India’s defence set to form new special forces division

India's ministry of defence initiated the process to create three new agencies, especially for special operations, cyberspace and space war. These special forces divisions will have nearly 3000 commandos for the country's security.

As its primary step, the government appointed Sri Lanka war veteran Major General AK Dhingra as the first chief of the armed forces special operations division. The Indian tri-services commando unit will have two-star officers from the Indian Army’s parachute force also known as Paras, the marine commandos MARCOS of Navy and the Garuda unit of the Air Force.

This new division of Indian defence will work under the tri-service integrated defence staff and will have it’s headquarter based in the defence ministry. The division is also expected to be the first choice of the government in matters related to the terror attacks in the country and neighbouring South Asia. 

For now, the  Army’s special unit is combatting terrorists and conducting special anti-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The attempt to set up the armed force special forces division was given final approval by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year during a combined conference of Indian defence forces in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. 

India has been facing terror attack threats for decades. After the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai and several other terrorist operations in Kashmir, the government felt the need for the special unit.

 The three new agencies are a small beginning towards injecting jointness and synergy among the Army, Navy and Indian Air Force. The defence ministry says, in the future, the agencies can grow into full-fledged commands. 

A country as large as India certainly needs a much-needed collaboration in logistics, planning, procurement and training among the three forces, who often pull in different directions, as well as to provide "single-point'' fighting advises to the government.