Indian Special Forces (archived)

[abingdonboy]

I doubt anything will change after the formation of this division.
The individual branches will retain bulk of their special forces and employ them as per their individual requirements.
The budget of this new organisation will come within MOD budget only.
Also if this special divison regarding foreign intervention I think there will be overlap with SG which comes under RAW.
Alternatively if they are employed within India for anti-hijacking and anti-terrorist missions then there will be overlap with NSG which comes under home ministry.

I don’t see any overlap whatsoever.

The three services will retain SF forces for their own specific requirements.

This force will be the go-to unit for high profile missions and strategic ops, till date India has not had any such force. When the PM needs something done there is no go-to unit, the individual service is charged then they allocate the appropriate SF team thereafter. Here there will be a force dedicated to be ready 24/7 for such missions.

Remember after the ambush in the East when the Myanmar strike was required the 21st BTN had to recall troops readying for a UN mission? After URI btns (won’t name them) created composite teams based on operators from multiple teams- all very ad-hoc and inefficient. The SOD will be a defacto response unit primed for immediate response.


No overlap with NSG either. The SOD is not meant for domestic CT, they won’t be configured anything like the NSG. NSG has a very specific and well defined role and they remain India’s premier CT force for internal operations.

I have a query. How will the AFSOD work? Will all three Special Forces (PARA SF, MARCOS and Garud) come under this or will it be a seperate body? And will the operators serving in AFSOD no longer belong to their OG units?

Whilst it’s not confirmed I am sure it will be a similarly situation to NSG- troops will come from their parent units on deputation to the SOD and then will fully be under the C&C of this outfit.

 

[Gessler]

Playing around with the various community-created clothing & equipment add-ons (aka Mods) for ARMA 3....thought I'll put together a rendition of the weapons & equipment carried by a Para (SF) commando as of today, using various items from various mods. Couldn't put together some stuff like knee-pads as they weren't available with the particular clothing, but otherwise I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out:

Typical stuff that you'd see on a Para SF operator nowadays.

• Tavor TAR-21 rifle w/ ITL MARS reflex sight
• Railed ACH helmet
• BEL-made single-tube Night Vision System (analogue of AN/PVS-7)
• Vest with MOLLE retention system
• Both the standard Army uniform pattern (PC Disruptive) and MARPAT Woodland patterns are used heavily by Paras, though for this I chose a Syrian camouflague model that looked closest to the regular Indian Army pattern

Going forward, I also made a rendition of what Para SF commandos are likely to look like in the near future:

I've tried to incorporate some of the trends we are seeing increasingly nowadays, such as follows:

• Increasing usage of Multicam pattern in many forces
• Near-widespread adoption of Quarter-zip combat shirts in Para SF
• Increasing usage of High-Cut helmets with a complete set of rails & velcro patches
• High-set Plate Carrier vests

Some indicators from confirmed items that are in the pipeline, like the planned buy of SCAR rifles. I've also made a few assumptions:

• Dual-tube Binocular Night Vision System like PVS-15 (could be part of the planned deal with US which also includes aforementioned SCAR rifles, though I'll be more than happy if what we're getting are the quad-tube GPNVG-18)
• I've also assumed the MARS sights we use on Tavor would continue to see service on the SCARs as well, though it's also likely we'll switch to a new sight

@rkhanna @abingdonboy @binayak95 @ALBY

 

[abingdonboy]

+ stop talking about SG in context to the SOD. The SG has its own role and their command structure reflects this. It doesn’t do what SOD does nor was it ever meant to.

Some have got confused into thinking SG was a tier one/Delta unit, it is very much not that.

SOD has its own place as does SG, SOD doesn’t change SG’s missions profile in any way.

 

[Gessler]

+ stop talking about SG in context to the SOD. The SG has its own role and their command structure reflects this. It doesn’t do what SOD does nor was it ever meant to.

Some have got confused into thinking SG was a tier one/Delta unit, it is very much not that.

SOD has its own place as does SG, SOD doesn’t change SG’s missions profile in any way.

SG is more of an analogue to the CIA Special Activities Division (SAD). Though it's got a long way to go before it can fully become like SAD.

 

[abingdonboy]

SG is more of an analogue to the CIA Special Activities Division (SAD). Though it's got a long way to go before it can fully become like SAD.

Exactly this. And when people keep asking why’ve SG isn’t doing xyz they only show their ignorance about what SG is actually meant to do. If we never learn about the missions they have done then they have been successful in those missions.

The less said about them the better.

They are not an sf/SOF unit and should not be discussed in that context.

 

[MuzzleVelocity]

Playing around with the various community-created clothing & equipment add-ons (aka Mods) for ARMA 3....thought I'll put together a rendition of the weapons & equipment carried by a Para (SF) commando as of today, using various items from various mods. Couldn't put together some stuff like knee-pads as they weren't available with the particular clothing, but otherwise I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out:

View attachment 35060
View attachment 35061
View attachment 35062

Typical stuff that you'd see on a Para SF operator nowadays.

• Tavor TAR-21 rifle w/ ITL MARS reflex sight
• Railed ACH helmet
• BEL-made single-tube Night Vision System (analogue of AN/PVS-7)
• Vest with MOLLE retention system
• Both the standard Army uniform pattern (PC Disruptive) and MARPAT Woodland patterns are used heavily by Paras, though for this I chose a Syrian camouflague model that looked closest to the regular Indian Army pattern

Going forward, I also made a rendition of what Para SF commandos are likely to look like in the near future:

View attachment 35063
View attachment 35065
View attachment 35066
View attachment 35067


I've tried to incorporate some of the trends we are seeing increasingly nowadays, such as follows:

• Increasing usage of Multicam pattern in many forces
• Near-widespread adoption of Quarter-zip combat shirts in Para SF
• Increasing usage of High-Cut helmets with a complete set of rails & velcro patches
• High-set Plate Carrier vests

Some indicators from confirmed items that are in the pipeline, like the planned buy of SCAR rifles. I've also made a few assumptions:

• Dual-tube Binocular Night Vision System like PVS-15 (could be part of the planned deal with US which also includes aforementioned SCAR rifles, though I'll be more than happy if what we're getting are the quad-tube GPNVG-18)
• I've also assumed the MARS sights we use on Tavor would continue to see service on the SCARs as well, though it's also likely we'll switch to a new sight

@rkhanna @abingdonboy @binayak95 @ALBY

I don't think Indian SOFs will switch to a higher set plate carrier vest. I am pretty sure, Indian units like the mobility of their arms which increases with a lower placed vest and decreases vice versa.

 

[Gessler]

I don't think Indian SOFs will switch to a higher set plate carrier vest. I am pretty sure, Indian units like the mobility of their arms which increases with a lower placed vest and decreases vice versa.

It depends on comfort level of the individual. However, increasingly, presence of vests with stuff mounted closer to the chest (that pack could be a IFAK kit for all I know, but still it's equipment) are catching on.

I have no reason to believe we won't go along with high-set vests eventually. Indian arms aren't set any differently from other subcontinental arms or Indonesian arms. And those guys already use high-set carriers.

 

[su35]

Playing around with the various community-created clothing & equipment add-ons (aka Mods) for ARMA 3....thought I'll put together a rendition of the weapons & equipment carried by a Para (SF) commando as of today, using various items from various mods. Couldn't put together some stuff like knee-pads as they weren't available with the particular clothing, but otherwise I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out:

View attachment 35060
View attachment 35061
View attachment 35062

Typical stuff that you'd see on a Para SF operator nowadays.

• Tavor TAR-21 rifle w/ ITL MARS reflex sight
• Railed ACH helmet
• BEL-made single-tube Night Vision System (analogue of AN/PVS-7)
• Vest with MOLLE retention system
• Both the standard Army uniform pattern (PC Disruptive) and MARPAT Woodland patterns are used heavily by Paras, though for this I chose a Syrian camouflague model that looked closest to the regular Indian Army pattern

Going forward, I also made a rendition of what Para SF commandos are likely to look like in the near future:

View attachment 35063
View attachment 35065
View attachment 35066
View attachment 35067


I've tried to incorporate some of the trends we are seeing increasingly nowadays, such as follows:

• Increasing usage of Multicam pattern in many forces
• Near-widespread adoption of Quarter-zip combat shirts in Para SF
• Increasing usage of High-Cut helmets with a complete set of rails & velcro patches
• High-set Plate Carrier vests

Some indicators from confirmed items that are in the pipeline, like the planned buy of SCAR rifles. I've also made a few assumptions:

• Dual-tube Binocular Night Vision System like PVS-15 (could be part of the planned deal with US which also includes aforementioned SCAR rifles, though I'll be more than happy if what we're getting are the quad-tube GPNVG-18)
• I've also assumed the MARS sights we use on Tavor would continue to see service on the SCARs as well, though it's also likely we'll switch to a new sight

@rkhanna @abingdonboy @binayak95 @ALBY

Is there any indian army mods in ARMA 3 herad one was there in ARma 2. It is pathetic that even with such big country we dont have mods of our army in popular games

 

[rkhanna]

I don't think Indian SOFs will switch to a higher set plate carrier vest. I am pretty sure, Indian units like the mobility of their arms which increases with a lower placed vest and decreases vice versa.

Sorry didnt understand. There is no real increase in mobility of the arms if your carrier is low. Infact the benefits of having a higher load bearing vest is manyfold. To to mention that when you run your pounches arent bounching around all on your midriff.


And IMO the issue is not whether the soldier wears it high or low. thats secondary and ultimately to each his own - the issue is why are the vests we buy made of such poor design and material

 

[porky_kicker]

I originally posted it in the DRDO thread but it belongs here

I have redacted the name of the above thing.

It is generally used by SF during ops , depending on requirements it may be used by others too.

All the SF fanboys here guess what it is or atleast it's function

 

[rkhanna]

I originally posted it in the DRDO thread but it belongs here

View attachment 35095

I have redacted the name of the above thing.

It is generally used by SF during ops , depending on requirements it may be used by others too.

All the SF fanboys here guess what it is or atleast it's function

No idea. Can't make out the kit. What is it ?

 

[Neeraj Mathur]

I originally posted it in the DRDO thread but it belongs here

View attachment 35095

I have redacted the name of the above thing.

It is generally used by SF during ops , depending on requirements it may be used by others too.

All the SF fanboys here guess what it is or atleast it's function

some kind of night optic or light source.
i am just guessing.

 

[porky_kicker]

Let the others try

Will give the answer tomorrow or later tonight

 

[Gessler]

I originally posted it in the DRDO thread but it belongs here

View attachment 35095

I have redacted the name of the above thing.

It is generally used by SF during ops , depending on requirements it may be used by others too.

All the SF fanboys here guess what it is or atleast it's function

It's a Betalight - a self illuminated torch that uses radioactive isotopes to remain lit for years.

Typically used for reading maps and stuff.

I must say it's form factor isn't that well developed compared to commercially available models.

 

[Unknowncommando 2]

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[porky_kicker]

It's a Betalight - a self illuminated torch that uses radioactive isotopes to remain lit for years.

Typically used for reading maps and stuff.

View attachment 35114

I must say it's form factor isn't that well developed compared to commercially available models.

Don't the SF etc carry tactical flashlights for that like from surefire etc which have multiple modes of operation

The one I posted is used as a marker during night / low light ops for identification etc worn on helmets ( aerial visibility ) or body ( ground visibility ) as required.

Also acts as a directional stobe light source visible or IR as required for SAR , combat etc

Well some variants of these are used to mark equipments or drop points and interestingly is visible on certain specific wavelengths only to deter detection by enemy.

 

[Gessler]

Don't the SF etc carry tactical flashlights for that like from surefire etc which have multiple modes of operation

They do but they're only good as long as you have batteries for them.

The one I posted is used as a marker during night / low light ops for identification etc worn on helmets ( aerial visibility ) or body ( ground visibility ) as required.

Also acts as a directional stobe light source visible or IR as required for SAR , combat etc

Well some variants of these are used to mark equipments or drop points and interestingly is visible on certain specific wavelengths only to deter detection by enemy.

Betalights (or other such light sources that use decaying radioactive elements and a phosphor screen to generate the light are not powerful enough to act as strobes that can be seen by UAVs. For ground-level identification, they're fine.

But battery-operated IR strobes are easily better. Ofcourse they have the limitations as I said above. But battery strobes are the go-to device for US SOF.

 

[Bhadra]

I originally posted it in the DRDO thread but it belongs here

View attachment 35095

I have redacted the name of the above thing.

It is generally used by SF during ops , depending on requirements it may be used by others too.

All the SF fanboys here guess what it is or atleast it's function

Beta light using tritium isotopes and ZnS phosphor are self illuminating low intensity light devices.

https://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo/labs1/DLJ/English/indexnew.jsp?pg=products.jsp

 

[Unknowncommando 2]

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[Unknowncommando 2]

FAB DEFENSE + Zeiss RSA-S Sight on Romanian AK/Md