As a Part-2 for my earlier post going over where the weapon systems of NSG are going/ought to go, I've decided to write a post dedicated for
or the various systems designed to go on the head of a modern day counter-terror intervention operator. I wanted to write a post combining all non-weapon related systems that go on the body (including head, torso, waist etc) but realized there were too many to talk about on the head itself, let alone rest of the body...and thought it may serve to do each in a separate post, and go into further detail on each instead.
Like before, some of these are things NSG is already doing whereas others are which I would like them to do in future, in which case I've provided a reasoning as to why I think so.
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Quite recently NSG in the footsteps of various military & Police units across India adopted high-cut helmets, specifically the
Raider-Ex from US-based CPG Armor Company. The
Raider-Ex provides Level IIIA ballistic protection and is built along the OpsCore FAST pattern design, widely used by SOF & LE units worldwide. The high-cuts are designed to be light, and at the same time provide in-built accommodation for a wide range of peripheral equipment that can turn the tide in a tactical situation. As such the helmet represents the core element for majority of head systems in this list.
I would fully advocate for the replacement of ALL existing helmets including the relatively modern ACH-pattern ones as well as the Army-issue Model 1974 relics which sad to say some NSG operators still use, with these (or comparable ones, depending on operator comfort) high-cut types. Such a change would eliminate the need to resort to such aftermarket kit like the Militech helmet clamp on their bare-bones ACH in order to provide extra functionality which would be inherent to helmets like the Raider-Ex or the Team Wendy EXFIL, another helmet which is seeing increasing usage across the world.
The important elements for a helmet system being the incorporation of twin ARC Rail-type universal rail interfaces on the sides, a Night Vision shroud on the front, preferably with in-built twin retention hooks, and extensive provision for velcro on the inside along with a customizable padding system. Velcro is needed on the outside too, but the next bit will tell you what's up with that...
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While used quite extensively on the ACHs, though aforementioned Militech clamps require their removal,
Helmet Covers are an absolute must-have for the NSG's high-cuts going forward (so far in all the instances where the Raider-Ex was seen, they didn't have any covers). Not using any cover would expose the rather shiny helmets and typically that's a bad idea. A black cover with extensive Velcro patches would be needed as velcro brings a great deal of functionality and the ones on the helmet itself would be covered up.
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While many units in the military like Rashtriya Rifles are resorting to jerry-rigged (aka jugaad) mounting for GoPro cameras on their helmets/Patkas, a unit like NSG is better served by a purpose-built tactical camera system like the
MOHOC that can comfortably attach to Velcro surfaces such as on the top or sides of the helmet or even on shoulders with the appropriate mount.
Cameras on operators can be a pivotal tool for not only recording, reviewing & post-incident critical analysis of field performance of the operators as a training aid, but can also serve as critical evidence-gathering in the event of legal repercussions. Same reasons why Policemen the world over (including India) are being issued bodycams.
Additionally, tactical-focused systems like MOHOC (compared to civilian-grade Gopros without encryption) are also capable of real-time secure transmission to a downlink at the NSG's Mobile Command Centers (MCCs) set up outside the cordon for providing critical real-time intel and managing flow of visual information.
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A standalone
Helmet Light can be extremely useful in myriad situations. One cannot point his weapon light at everything that requires visible-spectrum illumination at a given time, and redundancy is always a good thing. Helmet lights such as the
PrincetonTec Switch MPLS or the
Surefire HL1 (both used extensively by USSOCOM) are proven in the field and can be great for providing localized illumination for a number of uses ranging from simple stuff, all the way to on-site bomb disposal.
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Combat engagements comprise 3 most important elements - Shoot, Move & Communicate. A modern tactical headset like a
Peltor COMTAC-III or
OpsCore RAC or
Revision ComCentr2 help the last part immensely. While it's not that NSG at present does not have individual comms (they do), but that this can be done far more effectively, along with providing many other benefits with a headset like one of those mentioned.
For starters these headsets perform a damn good job of Active Noise-Reduction against high-decible sounds like gunfire & explosions, protecting & prolonging the wearer's hearing acuity (especially useful considering NSG SAG operators are Army personnel on deputation), as well as providing a degree of protection against shrapnel. These headsets are adapted to attach to the ARC rails on the helmet and each earpiece can be individually swiveled. A universal cable jack flows from the earpiece toward a Push-to-Talk (PTT) piece usually positioned near the shoulder, which then terminates into a radio handset carried somewhere on the body. The PTT also allows for switching between active channels for squad/command-level communication.
A particular point of concern is that while high-cut helmets have achieved a degree of acceptance among Indian SFs & Police special action teams, none of them have adopted these tactical headsets to go with those helmets in a big way -
in spite of the fact that these high-cut helmets were designed for the express purpose of accommodating over-ear tactical headsets. Something that absolutely NEEDS to change in the coming years.
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Needless to say at this point but NSG, like all the other Indian special units across MoD & MHA,
remains woefully underequipped in terms of night-fighting capabilities. The helmet-mounted Night Vision Devices (NVDs) currently in use are either of limited functionality (like the Israeli ITL Mini N/SEAS monoculars) or are several generations out of date both in terms of form factor & technology, are cumbersome AND of limited functionality (like the bi-ocular BEL PNVG). A comprehensive upgrade of NVDs is of utmost importance. Every possible advantage should be taken when engaging an enemy and the ability to execute operations at night/in low-light conditions by losing little to no effectiveness is an extremely important advantage, one which we haven't be able to fully take so far.
When talking about issuing NVDs to the entire regular infantry, the cost factor is likely to be paramount and the mantra will inevitably be "best bang for the buck",
but when talking about procuring NVDs for a few hundred special operators who are fighting to stop the next 26/11, no expense should be spared. The mantra here SHOULD be "maximum buck, maximum bang". As such adoption of Panoramic quad-tube NVDs such as the
Tonbo Imaging BNVD-P, if not outright import of
L3Harris/EOTech GPNVG-18s should be followed up. The panoramic NVGs allow for a much wider field of view, allowing for a much greater degree of speed & situational awareness when moving through tactical encounters. To securely retain the heavier types like the quad-tubes, and to eliminate any semblance of play, aftermarket Lanyards may be necessary in addition to the retention clasps provided with the helmet.
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As extensive adoption of NVGs goes forward, so will the requirement for Identification of Friend/Foe through a phosphor screen, where the general rules (colours of uniform, faces etc.) do not apply. While a high-power infrared strobe like a HEL-STAR may not be necessary in the NSG's use-case considering the IR light need not be powerful enough to be picked up by a drone flying several thousand feet high, a relatively low-power IR flasher like the
Nitecore NU05MI family could do the job nicely, allowing other operators or low-altitude micro-UAVs like the Black Hornet that NSG uses can comfortably identify friendlies.
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Another extension of the increased use of NVDs is likely to be the need for
Counter-Weights to prevent forward droop, or
Battery Packs in case of power-hungry types like Quad-tubes over an extended period or for a myriad of uses like on-site power supply for cameras etc. Relatively simple stuff that attaches to the back of helmet (another reason why Velcro is so important) and can be modified to suit the user's needs. Usually the same pouch can be used for both purposes.
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Another extremely important, and relatively inexpensive thing which unfortunately I don't see a lot of NSG operators using as of today is
Ballistic Eye-Protection,
there's no telling how many countless lives or eyes a simple pair of glasses have saved, and thereby preventing an operator (who is a product of years of training & investment) from becoming combat-ineffective as a result of something as simple as a tree branch at the wrong place & wrong time, dust kick-up from rounds hitting the ground or wall nearby or something as serious as ballistic shrapnel that can cause permanent loss of eyesight. Tinted ones in outdoors and clear ones for urban situations/night-time can be an absolute lifesaver and I truly hope they become commonplace for each and every operator. The
Revision Stingerhawk is an excellent product from a reputable maker and has also been adopted in small quantities by Army's Para SF units.
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Will probably do a Part-3 for torso systems & the chest rig setup at some point in future....as before members are free to comment, add or criticize.
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