Indian Special Forces (archived)

[rkhanna]

(as I have said in the past they have it, they just don't reguarly employ it as part of their SOPs)

Not exactly. The BS have only been inducted in the past 12 months. They will not get deployed until Training and Tactics have been developed like its second nature to the soldiers. So they will drill day in and day out till the new piece of equipment becomes organic. Only then will you see active deployment.

This is the same with EVERY piece of new equipment. Otherwise the Kit does more harm than good.

 

[ghost]

Special forces equipment is not one size fit all,it has to be customized as per mission requirement .We can broadly classify the requirement into two category:

1 Heavy:

In case of LRP or when resupply would not be easily available, the soldiers need to be self sustained .Hence the load is heavy.

In swat type operation where they are required to dismount ,assault and then mount back to the vehicle where they would prefer upscale protection and firepower over movement ,the load will be heavy.(like HVT mission in kashmir)

2 Light:

In case of hills and rough terrain where you have to cover long distance on foot,SRP or resupply is easily available .The soldiers prefer to travel with minimum load and light.

In open field or jungle where soldier prefer fast movement over protection and firepower ,the load would be light.

So ,as per the requirement and preference the soldier would choose to travel heavy or light.

Let's discuss some of the basic equipment which are required:


# Modular plate carrier:

A modular plate carrier ,which is designed to minimize the weight on your shoulder through shoulder pads and facilitate ease of movement .Which provide customization option for various loadout. This provide soldier the flexibility to customize his setup according to his preference.

Light:When opting for light, the soldier can retain only the front and rear plates devoid of any additional loadout.The basic chest and side rig can hold rifle,pistol magazines along with grenade and some other basic equipment.

Heavy: In this the soldier can upscale the armor with additional side plates and attach additional loadout as per the requirement.


Marcos are using it:

# Hydration:Soldier need hydration while on a mission ,the hydration pack should be collapsible to reduce weight and space.Should be easy to use and able to attach to the plate carrier or the backpack.Able to block bacterial growth for the life of the system,should be care free which eliminate the need for cleaning for days,weeks and even months of use ,simply refill and drink again and again with no special care required.Easy filling,draining and cleaning.

Light :A 1 litre hydration pack which can fit on the plate carrier ,to carry just enough water to support the soldier in short assault away from vehicles or support gear (day packs/rucksacks).A modular hydration system that doubles as a collapsible canteen.

Heavy :Big hydration reservoir to fit in the backpack. 3litre hydration bladder.



Disclaimer:These are only for representative purpose not specific.
To be continued..........

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Is their any matured substitute for this improvisation ..

 

[tharun]

@Kunal Biswas Most of western BPJ's doesn't cover abdomen...do our BPJ's cover them especially for special forces?

 

[aditya g]

hopefully the LSV will solve this. Gypsy is too small for typical civilian use forget transporting 4 loaded out army men.

In the interim buying Tata xenon or Isuzu double cab pickups should suffice.

Is their any matured substitute for this improvisation ..

 

[aditya g]

Something like this will be ideal.

The workshop can rig the back with a Frame for the boys to "hang" as the convoy speeds thru the country side.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

The plate size is same for both Regular as well as the SF in Army ..

@Kunal Biswas Most of western BPJ's doesn't cover abdomen...do our BPJ's cover them especially for special forces?

 

[ghost]

#Back Pack:

It should be easily accessible,durable,waterproof and comfortable,should not hinder movement.There are different backpack to cater different needs.





Light:

Such pack is best suited for mission that last around 24 hours or less and resupply is easily available(encounter in a kashmiri village).Here you are required to carry an extra hydration bladder, some extra ammo and other items such as spare batteries,MRE and first aid kit.It should be able to mount on a plate carrier or carried with its own shoulder strap if required.Front hanging feature provides additional safety and comfort during infiltration seated on armored vehicles and helicopters and provide easy access to the items in the backpack.
It should contain separate pockets for rifle magazines on top for quick and easy access to extra ammunition.



Medium:

At the time of LRP and setting up of ambush ,it usually take anywhere between 3 to 4 days.You have to be self sustained, so a big bag is required.It should have waist belt and internal frame for even weight distribution and suspension .It should be designed in such a way to minimize conflict with the soldier load bearing and fighting load and should facilitate getting in and out of different body postions. You should be able to attach pockets to increase the capacity if required.Side walls can hold radio,rocket launcher,rifle ,sleeping bag etc.


Heavy:

Rucksack developed by DRDO for such purpose.

In war or on a mission where you are not sure of how many days would the mission last, when you will be able to get earliest resupply;a soldier need to pack all his gear in a big rucksack .These are supported with external frame .

Indian army Para sf soldier with metal frame rucksack.

It is basically a frame with a backpack strapped to them.It’s quite easy to attach gear externally to the frame itself. Ventilation is also a strong point for these packs. The way these packs are designed to sit up against your back, there is always a space between your back and the pack itself. This provides a great channel for air to move through.

External frame packs were designed to carry lots and lots of weight and encourage a more upright posture while hiking. They transfer load very easily . However, downsides to a backpack like this is due to it’s sheer bulk, it’s not the most stable thing out there.

M.O.L.L.E Frame

At present our special forces use old school metal frame for rucksack(based on the photo),Which are rigid ,heavy.We can move to M.O.L.L.E Frame gen IV made of high strength polymer ,which have a load capacity of 54kg+ .It is stronger,more flexible,and shaped to fit over armor better.It is 5 times more impact resistant than the metal frame.It is durable in all weather extremes,rigidity for better load stability,controlled flex maximum range of motion and comfort while carrying heavy deployment loads.

To be continued........................

 

[ghost]

Para SF

 

[tharun]

Para SF

Is that M4 the soldier carrying..................................................................?

 

[ghost]

Is that M4 the soldier carrying..................................................................?

Yes,to second soldier in first and third soldier in second pic.

 

[aditya g]

Thanks for the research @ghost

Pictures from Pampore encounter - I can clearly see the high load backpack. Can you please break down the remaining kit? Also, what boots do they wear? Are they available in civvie market?:

#Back Pack:

It should be easily accessible,durable,waterproof and comfortable,should not hinder movement.There are different backpack to cater different needs.
....
To be continued........................

 

[abingdonboy]

I had got it wrong, the SPG still use the X5 escort vehicles for the PM's offical motorcade:

(^R-day parade 2017 dress rehearsal)

However, they have replaced their TATA Safari escort vehicles in the "class b motorcade" with the Toyota Fortuner:

The Class b motorcade used to feature TATA Safari escort vehicles (now Fortuner) whilst the class A features the X5 escort vehicles (the PM's offical vehicle is always the 7 series).

Interesting that the SPG is continuing with their X5s, they are over 9 years old now but I guess they are very well maintained.

++ If you notice, the SPG have actually increased the size of the PM's motorcade, previously there were 5-6 X5 escort vehicles, now there are 8.

 

[abingdonboy]

PARA (SF):

 

[salute]

Why not bro? The West are the world leaders and hence should be the benchmark for where you want to be. It doesn't make sense to be complacent and just comparing yourself to rag tag nations such as Pak.

Besides, these units are intervention unts and , at best, will be going up against jihadis with Aks and GPS, does that mean FBI HRT , GIGN, GSG9 etc are only slightly better equipped than them? No. They are as well equipped as possible.

India is now in a position to start comparing itself with the best and its people should demand nothing less.

western countries are self sufficient at making those gears and equipment and more importantly weapons and thats the best thing about them ,

indian sf is dependent not only on other countries but also on tenders for weapons and fancy gears ,
as long as govt and mod and politicians gonna act non corrupt and sincere about defence , the indian sf gonna get to flash their imported fancy gears and cool weapons otherwise they gonna lag behind even further with their western counterparts .

 

[tharun]

Thanks for the research @ghost

Pictures from Pampore encounter - I can clearly see the high load backpack. Can you please break down the remaining kit? Also, what boots do they wear? Are they available in civvie market?:



View attachment 13392

View attachment 13394

What type of load they carry in the bag..because looks like the bag is full?

 

[ghost]

Also, what boots do they wear? Are they available in civvie market?:

I am not aware of the boots currently being issued to Indian special forces.However, if you want to buy ,this is one of the best boot

Available in Indiahttp://www.amazon.in/Salomon-Quest-...scsubtag=91f187b2-bdce-4fa0-805a-824a6eb2efac

These are also being used by the US special forces.

 

[Saumyasupraik]

New plate carriers have entered service, supposedly in service with 21 Para SF as well.

The old ones with integrated MOLLE webbing already in service

Another model

 

[abingdonboy]

Are these plate carriers or simply tactical vests with no ballistic protection??

 

[abingdonboy]

Not exactly. The BS have only been inducted in the past 12 months. They will not get deployed until Training and Tactics have been developed like its second nature to the soldiers. So they will drill day in and day out till the new piece of equipment becomes organic. Only then will you see active deployment.

This is the same with EVERY piece of new equipment. Otherwise the Kit does more harm than good.

The NSG have had BS since at least 2009, I can confirm that.