INDIAN NAVY: November 2013

Friday 29 November 2013

COBRA-COmmando Battalion for Resolute Action

COBRA (backronym for COmmando Battalion for Resolute Action) is a specialised unit of the CRPF created to counter the Naxalite problem in India. This specialised CRPF unit is one of the few units of the Central Armed Police Forces in the country who are specifically trained in guerilla warfare. This elite fighting unit has been trained to track, hunt and eliminate small Naxalite groups. There are currently 10 COBRA units. CoBRA Sector is continuous winner of Best CRPF Anniversary Parade 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Cobras are trained in the Army’s elite Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Mizoram and CRPF’s anti terrorist school in Silchar. They are adept in the art of camouflage and jungle warfare. Their role is to carry out reconnaissance and long range patrols, gather intelligence on the whereabouts of the insurgents, and also carry out ambushes and precision strikes when required. Their sniper teams can also be used to headshot key targets.
CoBRA members are assigned to an Army unit for six months following their basic training. After this, they may be assigned to counter-Naxal activities.

The Special Protection Group

The Special Protection Group (SPG) is the executive protection agency of the Government of India. It is responsible for the protection of the Prime Minister of India, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members.
The force was established in 1985 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It provides proximate security to protectees, including protection provided from close quarters, journey on foot, road, rail, aircraft, watercraft or any other means of transport, and includes places of functions, engagements, residence, etc. They comprise of ring round teams, isolation cordons, the sterile zone, and the rostrum and access control to the person or members of his immediate family. Recruits are drawn from the various Indian police forces, who undergo training similar to that conducted by the United States Secret Service. The officer cadre is made up of officers drawn from the various state and central cadres.
The work of the Special Protection Group became more organised after the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991, (who was, at that time, not under SPG cover since his term as Prime Minister had ended). With more than 3,000 personnel, the Special Protection Group has, over a period of time, grown both in size as well as in specialisation. After the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, there have been no successful attempts to attack the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's family members.

The National Security Guard (NSG)

National Security Guards

The National Security Guard (NSG) is a special force in India that has primarily been utilised for counter-terrorism activities and was created by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of the Indian Parliament in 1986. It works completely within the Central Armed Police Forces structure. The NSG is an elite force providing a second line of defence to the nation.They have played a pivotal role in safeguarding the unity of India and have commendably foiled attempts of anti-national elements to tear apart the social fabric of the country. The NSG has maintained an edge over terrorist outfits in possession of latest technology and are considered among the best special operations units in the world.

The National Security Guard (NSG) was set up in 1984 as a Federal Contingency Deployment Force to tackle all facets of terrorism in the country and has acquired considerable experience from the intense insurgency operations it has faced – from the present conflict in the state of Kashmir to the cradle of its birth, the state of Punjab. Adopting a variety of roles from counter-terrorism to hostage rescue to VIP protection, the NSG proudly wears the mantle of being one of the finest counter-terrorist units in all of Asia. The NSG's roles include conducting anti-sabotage checks, rescuing hostages, neutralising terrorist threats to vital installations, engaging terrorists, responding to hijacking and piracy and protecting VIPs.
The NSG's specific goals include:
Neutralization of terrorist threats
Handling hijacking situations in air and on land.
Bomb disposal (search, detection and neutralisation of IEDs).
PBI (Post Blast Investigation)
Engaging and neutralizing terrorists in specific situations.
Hostage Rescue

The Garud Commando Force

The Garud Commando Force is the Special Forces unit of the Indian Air Force. It was formed in September 2004 and has a strength of approximately 2000 personnel. The unit derives its name from Garuda, a divine bird-like creature of Hindu Mythology.
Garud is tasked with the protection of critical Air Force bases and installations; search and rescue during peace and hostilities and disaster relief during calamities.Presently, Garud's are deployed in Congo as part of the UN peace keeping operations.

Garud Personnel are enlisted as Airmen within the Indian Air Force rank structure. The entire force is currently under the command of a Wing Commander rank officer. The Garud force is organized into fifteen "Flights", with a total present strength of approximately 1500 airmen.
A flight is roughly the equivalent of a "Company" in an Infantry Battalion, and is commanded by an officer of the rank of Flight Lieutenant.The flights are based at various Air Force Stations, where they train and provide security

Garuds have diverse responsibilities. Besides base protection force to protect airfields and key assets in hostile environments, some advanced Garud units are trained like Army Para Commandos and the Naval MARCOS to undertake missions deep behind enemy lines. Note, that the security of IAF installations like radars, airfields and other establishments in border areas is generally performed by the Air Force Police and the Defence Security Corps (DSC)

Marine Commandos

MARCOS (previously named as Marine Commando Force (MCF)) is an elite special operations unit of the Indian Navy. created for conducting special operations such as Amphibious warfare, Counter-terrorism, Direct action, Special reconnaissance, Unconventional warfare, hostage rescue, Personnel recovery, Asymmetric warfare, Counterproliferation. The MCF is specially organised, trained and equipped for the conduct of special operations in a maritime environment. MARCOS is short for Marine Commandos. The force has gradually acquired experience and a reputation for professionalism over the two decades it has been in existence. Now it is one of the finest Special Forces units in the world and among the few units qualified to jump in the water with a full combat load. The MARCOS are capable of undertaking operations in all types of terrain, but are specialised in maritime operations in Jammu and Kashmir through the Jhelum River and Wular Lake, a 65 square kilometer freshwater lake. Some MARCOS personnel are also attached with the Army special forces units conducting counter-terrorism operations in the area. MARCOS are widely feared among the terrorists, who call them "Dadiwala fauj", meaning the "Bearded army" because of their bearded disguise in civil areas. MARCOS have also been known to carry out wide variety of operations in foreign soil.

Force One

The Force One is an elite commando force, which is a specialised counter terrorism unit to guard the Mumbai metropolitan area, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, formed by Government of Maharashtra on the lines of National Security Guards (NSG). It was formed under Maharashtra Police, as a response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and was commissioned two days before its first anniversary, on the occasion Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, also laid the foundation stone of the Force One's headquarters in Mumbai. It was recently announced that one of their primary tasks will be to protect the Maharashtra Legislature as well as several politicians within the state.

The commandos of Force One, are trained at Maharashtra Intelligence Academy, the College of Military Engineering, Pune and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in the use of sophisticated arms and explosives, known for its rapid shooting skills. While the NSG has a regional hub in Mumbai, Force One is expected to be part of the initial response to a terror strike in Mumbai.
Force One takes 15 minutes to get ready and respond to a terror strike.
Creation

The M107
In wake of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the Government of Maharashtra decided to form a new, specialised force to tackle terror. It was commissioned on November 24, 2009 on SRPF Ground of suburban Goregaon, Mumbai. The initial training of the unit was made under the help and supervision of Israeli Special Forces. After two months of basic training by Israeli specialists, Force One was founded. Force One headquarters is to be spread over 96 acres (390,000 m2) inside the lush green Aarey Milk Colony at Goregaon in northwest Mumbai, and the first batch has 216 elite commandos. Special Inspector-General Sadanand Date is the Commander of Force One Team.
Out of 3,000 applications from the state police force who volunteered to be part of the force - many of whom were part of 26/11 response team - 261 personnel were selected and trained in Pune, apart from the College of Military Engineering and the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Ghatak Force

Ghatak Platoon, or Ghatak Commandos, is a special operations capable infantry platoon. There is one platoon in every infantry battalion in the Indian Army. Ghatak is a Hindi word meaning "killer" or "lethal". They act as shock troops and spearhead assaults ahead of the battalion.

Their operational role is similar to Scout Sniper Platoon, STA platoon of the USMC and the Patrols platoon of the British Army. They can be tasked by the battalion or brigade commander to carry out tasks such as special reconnaissance, raids on enemy artillery positions, airfields, supply dumps and tactical headquarters. They are also capable of directing artillery and air attacks on targets deep within enemy lines.
Unit composition

A Ghatak Platoon is usually 20-men strong, consisting of a commanding Captain, 2 non-commissioned officers and some special teams like marksman and spotter pairs, light machine gunners, medic and radio operator. The remaining soldiers act as assault troopers.
Training

The most physically fit and motivated soldiers in an infantry battalion are selected to be a part of the Ghatak Platoon. Most undergo training at the Commando Training Course in Belgaum, Karnataka. Often, other specialized training like heliborne assault, rock climbing, mountain warfare, demolitions, advanced weapons training, close quarter battle and infantry tactics are also given. Members of the platoon are also sent to the High Altitude Warfare School and Counterinsurgency and Jungle Warfare School. However, most of them are not parachute qualified.

Special Frontier Force

The Special Frontier Force (SFF) is a paramilitary special force of India created on 14 November 1962. Its main goal originally was to conduct covert operations behind Chinese lines in the event of another Indo-China war.
The SFF came to be known as 'Establishment 22' due to its first Inspector General, Major General (Retd.) Sujan Singh Uban of Indian Army,[1] who used to be commander of 22 Mountain Regiment during World War II, a Military Cross holder and a legendary figure in the British India Army. Singh commanded the 22nd Mountain Regiment during World War II in Europe and a Long Range Desert Squadron (LRDS) in North Africa.
Based in Chakrata, Uttarakhand, the force was put under the direct supervision of the Intelligence Bureau, and later, the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.

Para Commandos

Para Commandos are a special forces unit of the Indian Army mandated with special operating missions such as Direct action, Hostage rescue, Counter-terrorist, Unconventional warfare, Special reconnaissance, Foreign Internal Defense, Personnel recovery, Asymmetric warfare, Counterproliferation are its primary tasks during hostility. Formed in 1966, the Para Commandos are the largest and most important part of the Special Forces of India. They are a part of the highly trained Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army and, generally, all the Para-Commando personnel are selected from it. They are the crack force and help the main army to get in the enemy lines without much damage. The main aim of having a Parachute Regiment is for quick deployment of Soldiers behind the enemy lines to attack the enemy from behind and destroy their first line of defence. The Parachute Regiment, consisting of PARA (SF) and PARA (SF) Airborne battalions, is the elite volunteer force of the Indian Army.Because of its specified role, the regiment needs to be kept at optimum level of operational efficiency and physical fitness. Towards this end, this specially selected manpower should be comparatively young, physically fit and mentally robust, intelligent, innovative and highly motivated so as to successfully accomplish the assigned operational tasks.

special forces of india

1) Para Commandos

2) Special Frontier Force

3) Ghatak Force

4) Force One

5) Marine Commandos

6) Garud Commando Force

7) 51 Special Action Group, National Security Guards

8) Special Protection Group

9) COBRA

Todays comparison

SSG vs NSG
special service group vs national security guards

& NSG both are well trained & well equipped but SSG is quite experienced and so is the NSG in Anti-terrorist & other operations.

While NSG has been conducting Anti-terrorist ops in J&K
most of which are classified. More over, SSG is a part of military while NSG comes under Home Ministry as a paramilitary force.

Something Unique to NSG:

Shooting in the Dark
Advanced training also covers 'combat room shoot' in which commandos have to enter a dark room, adjust their vision to the darkness and shoot at a target within three seconds by torchlight or a compatible laser image intensifier. Similar training is also conducted under discothèque strobe lights - conditions that are considered very difficult.

Operations:
SSG-

1965 -
The first major deployment of the SSG came during the war of 1965. Around 120 officers and men were dropped on the night of 6/7 September near the Indian airbases of Adampur, Pathankot and Halwara in an ill-conceived operation to destroy Indian combat aircraft and put the bases out of action. Badly planned, lacking any solid intelligence, and even more badly executed the operation ended in a disaster.

1971 -
The performance of the SSG in the 1971 was much better despite Pakistan's surrender to India,with 1 Commando Battalion making a spectacular raid on an Indian artillery regiment and disabling several of their guns besides inflicting casualties.

Soviet-Afgan War -
During the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the SSG deployed there, disguised as Afghans and provided support to the Mujahideen fighting the Soviets. Author Aukai Collins, in the book My Jihad, gave the Pakistani infiltrators the title "Black Storks".They appear to have engaged the Soviet Airborne Forces in major battles such as the January 1988 Battle for Hill 3234 in which the Russians lost Six Spetsnaz soldiers, while Pakistani special forces lost 100 to 150 men in total. Another battle reported as having been fought between the Pakistanis and Soviet troops, in Kunar Province in March 1986, But the Russians claim that the battle have actually been fought between the GRU Spetsnaz's 15th Spetsnaz Brigade, and the Asama Bin Zaid regiment of Afghan mujahideen under Commander Assadullah, belonging to Abdul Rasul Sayyaf's faction.

NSG -

The National Security Guards (NSG) was raised by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of 1985 and has acquired considerable experience from the intense insurgency operations it has faced - from the present conflict in the state of Kashmir to the cradle of its birth, the state of Punjab. Adopting a variety of roles from counter-terrorism to hostage rescue to VIP protection, the NSG proudly wears the mantle of being one of the finest counter-terrorist units in all of Asia.

NSG is termed as one of the best SF in Asia, by the CIA.Overall, SSG can be compared better with the Indian Para SF. The NSG are better equipped.