the topography and features of the area where they are going to operate.This will help in identifying the danger areas,obstacles,and roads or clearing suitable for resupply.

System such as A160T with FORRESTER radar can detect human targets, such as ambush, hidden under dense trees.


Movement techniques : They should devise their movement technique and procedure and follow them to the core ,they should form multiple column which are mutually supporting .They should deploy the main force in center while scout and small element providing the front, flank and rear security.These teams should be far enough from the main team so that in case of any contact the whole force would not be engaged,however they should be close enough to provide quick support in case of any contact.Dogs should also be embedded into these teams as they are often alerted of the danger lurking in jungles much before the humans.


Reinforcement,counter attack : Whenever Maoist attack they rely on large numbers ,they cut-off the main party with the IED and place a team on all sides to fend off any reinforcement coming in ,and then move in for the final kill.The effectiveness of this technique is evident from the fact that they are able to snatch away all the weapon and gears of the soldiers most of the time ,this is mainly because they are able to isolate the main force for time enough to dominate and annihilate them .In such a case it is important to plan the reinforcement and support in advance..

Such as :

Air : CRPF should have their dedicated air wing which would provide CAS and reconnaissance .

Here the CRPF soldiers need to be trained for calling in and giving the correct Coordinates to the CAS elements at the time of contact.

Whole variety of aerial weapons can be used effectively to rain down hell on the Maoist ,here their large numbers can be turned against them as they will become a easy target of death from air,I would lay out special emphasize on use of NAPALM bomb.This will not only fry out them but also deliver a huge psychological effect on the maoist cadre ,when they will see a sea of fire had engulfed their fellow comrades.

Helicopters will be used to bring in resupply and reinforcement ,along with unmanned combat systems.


For those who will argue that this will result in maoist using shoulder fired MANPAD,yes! it is quite possible, but this can be countered by using decoy flares and other on board defense system present in a modern aircraft.You should also not forget that MANPAD are neither cheap nor easy to get,we can choke the financial supply of maoist hence they will not have enough resources to get these.





Artillery : I would like to see dedicated truck mounted artillery being inducted into crpf.System such as Caesar which has an operational range of 600km and firing range upo 42km.Such system should be embedded into crpf such as that they move in close coordination with the CRPF party ,they are attached tne or two gun attached to A CRPF party which will be placed at a safe distance at rear would be able to provide effective fire support .


Armoured support :

We need large number of armored vehicles such as Yuktirath for safe troop movement and to act as an effective fire support platform through RCWS mounted over them.



We also need certain number of unmanned combat system to provide fire support and dominate the battlefield at time of contact or ambush.This can be particularly effective to break the ambush .

Many of you can raise the point that our government want to avoid use of heavy weapons against our own people,to that I would say that we are in a war ,they are blowing up our soldiers ,so don't have any doubt about it! Our ultimate objective should be victory through strength , we should not shy away from using any means to achieve it .In current situation the path to peace is through destruction.

IED :

Effective system should be made to identify IED ,the main source of maoist IED is the explosive they get from the mining supply and fertilizers .Special teams should be made to investigate,track and choke these supplies lines of the maoist .If we are able to hamper their supply line of raw materials for IED we can drastically bring down the strength of their firepower.

Counter IED sensor system : We should make immediate purchase of counter IED sensors such as CIMS of israel.This can detect both surface and underground IEDS,mines,and roadside bombs.It also perform the necessary counter measures such as IED neutralization as well as hard kill,to autonomously defeat or destroy suspected IED from a distance.There are many such system available ,we should induct these as soon as possible and develop SOP integrating them.

Then there are man portable system such as Thor III dismounted CREW system:Which consists of three dismounted man-pack subsystems, one battery charger, and twenty-four batteries (BB-2590/U). Each subsystem contains a R/T (low band, mid band or high band), a Remote Control Unit (RCU), an integration/pack frame, an Rx/Tx Antenna (low band, mid band, or high band), a GPS antenna, cables, and software. Each subsystem is housed in a separate transit case with protective covers. The purpose of the Thor III dismounted system is to provide the user in the field with a wearable Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) jammer that has been designed to counter an array of frequency diverse threats. The system is an expandable, active and reactive, scanning-receiver-based jammer with multiple jamming signal sources that allow it to counter multiple simultaneous threats.


Other things that need improvement :


Training ,tactics and discipline:

New facility should be setup to provide training to one battalion of crpf over a year.They should be properly trained in weapons,tactics,and survival as well as field craft such as reading map,topography and how to call in CAS with accurate coordinates. Discipline is one thing which set the standard of a force ,a force which is able to maintain its discipline in thick and thin of battle is always a formidable force .This discipline should be engraved into CRPF troops.Whole culture of CRPF should be discipline eccentric,no compromises should be made and strict punishment vetted out to any sign of indiscipline. It should become part and parcel of CRPF troops.Training ,tactics ,weapons and equipment are only as good as discipline of the force.

Leadership : We should cultivate aggressive and tough minded leadership.They should be clear minded about their plan of action,It is the duty of the leader to provide supervision and maintain discipline .They should be able to command and control all the time in a effective way. Decentralized control is important to insure that subordinate units can react to multiple threats.



Involving locals:

CRPF should at-least employ 4 youth from each village in the area and then integrate them with the units fighting in that area.This will not only strengthen govt goodwill in those areas but also enhance the fighting abilities of the forces with the local youth integrated in them with knowledge of local terrain and people..

As government move forward clearing areas ,they should provide welfare,education and employment opportunity to the villages that are located in those areas.This will strengthen govt position in those villages and increase government goodwill among the locals.

Blocking the weapons supplies: Main source of maoist weapons is through the weapon smuggling via Myanmar,Nepal and Bangladesh ,it not hard to track down the major players in this weapon smuggling and eliminate them.Maoist are also known to operate a number of weapon making factories where they produce certain weapons ,we need to locate and destroy such makeshift weapon factory.


Turning the TAP off on their finances :

Main source of their finances is through the money they extort from the big private companies who are operating in their areas,plus through facilitating illegal mining .There is a unholy nexus between big private companies,politicians ,bureaucracy ,police and Maoist through which they generate and share the money.If government crackdown upon this nexus then their finances will dry down making them vulnerable.


Counter Propaganda :Government should launch a massive counter propaganda against Maoist,reporting large scale death and losses of Maoist ,we should create perception among maoist cadre and general public that maoist are a spent force which is near its elimination.This will increase the confidence of locals and raise doubts among maoist cadre about their future.


Deployment of cobra commandos:

Instead of a glorified infantry ,government should use these commandos for hunting mission only.Government should make a list of top 10 commanders of Maoist and task the cobra with locating and eliminating them.They should infiltrate through land,water or air eliminate their target and then exlfiltrate from there quickly.


This was just a brief explanation of what can be done,there would be many other things that are required and some which are already being implemented .This was just a minor attempt to flirt with the idea of maoist annihilation. One thing is quite clear that things in their current form are not right,nor does the government seem to have a correct approach or clear objective,whole effort against the maoist need a major overhaul ,with integration of new approach toward this problem.Many of you might not be aware of the fact that maoist were trained by LTTE .If small nation such as Srilanka with its limited resources can get rid of LTTE ,then why can't we!Government should draw clear plans and a strong will to eliminate the maoist menace from India in the next 5 years.

Did you write this whole piece?

On the point of media not focussing, I say that is the way to go. The whole point of the attack is to grab headlines during major political event. We should only publicise only encounters not ambushes.

 

[ghost]

Did you write this whole piece?

On the point of media not focussing, I say that is the way to go. The whole point of the attack is to grab headlines during major political event. We should only publicise only encounters not ambushes.

Yes.

Media plays an important role in generating public opinion and thus forcing top political,bureaucratic class to take action and corrective measure .Remember, there would have been no surgical strike if there was no public pressure generated by 24 x 7 media reporting on the loss of our jawans.

Media reporting is necessary to generate awareness among our people .

 

[pringles]

Yes.

Media plays an important role in generating public opinion and thus forcing top political,bureaucratic class to take action and corrective measure .Remember, there would have been no surgical strike if there was no public pressure generated by 24 x 7 media reporting on the loss of our jawans.

Media reporting is necessary to generate awareness among our people .

Now that you mentioned the media, it has recently come to my notice that the new channel WION, with the yellow logo, is actually an Indian channel. It is called World is One News, earlier I thought it is a metaphor for 'Ummah news' (turns out, it is a metaphor for 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam').

WION is to India what RT is to Russia. It articulates our view and our foreign policy and it broadcasts internationally. It has participants from Ajit Doval's (VIF) Vivekananda foundation. I saw Sushant Sareen, and last week they had a documentary on Balochistan liberation movement.

We have finally decided to take information warfare and strategic communication seriously.

@Indx TechStyle @OneGrimPilgrim take note.

 

[pringles]

Yesterday 12 CRPF soldiers sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.This news has been sidelined by the media,politicians and the general public.

Not true.

Modi has issued a statement against it, and Rajnath Singh has announced 1crore rupees to the families of each of the martyr family. One cannot set a price for anyone's life, so 1 crore does not compensate for it but I just wanted to make a small point since you claimed that everyone has ignored the deaths.

our soldiers die without any clear plan,mission and objective to finish the Maoist

This attack has come after we attacked and terminated 2 dozen Maoists last week. For the first time, we are the ones drawing first blood. The fact is that the Maoists hide in plain clothes and keep their electronic chatter to a minimum, which makes it difficult to track them. They can live dormant in the jungles and survive for a long time. In Kashmir, the insurgents cannot survive for long due to the weather, so they have to take shelter in safe houses, where they get tracked and killed.

Whenever things go bad many people demand for the deployment of army in this region,I wonder why? Just give the CRPF guys the equipment,training,leadership

It's a guerrilla war. That is what the enemy wants you to do. They want you to invest in high caliber weapons, heavy armor, vehicles, helicopters, this will allow them to win the propaganda battle by making it look like the state is using heavy handed tactics against civilians.

Just check this image :

Even if you give them a tank, it is no use if the Maoist is hiding under a random tree on that mountain. You will eventually have to shed your armor and go in there on foot, where you will face booby traps which no bullet proof vest can save you from.

There is no way other than sending foot soldiers. If not CRPF then just use the arrested/surrendered Maoists as a militia to hunt down other Maoists.

Please note that we do not publish the number of casualties we inflict or the number of people we arrest, but it is happening on a large scale. My friend's father is in police, he tells us that a lot of Naxals have moved into urban areas and taken admission in colleges to brainwash more youth. He told me that a lot of these rats are being arrested on a weekly basis. Also, for the bad name that the police gets for taking bribes, he told me a darker side of the story. Whatever "khabri" (spy network) he runs under him, he has to sustain the families of those spies with that bribe money, because the government does not allocate any special funds for it. It includes everything from paying school fees of the kids of those spies, to buying them food.

The war is being waged on multiple fronts, it's not just about bullet proof jackets and bulldozers and space weapons. GOI is stretched thin for resources everywhere. If we go for long term Army modernization then there is no cash left for IB and police/SWAT. If we invest in a modernized police force, then we won't have the cash to fund our new aircraft carrier. India is a country where less than 3% people pay tax. What to do? It's not government apathy. I hate to say it but even the Congress tried its best with whatever funds it had. When funds got over, they used out of the box tactics like raising local militia of tribal people (Salwa Judum). Credit must be given where due. Even Doval acknowledged that P.Chidambaram was very responsive towards tacking the Maoist issue.

 

[Anikastha]

Yesterday 12 CRPF soldiers sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.This news has been sidelined by the media,politicians and the general public, who are busy in the election result.It is not surprising in a nation where soldier life is cheap,especially when they belong to paramilitary forces ,which often get step-motherly treatment when compared to the Army.Their death toll is just a number figure for most of us.

Let it be clear,DEATH is part and parcel of combat .No one;including me can run away from this fundamental truth.What disturbs me is that our soldiers die without any clear plan,mission and objective to finish the Maoist ,they are dying in a stalemate.I am pained by their death, but more devastated by the apathy of our political,bureaucracy and officer class toward the cause of the foot soldier.At least, give our soldiers basic means to enable them to survive,tackle and dominate the battlefield.Instead of using them just as a cannon fodder.


We clearly lack any strategic vision ,to take this war to its final objective,the emphasis is to let it be ,because of the empathy,unwillingness and vested interest in our high circles.Our soldiers are expendables in this war ,which no one want to win!


I do not claim to be an expert on this subject,whatever information I have is through various persons who have observed and have been involved in this mess .What I propose is not the ultimate solution but at-least a try to get us somewhere in this fight with Maoist:

CRPF soldiers:

Whenever things go bad many people demand for the deployment of army in this region,I wonder why? Just give the CRPF guys the equipment,training,leadership, definite direction and a clear goal they will deliver as good as the army.

The gear of the CRPF soldier should be at the level of any modern soldier,including enhanced first aid kit,night vision,reflex sight ,protective gear and a modern assault rifle(I would prefer in 7.62x39mm)

Now , I have observed three major tactics of Maoist attack.


a) Attack the base (big or small) in large numbers with overwhelming firepower.

b) Take out soldiers through IED planted on the route of their movement (big and small)

c) Ambush the soldiers on road after trapping them through IED and then move in for kill,or ambush them in jungles using the high ground and large numbers.


The two things that stand out in these tactics are Large number and IED,these are the core strength of any Maoist operation.To be successful we need to tackle these two core points.


1 Large numbers : Maoist are generally divided into small groups,which helps them to hide and evade.Whenever they plan to carry out a big attack they gather at a point; few days before the operation.carry out the attack as one large force and after the attack melt away into various sub groups.We have to convert these large numbers into our advantage.


Intel : We have to develop and enhance our intel,through HUMINT going undercover,developing contacts in each village and rewarding them with hefty sum,buying over some Maoist cadre etc,Using surveillance and night observation devices for long range ,unattended ground sensors in and around the area where CRPF have to operate,small recon team . All of these combined will be quite effective in gathering information about maoist gathering and their movement in the jungle.

Counter intelligence: CRPF should make sure to devoid maoist of any intelligence about them,through aggressive patrolling ,feeding locals wrong info about troop movement,camouflage,silence while on move and erratic pattern of movement are few of the counter intelligence measure that can be taken to either deny or mislead the maoist about the troop movement.

Recon and planning : Before any major movement in the jungles CRPF should carry out both ground and air recon of that place through drones ,aerial photography should be done through drones so that there is a clear map and awareness of the topography and features of the area where they are going to operate.This will help in identifying the danger areas,obstacles,and roads or clearing suitable for resupply.

System such as A160T with FORRESTER radar can detect human targets, such as ambush, hidden under dense trees.


Movement techniques : They should devise their movement technique and procedure and follow them to the core ,they should form multiple column which are mutually supporting .They should deploy the main force in center while scout and small element providing the front, flank and rear security.These teams should be far enough from the main team so that in case of any contact the whole force would not be engaged,however they should be close enough to provide quick support in case of any contact.Dogs should also be embedded into these teams as they are often alerted of the danger lurking in jungles much before the humans.


Reinforcement,counter attack : Whenever Maoist attack they rely on large numbers ,they cut-off the main party with the IED and place a team on all sides to fend off any reinforcement coming in ,and then move in for the final kill.The effectiveness of this technique is evident from the fact that they are able to snatch away all the weapon and gears of the soldiers most of the time ,this is mainly because they are able to isolate the main force for time enough to dominate and annihilate them .In such a case it is important to plan the reinforcement and support in advance..

Such as :

Air : CRPF should have their dedicated air wing which would provide CAS and reconnaissance .

Here the CRPF soldiers need to be trained for calling in and giving the correct Coordinates to the CAS elements at the time of contact.

Whole variety of aerial weapons can be used effectively to rain down hell on the Maoist ,here their large numbers can be turned against them as they will become a easy target of death from air,I would lay out special emphasize on use of NAPALM bomb.This will not only fry out them but also deliver a huge psychological effect on the maoist cadre ,when they will see a sea of fire had engulfed their fellow comrades.

Helicopters will be used to bring in resupply and reinforcement ,along with unmanned combat systems.


For those who will argue that this will result in maoist using shoulder fired MANPAD,yes! it is quite possible, but this can be countered by using decoy flares and other on board defense system present in a modern aircraft.You should also not forget that MANPAD are neither cheap nor easy to get,we can choke the financial supply of maoist hence they will not have enough resources to get these.





Artillery : I would like to see dedicated truck mounted artillery being inducted into crpf.System such as Caesar which has an operational range of 600km and firing range upo 42km.Such system should be embedded into crpf such as that they move in close coordination with the CRPF party ,they are attached tne or two gun attached to A CRPF party which will be placed at a safe distance at rear would be able to provide effective fire support .


Armoured support :

We need large number of armored vehicles such as Yuktirath for safe troop movement and to act as an effective fire support platform through RCWS mounted over them.



We also need certain number of unmanned combat system to provide fire support and dominate the battlefield at time of contact or ambush.This can be particularly effective to break the ambush .

Many of you can raise the point that our government want to avoid use of heavy weapons against our own people,to that I would say that we are in a war ,they are blowing up our soldiers ,so don't have any doubt about it! Our ultimate objective should be victory through strength , we should not shy away from using any means to achieve it .In current situation the path to peace is through destruction.

IED :

Effective system should be made to identify IED ,the main source of maoist IED is the explosive they get from the mining supply and fertilizers .Special teams should be made to investigate,track and choke these supplies lines of the maoist .If we are able to hamper their supply line of raw materials for IED we can drastically bring down the strength of their firepower.

Counter IED sensor system : We should make immediate purchase of counter IED sensors such as CIMS of israel.This can detect both surface and underground IEDS,mines,and roadside bombs.It also perform the necessary counter measures such as IED neutralization as well as hard kill,to autonomously defeat or destroy suspected IED from a distance.There are many such system available ,we should induct these as soon as possible and develop SOP integrating them.

Then there are man portable system such as Thor III dismounted CREW system:Which consists of three dismounted man-pack subsystems, one battery charger, and twenty-four batteries (BB-2590/U). Each subsystem contains a R/T (low band, mid band or high band), a Remote Control Unit (RCU), an integration/pack frame, an Rx/Tx Antenna (low band, mid band, or high band), a GPS antenna, cables, and software. Each subsystem is housed in a separate transit case with protective covers. The purpose of the Thor III dismounted system is to provide the user in the field with a wearable Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) jammer that has been designed to counter an array of frequency diverse threats. The system is an expandable, active and reactive, scanning-receiver-based jammer with multiple jamming signal sources that allow it to counter multiple simultaneous threats.


Other things that need improvement :


Training ,tactics and discipline:

New facility should be setup to provide training to one battalion of crpf over a year.They should be properly trained in weapons,tactics,and survival as well as field craft such as reading map,topography and how to call in CAS with accurate coordinates. Discipline is one thing which set the standard of a force ,a force which is able to maintain its discipline in thick and thin of battle is always a formidable force .This discipline should be engraved into CRPF troops.Whole culture of CRPF should be discipline eccentric,no compromises should be made and strict punishment vetted out to any sign of indiscipline. It should become part and parcel of CRPF troops.Training ,tactics ,weapons and equipment are only as good as discipline of the force.

Leadership : We should cultivate aggressive and tough minded leadership.They should be clear minded about their plan of action,It is the duty of the leader to provide supervision and maintain discipline .They should be able to command and control all the time in a effective way. Decentralized control is important to insure that subordinate units can react to multiple threats.



Involving locals:

CRPF should at-least employ 4 youth from each village in the area and then integrate them with the units fighting in that area.This will not only strengthen govt goodwill in those areas but also enhance the fighting abilities of the forces with the local youth integrated in them with knowledge of local terrain and people..

As government move forward clearing areas ,they should provide welfare,education and employment opportunity to the villages that are located in those areas.This will strengthen govt position in those villages and increase government goodwill among the locals.

Blocking the weapons supplies: Main source of maoist weapons is through the weapon smuggling via Myanmar,Nepal and Bangladesh ,it not hard to track down the major players in this weapon smuggling and eliminate them.Maoist are also known to operate a number of weapon making factories where they produce certain weapons ,we need to locate and destroy such makeshift weapon factory.


Turning the TAP off on their finances :

Main source of their finances is through the money they extort from the big private companies who are operating in their areas,plus through facilitating illegal mining .There is a unholy nexus between big private companies,politicians ,bureaucracy ,police and Maoist through which they generate and share the money.If government crackdown upon this nexus then their finances will dry down making them vulnerable.


Counter Propaganda :Government should launch a massive counter propaganda against Maoist,reporting large scale death and losses of Maoist ,we should create perception among maoist cadre and general public that maoist are a spent force which is near its elimination.This will increase the confidence of locals and raise doubts among maoist cadre about their future.


Deployment of cobra commandos:

Instead of a glorified infantry ,government should use these commandos for hunting mission only.Government should make a list of top 10 commanders of Maoist and task the cobra with locating and eliminating them.They should infiltrate through land,water or air eliminate their target and then exlfiltrate from there quickly.


This was just a brief explanation of what can be done,there would be many other things that are required and some which are already being implemented .This was just a minor attempt to flirt with the idea of maoist annihilation. One thing is quite clear that things in their current form are not right,nor does the government seem to have a correct approach or clear objective,whole effort against the maoist need a major overhaul ,with integration of new approach toward this problem.Many of you might not be aware of the fact that maoist were trained by LTTE .If small nation such as Srilanka with its limited resources can get rid of LTTE ,then why can't we!Government should draw clear plans and a strong will to eliminate the maoist menace from India in the next 5 years.

Sorry to burst your bubble...the above things are not gonna take place even if 100 army and 100 crpf guys get shaheed on single day. Yes this is true. Its our mentality. If you say I am wrong..then these things would have been wiped up.
If we Indians have something called brain..
We people would protested in mass numbers for action against these rats.
I remember well...when BJP came to power , naxals ambushed our crpf jawans . Then Rajnat singh said " Another attack means naxals will be facing special forces."
Well where's that word now.
The day troops feel Indians take these sacrifices as snake oil ..they will stop right there we get fucked.
The day we realize that our enemy has grew strong and we also realize that its too late.

Let me complete it in simple way... above things you mentioned are not going to take place until we get strong leadership like Indra gandhi and I would bet we can't get such person again.
You say modi ? He is not even 10% of IG.
Replies , likes and critics are welcomed.
Act now or compromise national security.
Nothing will happen to those ministers...they got special cover. What about us. Common man ?
Deal with it.

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[ghost]

@pringles I was not talking about mere lip service ,I am talking about concrete,substantial plan to deal with Maoist problem,and taking care of the CRPF requirements.

Regarding money,we can ask US to donate us some of its used equipment ,as it does to other countries in the name of fighting terrorism.

I am not talking about one person firing from under a tree,you should realize Maoist operate differently from the Kashmiri terrorist.They rely on massive numbers,it is not one but 50 person under the tree firing on 10 of our soldiers.In such a scenario a artillery round or aerial bombardment on that tree will be much more effective .

 

[Anikastha]

@pringles I was not talking about mere lip service ,I am talking about concrete,substantial plan to deal with Maoist problem,and taking care of the CRPF requirements.

Regarding money,we can ask US to donate us some of its used equipment ,as it does to other countries in the name of fighting terrorism.

I am not talking about one person firing from under a tree,you should realize Maoist operate differently from the Kashmiri terrorist.They rely on massive numbers,it is not one but 50 person under the tree firing on 10 of our soldiers.In such a scenario a artillery round or aerial bombardment on that tree will be much more effective .

So you gonna bring gunship to bomb crap out of naxals?
Very bad move.
Let us say All Indians have agreed to bombard they cpi guys.
And you did.
The very next day bitches like arundathi roy , bharkha will cry infront of camera saying our Indian , my Indian blah blah and very next moment people will ask government why did u bomb them ?
Didn't you get another way to check them?
Which government is ready to face such criticism.


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[Kunal Biswas]

You cannot use arty such as 105mm but 81mm mortars which are deployed there with BSF, Who are in coordination with CRPF, These mortars are mostly used for illumination but when situation is critical HE rounds are authorized, besides that CRPF use 51mm mortars in smaller formations ..

The recent deaths are due to failure within the command of that particular unit and not the solider or equipment, Exactly same incident happen some time back, Video existed at u tube ..

@pringles I was not talking about mere lip service ,I am talking about concrete,substantial plan to deal with Maoist problem,and taking care of the CRPF requirements.

Regarding money,we can ask US to donate us some of its used equipment ,as it does to other countries in the name of fighting terrorism.

I am not talking about one person firing from under a tree,you should realize Maoist operate differently from the Kashmiri terrorist.They rely on massive numbers,it is not one but 50 person under the tree firing on 10 of our soldiers.In such a scenario a artillery round or aerial bombardment on that tree will be much more effective .

 

[Akshay_Fenix]

Stop being so senti...

Check out the kill death ration, judging from the data above it shows that we are literally hunting these rabid dogs down and killing them.
+
1,420 Maoists surrendered in 2016 as compared to 570 in 2015, 670 in 2014 and 282 in 2013.
http://indianexpress.com/article/in...ers-surge-in-civilian-casualties-too-4446508/

Cleaning takes time.

 

[pringles]

Another attack means naxals will be facing special forces."

Literally last week our central agencies SF killed 24 Maoists.

Let me complete it in simple way... above things you mentioned are not going to take place until we get strong leadership like Indra gandhi

[/QUOTE]

Indira Gandhi used airforce to bomb Mizos, that hasn't solved the Mizo insurgency. It still persists.

There is a proactive plan in place, it involves a mixture of local informants, and Kukka Parrey type rebels, but one cannot talk more about it on an open forum. Check this out to see how deep the problem is.

 

[ghost]

You cannot use arty such as 105mm but 81mm mortars which are deployed there with BSF, Who are in coordination with CRPF, These mortars are mostly used for illumination but when situation is critical HE rounds are authorized, besides that CRPF use 51mm mortars in smaller formations ..

The recent deaths are due to failure within the command of that particular unit and not the solider or equipment, Exactly same incident happen some time back, Video existed at u tube ..

Artillery is much more accurate and devastating than a mortar round.

It is not particularly about these death or this incident(details of which are not clear) ,it is about lack of any solid approach to this problem.Regarding equipment it is a well known fact that our forces are under equipped.

 

[ezsasa]

@ghost

First..
We also need to realise the circumstances during which this particular ambush is taking place, this one happened during a road construction activity. Roads in those areas mean, state is trying to enforce its writ.

Second..
We have discussed a number of times, during ambushes the perpetrators have the upper hand.

Third..
i agree that forces in naxal region need to improve their tactics and equipment. But to the level you are recommending.

 

[ezsasa]

Incase anyone has missed, these are weapons reds have used...

The first pic is a Rambo style arrow which blows up on impact.

 

[ghost]

@ghost

First..
We also need to realise the circumstances during which this particular ambush is taking place, this one happened during a road construction activity. Roads in those areas mean, state is trying to enforce its writ.

Second..
We have discussed a number of times, during ambushes the perpetrators have the upper hand.

Third..
i agree that forces in naxal region need to improve their tactics and equipment. But to the level you are recommending.

The forces were not only killed but decimated ,Maoist took away their weapons and gear,they dominated that area without any fear.Where was the reinforcement ,fire support.

If ambush is possible then counter ambush is also there, if there was a armed helicopter as a fire support for forces as the ambush started ,things would have been different.

Also ,remember they were providing "protection" this mean that they should have anticipated the attack,but even then when you are outnumbered ,outgunned and there is nobody to provide support, then what else can be the outcome ,other than your death!

@SREEKAR ,We need to do whatever is necessary to win this war and give us a upper hand.

If Srilanka can get rid of LTTE ,surely we can too!

 

[Kunal Biswas]

105mm are not authorized in that area for gud reasons, 81mm mortars are more than sufficient, What happened there is well known within defense community ..

Whoever made you believe that, Is uniformed person / yellow journalism ..

Artillery is much more accurate and devastating than a mortar round.

It is not particularly about these death or this incident(details of which are not clear) ,it is about lack of any solid approach to this problem.Regarding equipment it is a well known fact that our forces are under equipped.

 

[ghost]

105mm are not authorized in that area for gud reasons, 81mm mortars are more than sufficient, What happened there is well known within defense community ..

Whoever made you believe that, Is uniformed person / yellow journalism ..

Tell us in detail.
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