The Ghatak troops look like proper SOF now. That's a massive change from when they look like regulars with Sterling Carbines.
To be fair modernised gear is seen with NSG, MARCOS, PARA SF especially with the new Viper HelmwtsHby MKU and atleast three types of plate carriers (1 MOLE Pattern IIRC).
Ghataks have seen a decent improvement and that’s encouraging.
But that they are almost on par with the full blown SF units (in many cases I think you could struggle to differentiate PARA SF and Ghatak) is appalling.
Since 2009/10 it’s hard to see much improvement in their gear and this stagnation is unfathomable, if they had continued with their upgrades in the last decade they could be on par with most Western SF units today instead, and this isn’t exaggeration, Indian SF units are amongst the WORST equipped special forces units on the PLANET. Forget US/UK/France/Australia, Indian SF isn’t even better equipped than the SF units of the Philippines or Columbia.
NSG is a success story (although they still have to keep pushing to get on par with the very very top units in their field) but they come under MHA so aren’t relevant to this discussion. Although I would say that the MOD should look at NSG’s 2010 modernisation plan, it involved a top
To bottom overhaul of NSG’s equipment and a roadmap of 5 years to implement it and it has to be said the effort was impressively effective. I have seen zero indication that there is any such fundamental analysis and plan for any SF unit. It seems procurements are piecemeal and sporadic with no vision at all.
There is a deep sickness within the MOD that’s all I can think, too much babudom, too much inefficiency, too little leadership and huge vested and competing interests. End result is some infantry to this day looks like they is from the early 1900s and so much legacy crap remains.
