India has severalspecial forces (SF) units, with the various branches of theIndian Armed Forces having their own separate special forces units. ThePara SF of theIndian Army,MARCOS of theIndian Navy and theGarud Commando Force of theIndian Air Force. There are other special forces which are not controlled by the military, but operate under civilian organisations, such as theNational Security Guard under theHome Ministry and theSpecial Group under theResearch and Analysis Wing, the external intelligence agency of India.[1] Small groups from the military SF units are deputed in theArmed Forces Special Operations Division, a unified command and control structure.[2] TheCRPF also has its ownCOBRA commandos, who are specialist guerrilla warfare fighter units known for their jungle fighting tactics.
ThePara (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 the1965 Indo-Pakistani war. An impromptu commando unit called Meghdoot Force, raised byCol Megh Singh VrC, 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 1 Para. The unit's first combat missions were conducted during the1971 Indo-Pakistani war in which they undertook raids against Pakistan's military.
Since the 1990s, the Para (Commando) have been deployed oncounter-terrorism operations in theKashmir region against insurgents. These operations include raids and ambushes. In 1999, Para (SF) undertook operations against Pakistan's military during theKargil war, which included raids against Pakistani infantry and special forces. In 2002, the 2 Para (SF) participated inOperation Khukri inSierra Leone to rescue 223 soldiers of the Indian Army's5/8 Gorkha Rifles who were deployed asUN peacekeepers but were surrounded by militants from the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone.[5] Some of the later reported missions carried out by Para (SF) include thecounter-insurgency operation purportedly undertaken inside Myanmar in 2015, and the2016 Surgical Strikes.[6][7][8]
In 1988, 6 Para spearheaded the only foreign intervention operation conducted by the Indian Armed Forces to restore democracy inMaldives by the order of Prime MinisterRajiv Gandhi. The operation was code-namedOperation Cactus. Operation Cactus was launched to thwart a coup against the government of PresidentMaumoon Abdul Gayoom.[9] In the late 1980s, the Para (Commando) were deployed inSri Lanka where they conducted helicopter-borne assaults and security operations. The unit 21 Para (SF) is reported to have killed many terrorists of Meitei and Kuki groups along the India-Myanmar boundary in 2022-23 while also avenging the killing of a Commanding Officer of 46 Assam Rifles and his family and eliminating the masterminds of the ambush on the Army column in 2015, earning many awards, accolades, and praise for the leadership. This has firmly established the unit as the best in the Indian Army.
The list of PARA (SF) Battalions is as follows:[10]
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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, theU.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 inSri Lanka against theLiberation 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 inSomalia (1993). They also participated in the 1999Kargil War.[12] Since 1995, MARCOS have been permanently deployed for counter-terrorism operations inJammu and Kashmir against militants.[12][15] MARCOS had participated in efforts against the2008 Mumbai attacks alongside theNational 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 the Indian Army'sPara (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, calledPrahar, is composed of 8 soldiers.[12] Some of the responsibilities of MARCOS are-[18]
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 6 February 2004.[19]
All Garud cadets are volunteers who have received a 52-week basic training, which includes a three-month probation followed by basic airborne training, special operations training, other warfare methods, 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 undertakesuppression of enemy air defences and the destruction of other enemy assets such as radars, evaluation of the outcomes of Indian airstrikes and uselaser designators to guide Indian airstrikes.[22] The security of IAF installations and assets is usually performed by the Air Force Police and theDefence Security Corps, even though some critical assets are protected by the Garuds.[19]
TheNational Security Guard (NSG) is a specializedcounter-terrorism federal contingency force. It was formally created in 1986. It is based on theBritish Army'sSpecial Air Service and the GermanGSG 9.[23] The NSG is popularly referred to as the 'Black Cats' due to its distinct black uniforms.[24] It consists of the following two elements[23]-
TheSpecial Group is a clandestine special forces unit of theResearch and Analysis Wing. It was formed in 1981.[25] The responsibilities of the Special Group include clandestine intelligence operations andcovert operations, with which theGovernment of India may not wish to be overtly associated.[26][25]
As second-in-command, or 2IC, of an elite Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), or the Para-SF as it is called, Maj. Tango had...
In 1988, India helped foil a coup attempt being assisted by Tamil rebels after it launched Operation Cactus on receiving a distress message from the then President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Volunteers from the diving unit were sent to train with the US Navy SEALs at Coronado, and a series of exchanges followed with the SBS. The result of this education in maritime special forces practice was the formation of the Indian Marine Special Forces in February 1987.
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