CLAWS Special Forces: Issue Brief Revamp and Restructure n VIJAY OBER O I and political risk, operational techniques, mode of employment, independence from friendly support, and dependence on detailed operational intelligence Introduction of a very high order. SF may be used against a wide The November 26 terrorist attack in Mumbai and range of adversaries, including terrorists, insurgents, related events have brought into sharp focus the guerrillas, or regular combatants. Special Forces (SF) of the nation. India fields a variety In our country, a proliferation of SF types reduces of SF, of which two—the Marine Commandos focus on certain essential tasks, undermines cost- (MARCOS) of the navy and the National Security effectiveness, and sullies accountability. Weaknesses Guards (NSG) of the Cabinet Secretariat—operated and chinks in the system need to be identified and against the terrorists at Mumbai. While the personnel highlighted while deliberating on the changes needed of both forces displayed exceptional courage in to evolve the nation’s SF structure of the future. tackling the terrorists, lacunae in the deployment and employment of these forces need early rectification Changing Nature of Threats in order for the SF to respond with alacrity the next Ambiguity and a marked divergence from time a similar situation arises. Details of what needs traditional risks characterise security 2009 March 7, No. to be done to increase the efficiency of these forces challenges today and in the future. must necessarily be preceded by an elucidation of Consequently, military contingencies what the SF are all about. require multifaceted forces, like the Most professional militaries field special units, SF, as they are able to respond to a with specialised, highly focussed capabilities. wider spectrum of crises. Terrorism, Known as SF, these are small, elite military units, subversion, insurgency, and proxy war with special training and equipment, capable of by neighbouring countries or by non- conducting a variety of operations. SF personnel state actors from their soil will continue undergo rigorous selection and lengthy, specialised to be major security challenges for India. training. SF are the nation’s penetration and strike The recent terrorist strike at Mumbai is forces that respond to extraordinary contingencies an appropriate example. In this type of across the conflict spectrum, with stealth, speed proxy war environment, the SF, given and precision. Their operations differ from their low profile, may well be the forces conventional operations in the degree of physical of choice for conducting operations, The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, is an autonomous think-tank dealing with national security and conceptual aspects of land warfare, including conventional and sub-conventional conflict and terrorism. CLAWS conducts research that is futuristic in outlook and policy oriented in approach. Website: www.claws.in Contact us: [email protected] 2 CLAWS Special Forces... including across the border, without inviting the carried out with vision and all likely contingencies political, economic, and military risks of war. SF are catered for, there is no reason why our SF cannot can also assist in deterring, destroying, or defending meet such challenges. against attempts aimed at nuclear or radiological material or weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), SF of India especially from non-state actors. The biggest component of SF is fielded by the Indian Several constraints impede the employment of Army, but other forces too have SF of varying conventional forces to resolve security issues. With capabilities. Currently, the SF component of the Indian asymmetric opponents such as terrorists, insurgents Army comprises a number of Para (SF) battalions. and rebel groups increasingly holding the nation to While five such battalions have existed for over a ransom, dealing with them in a conventional manner decade, the others were converted by redesignating has many pitfalls. In such an environment, SF become all parachute battalions about three years ago. The even more important. Asymmetric opponents do other SF of India include a battalion of the Rashtriya not attack the strengths of the nation, but target Rifles – 31 RR (Commando), the Indian Navy’s its vulnerabilities, with unorthodox measures. Such MARCOS, two forces operating under the Cabinet attacks can be best tackled by the SF. Secretariat, viz. the NSG and the Special Frontier Preparing for the conflicts of the next decade and Force (SFF) and the Garuda Commando Force of beyond, we need to invest heavily in the right kind the Indian Air Force. Some states have designated of SF, with the agility to perform a task, disengage, some police units as commandos but these are of regroup and be ready for the next mission. SF to little value. All these forces have different tasks, tackle low intensity conflicts of the future must be ranging from counter-insurgency to anti-hijacking, purpose-filled organisations, possessing both human to guerrilla warfare, and so on. The total strength intelligence and signals intelligence capabilities; of all the different forces combined would be fairly scientific and analytical skills; and ability to use substantial, and would compare favourably with the information technology optimally. They must also strengths of the SF of the US and Russia. possess language skills and knowledge of the cultural, Capable of carrying out only ‘direct action’ type social and behaviour patterns of the adversary. of operations, like raids, direct and indirect assaults, In future, SF will become more relevant because and other attrition-oriented tasks, the various they can respond to a wider spectrum of crises SF of India, however, are neither organised nor than conventional forces. Unfortunately, the SF of doctrinally prepared to carry out tasks which their the Indian Army, as structured at present, are not counterparts in some other countries are capable of capable of doing this. However, if restructuring is conducting. These include tasks like unconventional warfare, special deep reconnaissance, psychological Preparing for the conflicts of the operations, counter-proliferation and sensitive special operations. Unfortunately, earlier attempts next decade and beyond, we need in the army to form SF units in the genre of the to invest heavily in the right kind Special Air Service (SAS) of the UK, or the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the USA were met with of SF, with the agility to perform scepticism, if not downright hostility. a task, disengage, regroup and be The major reason is the focus of the Indian Army on attrition-oriented operations and linear ready for the next mission. thinking. Consequently, para commandos of the CLAWS 3 past, or Para (SF), as they are now termed, have Leadership comes from largely been employed as super or elite-infantry, with a focus on attrition-dominated tasks. No professional experience and not by doubt, they have performed well, but they still are wearing the rank badges of a three not trained for typical SF roles. On occasions, they have also been employed on mundane and wasteful star general. Under a seasoned tasks, such as VIP protection or protective tasks at army leader, the task at Mumbai higher headquarters. would have been accomplished in Future Dispensation 24 hours at the most. The fragmented structure of India’s SF is not conducive to efficient management and needs to rectify systemic problems of leadership, structures reorganisation. As an immediate measure, the SF and decentralisation of authority. Although the of the army, navy and air force need to be placed commandos are brave and well trained on account of under a separate tri-Service command controlled being selected personnel of the army, the leadership by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), once that does not inspire confidence. appointment becomes a reality, and in the interim, Leadership comes from professional experience under the Integrated Defence Staff and the Chiefs of and not by wearing the rank badges of a three star Staff Committee. general. Under a seasoned army leader, the task at In most countries, the SF are also tasked for anti- Mumbai would have been accomplished in 24 hours hijacking and hostage rescue. However, in India, at the most. In this context the following aspects these tasks have been assigned to an independent need to be highlighted: organisation, the NSG. Besides not being a cost- • Although the main SAG group is located at effective option, these tasks are actually carried out Manesar, a small immediate response team is by personnel of the army, who constitute the entire always stationed at the Palam airport to respond complement of the Special Action Group (SAG) of at short notice. This should have been dispatched the NSG, and are on deputation from the army. The immediately by commandeering an aircraft. They other portion of the NSG, the Special Rangers Group would have acted as the advance party, collected (SRG), which is manned by personnel from the central vital information and would have set the stage police forces, has over the years, degenerated into for the main body. a force almost exclusively assigned to VIP security. • There was no need to wait for a slow flying aircraft Proximity to politicians, who constitute the bulk of to fetch up from Chandigarh, when the NSG is the VIPs, has an adverse impact on their primary empowered by law to requisition any available function, as well as on their discipline, deportment aircraft, without waiting for any permission. Such and professional efficiency. on the spot decisions are the forte on which the At this stage, let us take a deeper look at the actions SF are organised, but policemen who head this of the NSG during the recent Mumbai mayhem. elite force do not have the sense of urgency or the Although the SAG did clear the three buildings capacity to take such decisions. that had been occupied by a total of eight Pakistani • As complete information will never be available terrorists, it took them three days to do so.