Special Forces of the Indian and Pakistani Armies

Introduction

The history of conflict between India and Pakistan dates back to 1947. The first war between the two countries began only 2 months after they attained independence from Great Britain. They fought two more wars, in 1965 and 1971, and numerous skirmishes over the past 52 years. In 1998, a new plateau was reached when both countries conducted a series of nuclear weapons tests. Tensions in the region rose again during the summer of 1999, when Islamic militants fighting to force India to relinquish its claim to the Kashmir region crossed the line of control and threatened the town of Kargil by shelling the only supply route from Srinagar. India alleged that the militants had the backing of the Pakistani Army and the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate and also that Pakistani Army Special Forces (SF) were participating directly in the cross-border operations. It is likely that these kinds of hostilities will continue to occur, possibly leading to a fourth war. Therefore, it is important to know about the SF units that will be out in front and even behind enemy lines during such crises. This article discusses the background, organization, training, missions, and equipment of the SF units of both countries.

Background and Organization

India

The roots of the Indian Army's SF (see figure 1) can be found in the establishment of Indian parachute units during World War II. The personnel of these units gained valuable war-time experience, which proved valuable in the recreation of a post-independence Parachute Regiment. It was not until the second Indo-Pakistani war in 1965 that India formed "an ad hoc commando (Cdo) detachment composed of volunteers from various infantry units." They performed their wartime duties so well that the government decided the following year to establish a permanent Cdo (Cdo) unit, the 9th Battalion (Bn) of the Parachute Regiment. The 10th Bn was established in June 1967 from elements of the 9th, and a month later both units were renamed the 9th and 10th Para Cdo Bns. One aspect of their specialization was that each Bn focused on and recruited from a specific geographic region. The 9th Bn operated in the northern mountains, while the 10th Bn operated in the western desert.

Figure 1. Indian SF Organization

These SF units first saw combat in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war—the 9th in Jammu and Kashmir, the 10th in the Sindh region. Both units received commendations for their actions during the war. In 1979, a third unit was formed and named the 1st Para Cdo Bn. This unit was not given a geographic specialty, but instead was considered a strategic reserve.

The 1980s were a busy time for the para Cdo units. In 1984, Sikh extremists took several moderate Sikh leaders hostage and holed up at a fortified religious complex called the Golden Temple. The army tried to soften the Sikh positions with light shelling in order to assist an assault by the local Special Frontier Forces. This attempt failed, and the para Cdos were assigned to the mission. Elements of the 1st Para Cdo Bn led the assault to rescue the hostages; four hostages were rescued, and two were killed. The Cdos then led Indian infantry back into the temple in order to take out the rest of the extremists. The 1st Para Cdo Bn suffered 17 fatalities and approximately 60 wounded.

In 1987, Indian SF participated in a peace-keeping mission to Sri Lanka, which evolved into a counter-insurgency operation against the Tamil rebels that were operating in the northern part of the island. The opportunity for a peaceful settlement evaporated when the Tamil rebels kidnapped and murdered five peacekeepers from the 10th Para Cdo Bn. The Indian Army decided to break the rebel organization by capturing its headquarters in the city of Jaffna. A heliborne assault was led by the 10th Bn, acting as pathfinders for the rest of the force. However, the Tamils were monitoring the Indians' communications and were able to ambush the Cdos at the soccer field, which was to be their landing zone. The survivors of the ambush were rescued the next day by a column of T-72 tanks. The 10th Bn continued to be used in counter-insurgency operations until it was relieved by the 9th Bn in 1988. This gave the 9th Para Cdos an opportunity to gain battle experience. India withdrew from Sri Lanka in March 1990.

In 1992, an SF Headquarters and an SF Training Wing were established at Nahan and Belgaum, respectively. In 1995 or 1996, a fourth SF Bn was created and named the 21st Para Cdo Bn. The location and geographic specialty of this unit are not known.

Pakistan

Pakistan had a few years' head start in the formation of its first SF unit (see figure 2). In 1953-54, the Pakistani Army created, with assistance from the U.S. Army, the 19th Bn of the Baluch Regiment. In the mid-1950s, the 19th Bn trained Naga rebels in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), to fight the Indian government. In 1964, the U.S. Army's 10th SF Group (Airborne) sent a Mobile Training Team to assist the Pakistanis in building a new airborne school at Peshawar. This school allowed the 19th Bn to become airborne-qualified. Also at that time, personnel of the 19th Bn began to refer to themselves as the "Special Service Group" of the Baluch Regiment. The Bn consisted of 700 men, divided into 24 specialized companies, and was commanded by a colonel. The companies were trained to carry out missions involving desert, mountain, and underwater warfare.

Figure 2. Pakistani SF Organization

Pakistani SF performed their first combat missions during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war. One of their first missions was to conduct airborne raids against three Indian air bases. Although the raids failed, the unit suffered relatively few casualties and did manage to confuse the Indians. In 1966 the unit was expanded to three Bns and officially became the independent Special Service Group (SSG). The headquarters for the SSG was established at Cherat; it oversees the 1st, 2d, and 3d Cdo Bns of the SSG. Each Bn consists of 700 men and is led by a lieutenant colonel. In 1970, a combat diver company was formed and named Musa, after the prophet Moses. Musa was responsible for Pakistan's inland waterways, since the Pakistani Navy had its own Cdo unit. In 1980, each Cdo Bn established its own combat diver detachment. As a result, Musa company was converted into a counter-terrorism unit.

During the late 1960s, each of the SSG's Bns rotated through East Pakistan to help control civil disturbances. In 1970, political elections and Bengali nationalism led to growing unrest, which caused the entire 2d Cdo Bn to be deployed to the east. In January 1971, the 2d Cdo Bn was replaced by the 3d Cdo Bn. The unrest was led by the Awami League through its military arm, the Mukti Bahini. The leader of the Awami League was Sheikh Mulibar Rahman. During the night of March 25-26, the Pakistani military launched Operation Searchlight, with the goal of bringing order back to East Pakistan and stifling the Awami League. The operation began in the early morning, when a platoon from the 3d Cdo Bn raided Sheikh Rahman's house and captured the Awami leader alive. By the end of the day civil war had broken out. Over the next 8 months, the army was able to regain control of the cities of East Pakistan. During that time, the 2d and 3d Bns of the SSG gained a lot of experience at urban warfare. However, the Mukti Bahini controlled the countryside where India supplied and trained the Bengali fighters. In October 1971, the SSG started to perform cross-border raids into India in order to cut off supplies to the insurgents and destroy their training facilities. In December, India invaded East Pakistan and began the third Indo-Pakistani war. By that time, most of the 3d Bn had withdrawn, and only the 2d Bn remained in the east. Although the Bn was able to perform a few successful harassment raids during the month-long war, many of its personnel were killed or captured trying to exfiltrate.

Training

India

The personnel of each Para Cdo Bn are airborne-qualified and probably air-assault-qualified as well. Certain detachments of these Bns are also trained in high-altitude high-opening and low-opening (HAHO/HALO) operations. Members of the U.S. Army SF participated in joint HAHO training with the Indians in 1992. Other joint training between the U.S. and Indian SF consisted of underwater training in 1995 and anti-terrorism training in 1997. Para Cdo Bns are trained in desert warfare (10th Bn) and mountain warfare (9th Bn). It is likely that certain elements of India's SF, the 9th Bn in particular, are trained to operate at extremely high altitudes, such as the Siachen Glacier. Little is known about language training within the Indian SF, but it is likely that all SF personnel are capable of at least rudimentary English, one of India's official languages, and that some personnel are trained in Chinese and certain Tibetan and Pakistani dialects.

Pakistan

As with their Indian counterparts, personnel of Pakistan's SSG are airborne-qualified and probably air-assault-qualified. Elements of the SSG are known to be HALO-qualified, and it is likely that they are HAHO-qualified as well. Personnel of the SSG receive training at the following schools: airborne (Peshawar), mountain warfare (Abbottad), combat diver (Karachi), and desert warfare. The SSG trains and exercises with other SF from Great Britain, the United States, Turkey, and Jordan. As for languages, English is widely used in Pakistan, although it is not an official language. It is likely that the SSG possesses linguists fluent in certain western Indian dialects.

Missions

India

The Para Cdo Bns are capable of carrying out the following missions: counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, counter-insurgency, security for very important people and places, reconnaissance, raids, peacekeeping, and sabotage. One likely current and future mission would be cross-border reconnaissance and raids into the Pakistani held areas of Kashmir. These missions would be focused against Islamic militants that operate in India but are supplied from and trained in Pakistan.

Pakistan

The SSG is capable of carrying out the following missions: counter-terrorism, unconventional warfare, counter-insurgency, security for very important people and places, reconnaissance, raids, and riverine operations. The SSG has been accused by India of supporting and participating in incursions into India's portion of Kashmir. Such activities will continue until the political issues surrounding Kashmir are resolved.

Another role for the SF of both countries would be long-range reconnaissance and possibly direct-action missions against the other country's ballistic missile forces and weapons-of-mass-destruction facilities. The most likely scenario would involve sets of small teams locating such missiles and facilities and reporting their precise coordinates to be used for a preemptive strike. If Pakistan or India develop or purchase smart munitions, another possible role for their SF will be to act as target designators.

Equipment

Very little information is available concerning the weaponry, transportation assets, communication gear, and general equipment being used by the SF of the Indian and Pakistani armies. It is likely that both countries try to import or indigenously produce the best weapons and equipment they can purchase with their meager resources.

Conclusion

Despite the sparse funding provided to them, the SF of India and Pakistan will continue to fulfill their roles as the tips of the spears for their respective armies. It is all but certain that these armies will continue to clash for the foreseeable future.