Chandigarh, July 17, 2005, Asit Jolly (Asian Age)

The Indian Army’s Special Forces units will over the next few weeks begin receiving Israeli 5.56 mm Tavor assault rifles equipped with UBGLs (under-barrel grenade launchers) as part of a $15-million deal for the close encounter weapons signed nearly three years ago.

Sources said the Israel Military Industry-built AR’s, delayed due to "technical problems", have finally been cleared following tests by Indian SF experts in Tel Aviv some months ago.

In an earlier $2-million deal, Israel had supplied between 350 to 400 Tavor 21s without UBGLs to the Special Frontier Force, an "indistinct", highly mobile and well-equipped quasi-military commando outfit used by the security agencies for highly classified missions, mostly involving terrorists. The SFF’s core group is deployed selectively from time to time, mostly in urban situations. Israel had also supplied the Army’s Special Forces around 120 Galil 7.62 sniper riffles two years ago for "irregular warfare".

Currently the Indian army has five Special Forces battalions and plans on adding another two over the next two years. It also has an additional three specialised parachute battalions that are trained for Special Forces-style strategic missions behind enemy lines, and for anti-terrorist operations. According to official sources, initial Special Forces raisings in India were trained by the Israelis in anti-insurgency operations. In the mid-1980s Israel had trained and armed the Special Protection Group after its raising as a commando force for VIP protection even though Delhi and Tel Aviv had no formal diplomatic relations. These were formally established in early 1992.

The Israeli Military Industry is, meanwhile, also involved in talks with India’s Ordnance Factory Board to transfer technology to locally manufacture Tavor 21s to meet additional projected requirements for an additional 10,000 ARs. The locally designed and built 5.56 mm Indian small arm system, or INSAS assault rifle, that continues to face technical problems, is not suitable for the Special Forces, or the Para units.

In a related development, the US is also to begin supplying around 15 to 20 types of specialised equipment for the Army’s Special Forces units, including laser designators, helmets, body armour and a range of other classified gear. The agreement with Washington follows the joint manoeuvres conducted by the Indian and the USSF in Ladakh two years ago, and subsequent interaction between the two specialised forces.

The Indian Army’s updated doctrine stresses a "proactive role" for the Special Forces to perform specialised tasks similar to the missions by the USSF in the 2001 war against the Afghan Taliban, and in Iraq three years later.

The Army will also invite at least five local and overseas companies to compete for its requirement of 55,000 to 60,000 pieces of 5.56 mm light machine carbines. This would be accompanied by a transfer of technology to either the OFB, or a private manufacturer, to produce over 600,000 pieces under licence to replace the outdated WW II Sten guns still in use with the Army, paramilitary units and state police forces. The OFB is also looking at the possibility of exporting these weapons in keeping with the new ministry of defence guidelines regarding transfer of technology that were recently announced by defence minister Pranab Mukherjee The Indian Army also proposes to raise two airborne special operations squadrons by 2010. Two years ago the Indian Air Force had raised its own Special Forces unit, the Garuda Force, for counter-terrorism and anti-hijacking operations while the Indian Navy has the Marine Commandos.