Indian Movie Commando 3

[Heron Mathis]

Indiahas several Special Forces (SF) units, with the branches of the Indian Armed Forces having their own separate special forces units. The Para SF of the Indian Army, MARCOS of the Indian Navy and Garud Commando Force of the Indian Air Force . There are other special forces which are not controlled by the military, but operate under civilian organisations, such as the National Security Guard under Home Ministry and Special Group under RAW.[1] Small groups from the military SF units are deputed in the Armed Forces Special Operations Division, a unified command and control structure.[2]

The Paratrooper (Special Forces), or Para (SF), are the special forces of the Indian Army.[3][4]This unit was created in June 1966 in the aftermath of the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war. An impromptu commando unit called Meghdoot Force, which took part in the 1965 war, formed the first nucleus of the permanent Para commando battalion which was to be raised under the Parachute Regiment. By 1969, the unit had grown into 2 battalions, viz. the 9 Para and the 10 Para. The unit's first combat missions were conducted during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war in which they undertook raids against Pakistan's military.

In 1988, 6 Para spearheaded the only foreign intervention operation conducted by Indian Armed Forces to restore democracy in Maldives. The operation was code-named Operation Cactus. Operation Cactus was launched to thwart a coup against the government of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.[5] In the late 1980s, the Para (SF) were deployed in Sri Lanka where they conducted helicopter-borne assaults and security operations.

Since the 1990s, the Para (SF) have been deployed on counter-terrorism operations in the Kashmir region against insurgents. These operations include raids and ambushes. In 1999, Para (SF) undertook operations against Pakistan's military during the Kargil war which included raids against Pakistani infantry and special forces. In 2002, the 2 Para (SF) participated in Operation Khukri in Sierra Leone to rescue 223 soldiers of the Indian Army's 5/8 Gorkha Rifles who were deployed as UN peacekeepers but were surrounded by militants from the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone.[6] Some of the later reported missions carried out by Para (SF) include the counter-insurgency operation purportedly undertaken inside Myanmar in 2015, and the 2016 Surgical Strikes.[7][8][9]

First conceived in 1985, the Marine Commando Force, also called MARCOS, was raised in February 1987. It is the special forces unit of the Indian Navy.[11][12] Initially, the U.S. Navy SEALs and British special forces trained a few officers of the Indian navy who formed the first core of MARCOS.[13][14] Months after their creation, MARCOS were deployed in Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in July 1987. In the 1990s, MARCOS undertook numerous operations such as Operation Tasha (1991) against the LTTE, and Operation Zabardust (1992) against a ship that was smuggling arms and in support of the United Nations in Somalia (1993). They also participated in the 1999 Kargil War.[12] Since 1995, MARCOS are permanently deployed for counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir against militants.[12][15] MARCOS had participated in efforts against the 2008 Mumbai attacks alongside the National Security Guards but their effectiveness was diluted due to bureaucratic indecision.[16] MARCOS have also been deployed in anti-piracy operations.[17]

After a 10-week-long basic training, MARCOS are sent to train alongside Indian Army's Para (SF) for 3 weeks. Advanced training follows, during which MARCOS learn skills such as sky-diving, weapons training, counter-insurgency, languages, and warfare in different terrains, among other things. Each MARCOS squad, called Prahar, is composed of 8 soldiers.[12]

The Garud commandos are the special forces of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Their tasks include counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, providing security to IAF's assets, and various air force-specific special operations. First conceived in 2002, this unit was officially established on February 6, 2004.[19]

All Garuds are volunteers who have imparted a 52-week basic training, which includes a three-month probation followed by special operations training, basic airborne training, and other warfare and survival skills. The last phase of basic training sees Garuds being deployed to get combat experience. Advanced training follows, which includes specialised weapons training.[19][20]

The mandated tasks of the Garuds include direct action, special reconnaissance, rescuing downed pilots in hostile territory, establishing airbases in hostile territory, and providing air-traffic control to these airbases.[21] The Garuds also undertake suppression of enemy air defences and the destruction of other enemy assets such as radars, evaluation of the outcomes of Indian airstrikes and use laser designators to guide Indian airstrikes.[22]

The Special Group is a special forces unit of the Research and Analysis Wing. It was formed in 1981.[23] The responsibilities of the Special Group includes clandestine intelligence operations and covert operations, with which the Government of India may not wish to be overtly associated.[24][23]

The National Security Guard (NSG) is a specialized counter-terrorism Federal Contingency Force. It was formally created in 1986. It is based on the British Army's Special Air Service and the German GSG 9.[25] The NSG is popularly referred to as the 'Black Cats' due to its distinct black uniforms.[26] It consists of the following two elements[25]-

The violent death of a Tibetan commando soldier who belonged to an Indian special forces unit near the China-India border has provided the public with rare insight into the operations of a little-known elite force.

Tibetan soldier Nyima Tenzin, 53, a company leader in the Special Frontier Force (SFF) under the Indian army, died in a land mine blast in late August, near the site of border tensions with Chinese troops. Another junior soldier was critically injured in the same explosion.

The government led by Jawaharlal Nehru subsequently formed a special force, recruiting mostly Tibetans in exile, who fled to India in 1959 with the 14th Dalai Lama after the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) invaded Tibet. These Tibetans have lived at high altitudes for generations; for them, walking on high land 5,000 meters above the sea level is like walking on the ground, experts say.

Considered an elite force in the India army, the SFF takes its orders directly from the Indian prime minister. It is based in Chakrata, nearly 700 kilometers from Ladakh, a key friction point in the current India-China border conflict.

Parachute Regiment (Special Forces),[5] Informally referred to As Para-Commandos, is a group of special forces battalions of the Parachute Regiment in the Indian Army. These units specialize in various roles including counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, counter-insurgency and direct action.[6]

The unit's heritage stems from World War II, with the creation of the 50th Parachute Brigade in October 1941 under the British Indian Army. 9 Para (SF) was raised in 1966 as the 9th Parachute Commando Battalion (as part of the Parachute Regiment) and is the oldest among the fifteen Para (SF) units of the Indian Army. It has been involved in various operations including the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 (including Chachro Raid), Operation Bluestar, Operation Pawan, Operation Cactus, Kargil War, Operation Ginger, 2015 Indian counter-insurgency operation in Myanmar, 2016 Pampore stand-off, 2016 Indian Line of Control strike and in several anti-terror operations.[6]

The parachute units of the Indian Army are among the oldest airborne units in the world. The 50th Indian Parachute Brigade was formed on 27 October 1941, comprising the British 151st Parachute Battalion, the British Indian Army 152nd Indian Parachute Battalion, and the 153rd Gurkha Parachute Battalion.[3][7] The Parachute Regiment was formed from these and several other units in 1952.

On 15 April 1952, the three battalions serving with the Parachute Brigade were removed from their respective Infantry Regiments to form the Parachute Regiment. Since then the Parachute Regiment has grown to comprise ten battalions including Parachute (Special Forces) battalions. In 1986, 8 PARA became 12 Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Regiment, while 21 Maratha LI converted to PARA (Special Forces). During their short but eventful existence so far, the regiment's battalions have had extensive operational experience, and singular achievements, to speak of their level of professionalism.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, an ad hoc commando unit, named Meghdoot Force, consisting of volunteers from various infantry units was organized by then Major Megh Singh of the Brigade of the Guards. The unit performed exceptionally well during the war destroying many strategic bridges and killing many Pakistani soldiers, and thus the Government authorized the formal raising of a commando unit. Lt Col Megh Singh was selected to raise the unit which was originally intended to be a part of the Brigade of the Guards. However, recognizing parachute qualification as an integral element of special operations, the unit was transferred to the Parachute Regiment and raised as its 9th Battalion (Commando) on 1 July 1966. The erstwhile members of the Meghdoot Force formed the nucleus, and the new unit was based in Gwalior. In June 1967 the unit was split equally into two to form a second commando unit, designated as 10th Battalion, each with three Companies. 10th Battalion was mandated to operate in the Western Desert and 9th Battalion in the northern mountains. In 1969, these battalions were re-designated as 9 and 10 Para (Commando) battalions.[3][8]

In 1978, the 1 Para, as an experiment, was converted to become the first special forces unit of the Indian army, and was kept as the tactical reserve. Already a recipient of the Chief of Army Staff Unit Citation twice, and the GOC-in-C Eastern Command Unit Citation once, the unit was originally 1 Punjab, which was later re-designated as 1 PARA (Punjab) and in 1978 was converted to 1 PARA (SF).

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