Indian Special Forces (archived)

[FOXBAT ALOK]

That is generally left to them. But yes, I have rarely seen Para operating without camouflaged helmets.

Infantry use mku helmet ...
Where par use viper p2
Here some more

 

[FOXBAT ALOK]

Para special force soldiers during ANANTANAG encounter in Kashmir

 

[Darth Malgus]

View attachment 22466 Marcos

WTF is that helmet .That Black coloured armor seems counter productive along with the Camo.

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

This is what i am talking about!!!No deployment around Srinagar but near the most troubled areas of kashmir.


Garud Special Forces to likely be deployed in Kashmir's Lolab area

Lolab is part of North Kashmir and considered to be close to the infiltration routes followed by terrorists and can be a challenging deployment for the youngest special force of the country.

Sources said Garuds have performed very well but they cannot be given independent deployments at the moment as they have to depend on the Army for logistical as well as operational support for carrying out actions in the Valley.

The first team of Garuds was deployed in Hajin from September-October last year with the 13 Rashtriya Rifles unit posted there, and was involved in three major operations where they killed eight dreaded terrorists and successfully managed to unearth a big cache of arms.

https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-toda...-be-deployed-in-lolab-area-1131048-2018-01-10


This will bring out the best in them.The area has some thick forests and visibility falls to 10 metres in daytime sometimes.

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

'Garud' eyes new targets in Jammu and Kashmir

Having tasted major success by eliminating around eight terrorists during their brief stint in Jammu and Kashmir, the Garud Special Forces of the Indian Air Force are raring to go and want to be given more exposure to direct counter terror operations in the state.

The youngest Special Force of the country, which encountered one of its first major operations during the Pathankot air base attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists, is also expanding its numbers to meet its requirements during peace and also war-time roles assigned to it.

"Two of our teams are already in operation in Hajin area of Jammu and Kashmir and they would be replaced by two other units soon. This is going to help more and more of our troops get exposure to real action," a senior Garud officer told MAIL TODAY.

In the aftermath of Pathankot operations, the IAF and Army had agreed to give exposure to the Garuds in counter-terror ops in the Valley and two teams were attached to the 13 Rashtriya Rifles. After a few weeks, they started operating in close coordination with the Army, but also kept developing their own intelligence network.

In the first major operation in Rakh Hajin area of Bandipore in October, the Garuds tasted big success in a direct encounter against Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists. While tackling a team of six to seven terrorists who were trying to escape from a house even before the cordon could be established, Sergeant Milind Kishore and Corporal Nilesh Nain killed two of them before attaining martyrdom.

The injured terrorists managed to escape but the rattled Garuds started pursuing them. Gathering intelligence, the Special Forces traced a group of terrorists hiding in a house in Chandargeer area.

During the subsequent encounter, the Garuds eliminated six terrorists, majorly due to the bravery of Corporal JP Nirala who used his Negev LMG to kill three of them while pinning down the rest of the group.

"The troops are highly motivated by the acts of valour of our fallen buddies and want to be given more roles in counter-terror ops in Kashmir," another officer said.

"More than 30 per cent volunteers return within weeks of training. Most find it tough to survive the 16-18 hours-a-day life during which they are prepared both physically and mentally to earn their Garud badge," an officer said. A Garud instructor told MAIL TODAY that due to tough selection standards, only 26 officers from different branches have been able to join the elite force in the last 13 years of its existence.

https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-toda...sm-jammu-kashmir-air-force-1123652-2018-01-06

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

I really admire this 'taking the enemy head on' approach by the IAF Garuds.Just sitting in a comfortable place and calling yourself best of the best or doing ops only around Srinagar doesnt help too much in the long run because the IAF and IA SF would have to cross the LOC and IB to carry out missions inside enemy territory.

Garuds have faced a lot of criticism but i think they are doing everything right after Pathankot and in a few years they will be the best of the best in India.

As a part of the Kilo Force they will face one of the toughest terrorists in Kashmir.

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

MAD. QUITE MAD.

Legend has it that a peculiar case of a maverick British army officer was brought to the notice of Field Marshall Montgomery, during the Second World War. Monty, as he was known, saw the file and smiled. “Mad. Quite mad”. This officer was of Scottish descent, and that, to many, seemed like explanation enough. The matter ended there.

David Sterling was “mad, quite mad”, and from this madness, or genius, there being marginal difference between the two, sprung the idea of a small group of men, vehicle mounted, who would drive into the desert shooting up German aircraft, while they were parked in the airfield. The Second World War was raging, and ideas were in short supply.

Claude Auchinleck, the then Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, blessed this mad enterprise. A small unit was born. It created merry hell for the Germans. Sterling would appear at airfields riding Jeeps, shoot up many aircraft as he and his men could, and vanish. On a warm July night of 1942, his team drove 18 Jeeps to the Sidi Haneish airstrip in Egypt, and destroyed 37 aircraft, all in one night. Ervin Rommel, the Desert Fox, called him The Phantom Major. The legend grew.

David Sterling was the father of the elite SAS or the Special Air Service. And the SAS is the father of modern Special Forces. In the world of motion picture driven, testosterone fuelled Special Forces narratives; people throw about names like Seal Team and Delta Force. Not many realize that in many ways, when it comes to good old killing, there is still no one better than the SAS. In public imagination, SAS loses out; one of the many disadvantages of not being from the Hollywood country.

Lt Col Megh Singh was an Indian Army officer who was once Court Martialed and demoted to the rank of Major. After successful raids into Pakistan in September of 1965, he was again promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Originally from 3rd Battalion, Brigade of the Guards, he strongly believed that a small group of men, highly trained, motivated and equipped could create absolute havoc inside enemy territory. He believed in this theory so much that he walked up to Lt. Gen. Harbaksh Singh and presented him with this proposal. Soon, Lt. Gen. Harbaksh Singh also believed.

Since the force was ad-hoc, it was named after its founder Lt. Col. Megh Singh. It was called “Meghdoot Force”. After the war, the government was so impressed with the performance of this ad-hoc unit, Lt. Col. Megh Singh was directed to raise a special mission unit. On 1 July 1966, 9 Battalion (Commando) was raised in Gwalior. In June 1967, 9 Battalion (Commando) was split into two, and 10 Battalion (Commando) was raised. In 1969, both these units were re-designated as 9 Para (Commando) and 10 Para (Commando).

1978 saw another addition to the roll of honour. 1 Para (Punjab) was converted to 1 Para (Commando).

As the Para Commando battalions grew in stature, they grew in numbers. Today, Indian Army Para Special Forces stand at nine battalions strong. 1 Para SF, 2 Para SF, 3 Para SF, 4 Para SF, 9 Para SF, 10 Para SF, 11 Para SF, 12 Para SF and 21 Para SF complete this pantheon of devils.

Para SF battalions operate in the shadows. Very rarely do we hear their names mentioned in the media, unless the government specifically wants to drive home a message, like in the case of the surgical strikes.

Para Special Forces are the best of the best of the Indian Army. They are truly unique. Each man is selected because he fits a certain groove that the unit has created and nurtured. When officers undergo probation, they do so with Other Ranks. There is no difference, during probation, between officer and soldier. They shed the “same blood in the same mud”, as the marines would say. When an officer is selected (less than five percent make it), everyone has a say, including the NCOs and jawans. In Para SF, the men have a right to choose who will lead them. If an NCO who is already in Para SF (and is part of the team conducting the probation) feels that the officer who is under probation does not fit into the unit, he can voice his opinion and his opinion will be honored. The officer will be sent back to his parent unit. Very few are worthy of the BALIDAN badge.

Why is the Para SF different in terms of the way they approach army hierarchy? Simply because they operate in small teams and officers and men spend days on end in operations, cheek by jowl. There is no space for ceremony or rank. Para SF units are also unique in that the NCO is an independent leader. He leads a squad of 5+1 and can direct and lead an operation by himself. He is professionally competent to manage the “fog of war”. Special Forces seek Officer Like Qualities in NCOs; qualities like leadership, initiative, operational integrity and commitment, to name a few.

But this article is not about how good the Para SF is. It is about how badly they are equipped and used.

Unfortunately, our own understanding of our Special Forces capabilities is limited. Many a time, Para SF is used in a tactical role. They are strategic assets. They should not, and cannot be used tactically. You cannot have a Para SF house entry in a CASO (Cordon and Search Operation). That is something that infantry Ghataks must do. Keep Para SF out of day-to-day Counter Terror operations. They are the nations’ trump card. To use them tactically would be to blunt their edge. We have never nurtured our Special Forces, and our attitude is like having a Katana and using it to adorn a wall. Quite frankly, we don’t know what to do with them most of the times.

Special Forces have very little in common with the Para Airborne units, except that they are part of the same regiment and jump out of planes. They need to be de-hyphenated. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Special Forces should not be considered a part of infantry at all. It must be recognized as a separate Arm of the Indian Army, like the infantry, armored corps or artillery.

In the current scenario, and with the Special Forces Command still a few years away, the Para SF battalions, clubbed together as a singular operational entity, must be headed by a Major General rank officer, who must have a direct line of reporting to the COAS. He can have a dotted line reporting to the DGMO.

Another issue that plagues the Indian Army Para Special Forces is the lack of equipment and weapons. They still use the Maruti Gypsy. They use the 7.62 mm Galil sniper rifle that cannot kill beyond 800-1000 meters. They have most of their kit supplied by the Ordnance Factory Board. I don’t wish to dwell upon the OFB, because that needs another article altogether. Their main weapon is the TAR 21 Tavor, a 5.56 mm Israeli assault rifle. It’s a fine weapon, except that it does not have the punch of a 7.62 mm. And that punch is needed. They need good anti-material rifles and long range sniper rifles. They need world-class communication equipment. Best in class mini-subs and underwater demolition technology must be put in their hands. In essence, they need the technology of tomorrow.

We need to free the Para SF from the mind-bending bureaucracy of the Defence Ministry. They need to be able to purchase their own weapons at short notice. It should not take two years for a new rifle to be inducted. It should take two months for the first lot to be inducted. A Para SF unit should be able to order weapons and equipment off the shelf. They should be using modified Land Rovers for movement, and not Maruti Gypsies. The list is long. But know this…if you want our Para SF to perform like the SAS or Seal Team 6, you have to treat them like that. Forget about dedicated satellites and combat drones. I am just asking for the basics.


Special Forces should ideally work in very close coordination with RAW. If they are indeed to be truly successful, the lines between special ops and intelligence must be blurred. SAS works hand in glove with MI 6 and Seal Teams work very, very closely with CIA. In India, we are unfortunately busy with bigger things like turf wars.

While they do go for foreign training, it must be substantially ramped up. Para SF must train regularly with US Army Special Forces, Navy Seals, Sayeret Matkal and with the granddaddy of them all, the SAS. The Spetsnaz is again gaining momentum after a few decades of flux. We could learn from them and also teach them a trick or two.

Para SF needs dedicated airlift capability and helicopters on standby. The Indian Air Force has the capability. All we need is better coordination. The list is long and perhaps endless, because new technology keeps entering the battle-space. They will need to keep upgrading.

If we do this much, India will have a tremendously potent weapon in its hands. It will be like the legendary “Brahmastra” from Hindu mythology. All the Prime Minister of India will have to do is pick up the phone and approve a mission. And Indians will no longer ask questions like, “Why can’t we take out Hafiz Saeed and Dawood Ibrahim?” And the answer to the question, “Can we get Kulbhushan Jadhav back?” will then have been answered. Special Forces can plan and execute at a ghostly pace.

It will not be long before a senior general from the Indian Army looks at the plan and smiling gently to himself, says “Mad. Quite mad.”

Major Gaurav Arya (Veteran)




Disclaimer: This article does not discuss other special forces like MARCOS and Garud. Till the time the Special Forces Command is formed, such a discussion is of little use. NSG is under the Home Ministry. SFF & SG are under the Cabinet Secretariat, and function in another orbit. While Indian Army personnel staff them, they are not under command the army.

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

The recent documentary on Garuds.

 

[Indian Sniper.001]

दम उसमें कहाँ, जिसे सुकून है?
दम तो उसमें है,
जिसकी छाती पर "बलिदान"
और सर पर "मरून" है।

​

~ Shatrujeet009

@hammer head
@Bornubus
@reddevil9

 

[Bornubus]

Para SF in Kashmir.

~ @Shatrujeet009​

Hahah Han bhai i know the unit in fact the guys in beard you can't recognize them when they are not in beards or in home

Unit I won't reveal but the same dude without beard


=======


Self delete

 

[aditya10r]

Is it just me or this dude really looks like @NeXoft007 Noor Alam.

 

[aditya g]

Is it just me or this dude really looks like @NeXoft007 Noor Alam.

Hamara Noor RAW ke alawa Para Commando bhi hai?

.................................................................

 

[Darth Malgus]

Disclaimer: This article does not discuss other special forces like MARCOS and Garud. Till the time the Special Forces Command is formed, such a discussion is of little use. NSG is under the Home Ministry. SFF & SG are under the Cabinet Secretariat, and function in another orbit. While Indian Army personnel staff them, they are not under command the army.

I am hoping the SG and SFF are better equipped since they don't have to face the wrath of the babu's in the MoD.

 

[NeXoft007]

Is it just me or this dude really looks like @NeXoft007 Noor Alam.

Dafuq man!

I am just a keyboard warrior

 

[Darth Malgus]

I understand that presently COBRAS are mandated to carry out anti-naxal OPs only, but are their plans to press them in CI roles in general?

For instance, are we likely to see COBRAS inducted in North-East, where their anti-Naxal experiences would be valuable or even in J&K?

Secondly, how do COBRAS and Greyhounds compare with regular infantry of Ghataks?

I know that COBRA's are inducted into RR for 2.5 years, so yes their men are involved in CI roles.

 

[Darth Malgus]

http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/10-para-sf-mustaffa-of-desert-warfare/

Training/Probation of the Desert Scorpions.


10 Para (SF) are also known as Desert Scorpions. Officers and jawans opting for 10 Para (SF) are trained specially for Desert warfare. At the start of the probation, they are given a tent, a bucket, a knife, a rope and a laltain. They have to setup their tent in the desert. Rigorous physical training goes day and night with no specific routine as there is no specific training manual. They get trained, sometimes, without food for 4 days, 1 litre water for 3 days and without sleep for 7 days. Sleep deprivation sometimes starts the moment probation starts. He will always have a 10KG sandbag on his back – this sandbag is affectionately called permanent buddy. Objective is to make the candidate realize that he is far more capable than he ever imagined. The moment he shows any weakness, he is out.

Every month he has to complete 10KM, 20KM, 30KM and 40 KM speed walk with full battle gears that means additional 25 KG. These speed walks should be completed within stipulated time.

Scorpions are better navigator than modern GPS systems. In desert, there are no roads, no landmarks, not much human colonies. There are just sand dunes that keep shifting every night. In such vast and clueless place, they are halo/air dropped in the middle of nowhere, with just a compass in their hand. And using that compass and stars, they reach their destination without fail, every time. They are taught to survive with literally nothing to eat or drink

They collect dew in the wee hours to survive. Just 300 ml of water is good for them to survive for 2 days. Remember it is 50+ degrees in Thar and a normal human needs more than 10 litres a day to survive. They are taught to eat anything that moves in the desert area. They specially like eating scorpions – `Once you kill and roast it, remove its venom, it is really tasty`. They know which grass, which leaf, which shrub to eat to stay alive to complete the mission. Because the battle is not won by dying for your country but to kill the enemy.

During the 6-month probation period, no candidate gets rejected because 90% of candidates give up by themselves and go back to their respective units. Before declaring any candidate fit for the unit, the Commanding Officer would consult the Probation Officer of the candidate, other officers, Subedar Major, senior JCOs and even Jawans.

 

[Darth Malgus]

The more I read this forum, the more I regret joining the Army, at least as a soldier. Wish i had the brains and the willpower to make a decision when i was younger...

 

[COLDHEARTED AVIATOR]

The more I read this forum, the more I regret joining the Army, at least as a soldier. Wish i had the brains and the willpower to make a decision when i was younger...

Join the TA!

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[Darth Malgus]

Join the TA!

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Yea, that's what im planning now. Will TA ever put you into combat roles?

 

[Indian Sniper.001]

Join the TA!

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Can we be a part of Ghatak, Join Commando Course, study in CIJWS if we do TA?