Exclusive: Fair fight? 800 bulletproof helmets for 85,000 CRPF jawans battling Maoists

[Rahul9090]

The Maoist insurgency boiling out of India's tribal heartland has been called the greatest threat to the nation by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But that's about it, as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel leading the drive to counter the Maoist rebels remain handicapped by a severe shortage of basic life-saving gear like bulletproof helmets.


The CRPF, the main force responsible for tackling the Maoist insurgency, has only 800 such helmets against the sanctioned 50,000, highly placed sources told Mail Today. The March 3 attack at Sukma in Chhattisgarh, in which 15 security personnel, including 11 from the CRPF, were gunned down, is a chilling reminder of this criminal neglect: sources said most of the deaths were caused by bullet injuries to the head.

Officials who have served on the ground said head injuries are one of the most common causes of death. " It's the head which is exposed when a soldier takes his position and tries to fire at the enemy in combat," said one officer.

The Sukma bloodbath has finally roused the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from its slumber. The ministry has decided to fast-track the acquisition of bulletproof helmets for the CRPF. "In the wake of the recent attack and keeping in mind the threat perception ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the matter has been expedited and soon the required number of bulletproof helmets will be provided to the CRPF," said an MHA official.

Sources said that after the recent attack in Chhattisgarh, the CRPF reiterated its concerns to Home Secretary Anil Goswami. The force was assured that the bulletproof helmets would be provided "soon". While the standard operating procedures of the Army clearly state that every soldier in insurgency- hit areas will be provided with a bulletproof helmet, the rules are different for jawans fighting the biggest insurgency in the country.

In fact, sources said CRPF personnel fighting Maoists deep inside jungles are more vulnerable as compared to their counterparts taking on militants in Jammu and Kashmir or insurgents in the North-east.

A plan to push the rebels to the backfoot ahead of the elections seems to have failed with Maoists killing over 20 security personnel in the past three weeks in Chhattisgarh. Six personnel were killed in an attack in Dantewada district on February 28.

MHA officials concede that " red tape and bureaucratic lethargy" are responsible but can't help pinning part of the blame on paramilitary forces.

"They often send a list of big demands and it is realised later that the equipment sought is not being put to use. As a flip side to this, some genuine and most basic requirements are ignored," said an official.

The CRPF, with a strength of nearly 2.9 lakh, has the greatest presence in states affected by Maoist violence, with 85,000 to 90,000 personnel serving in the red zone alone.

Statistics also show that personnel are more vulnerable in Maoist zones than anywhere else in the country.

The number of security personnel killed between 2011 and 2013 was 371 in states hit by Maoist violence.

The total number of incidents of violence in the red zone was 4,311.

High intensity conflict hit zones like Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Manipur seem safer than Maoist bastions in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh or Orissa, where the majority of killings of security personnel killings have occurred. The total death toll in all insurgency-hit areas during 2011- 13 has been 239 and the number of incidents of violence stood at 3,123.

The sources said besides bulletproof helmets, other basic requirements like jungle boots have not been provided for the past three years. There are also other problems like a financial crunch faced by paramilitary forces like the CRPF. As part of the police modernisation plan, the CRPF was allocated ` 918 crore for 2012- 13 and 2013- 14 but got only Rs 20 crore.

To make matters worse, states affected by Naxalite violence owe a whopping Rs 7,163 crore to CRPF, which accounts for 60 per cent of the total amount of Rs 11,930 crore that states have to pay to the force for internal security duties.

This is more than the total amount of Rs 10,932 crore sanctioned for seven paramilitary forces under the police modernisation plan for a period of five years from 2012 to 2017, but the government has been reluctant to release the money.

Red tape affecting anti-Naxal operations

A 2010 proposal for installing mobile towers in states hit by Maoist activities is incomplete.

Shortage of bulletproof helmets and jungle boots for jawans fighting Maoists; 800 available against sanctioned number of 50,000.

Naxal- hit states owe a whopping Rs 7,163 crore to CRPF Police modernisation funds have not been provided to paramilitary forces.

Exclusive: Fair fight? 800 bulletproof helmets for 85,000 CRPF jawans battling Maoists : Mail Today, News - India Today

 

[Srinivas]

COBRA's are becoming a deadly force !!!

 

[Robinhood Pandey]

Just a bulletproof helmet ???

who cares. . . . govt. is busy spending crores on Rahul Gandhi's Image makeover. .

 

[Koovie]

CRPF has made huge improvements in its equipment and operational procedures in the last couple of years.... sure there are still deficits but the newspapers will of course never point out the good things

And how can there be 800 helmets if the the 10 COBRA battalions alone are fully equipped with the latest gear?

 

[Mike_Brando]

The Maoist insurgency boiling out of India's tribal heartland has been called the greatest threat to the nation by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But that's about it, as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel leading the drive to counter the Maoist rebels remain handicapped by a severe shortage of basic life-saving gear like bulletproof helmets.


The CRPF, the main force responsible for tackling the Maoist insurgency, has only 800 such helmets against the sanctioned 50,000, highly placed sources told Mail Today. The March 3 attack at Sukma in Chhattisgarh, in which 15 security personnel, including 11 from the CRPF, were gunned down, is a chilling reminder of this criminal neglect: sources said most of the deaths were caused by bullet injuries to the head.

Officials who have served on the ground said head injuries are one of the most common causes of death. " It's the head which is exposed when a soldier takes his position and tries to fire at the enemy in combat," said one officer.

The Sukma bloodbath has finally roused the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from its slumber. The ministry has decided to fast-track the acquisition of bulletproof helmets for the CRPF. "In the wake of the recent attack and keeping in mind the threat perception ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the matter has been expedited and soon the required number of bulletproof helmets will be provided to the CRPF," said an MHA official.

Sources said that after the recent attack in Chhattisgarh, the CRPF reiterated its concerns to Home Secretary Anil Goswami. The force was assured that the bulletproof helmets would be provided "soon". While the standard operating procedures of the Army clearly state that every soldier in insurgency- hit areas will be provided with a bulletproof helmet, the rules are different for jawans fighting the biggest insurgency in the country.

In fact, sources said CRPF personnel fighting Maoists deep inside jungles are more vulnerable as compared to their counterparts taking on militants in Jammu and Kashmir or insurgents in the North-east.

A plan to push the rebels to the backfoot ahead of the elections seems to have failed with Maoists killing over 20 security personnel in the past three weeks in Chhattisgarh. Six personnel were killed in an attack in Dantewada district on February 28.

MHA officials concede that " red tape and bureaucratic lethargy" are responsible but can't help pinning part of the blame on paramilitary forces.

"They often send a list of big demands and it is realised later that the equipment sought is not being put to use. As a flip side to this, some genuine and most basic requirements are ignored," said an official.

The CRPF, with a strength of nearly 2.9 lakh, has the greatest presence in states affected by Maoist violence, with 85,000 to 90,000 personnel serving in the red zone alone.

Statistics also show that personnel are more vulnerable in Maoist zones than anywhere else in the country.

The number of security personnel killed between 2011 and 2013 was 371 in states hit by Maoist violence.

The total number of incidents of violence in the red zone was 4,311.

High intensity conflict hit zones like Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Manipur seem safer than Maoist bastions in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh or Orissa, where the majority of killings of security personnel killings have occurred. The total death toll in all insurgency-hit areas during 2011- 13 has been 239 and the number of incidents of violence stood at 3,123.

The sources said besides bulletproof helmets, other basic requirements like jungle boots have not been provided for the past three years. There are also other problems like a financial crunch faced by paramilitary forces like the CRPF. As part of the police modernisation plan, the CRPF was allocated ` 918 crore for 2012- 13 and 2013- 14 but got only Rs 20 crore.

To make matters worse, states affected by Naxalite violence owe a whopping Rs 7,163 crore to CRPF, which accounts for 60 per cent of the total amount of Rs 11,930 crore that states have to pay to the force for internal security duties.

This is more than the total amount of Rs 10,932 crore sanctioned for seven paramilitary forces under the police modernisation plan for a period of five years from 2012 to 2017, but the government has been reluctant to release the money.
Red tape affecting anti-Naxal operations

A 2010 proposal for installing mobile towers in states hit by Maoist activities is incomplete.

Shortage of bulletproof helmets and jungle boots for jawans fighting Maoists; 800 available against sanctioned number of 50,000.

Naxal- hit states owe a whopping Rs 7,163 crore to CRPF Police modernisation funds have not been provided to paramilitary forces.

Exclusive: Fair fight? 800 bulletproof helmets for 85,000 CRPF jawans battling Maoists : Mail Today, News - India Today

Mate this is nothing but a b.s. news.how come the C.R.P.F. has only 800 ballistic helmets when the entire COBRA unit(consisting of 10 battalions) are fully equipped with level-III B.P.J.s and tactical helmets.
Besides most of these so called "Ballistic helmets" offer all round protection against the standard 9 mm bullets from handguns(that too from a distance of about 10 m).so there is absolutely no way that these helmets are going to protect the C.R.P. Jawaans against the standard 5.56/7.62 mm rounds which are commonly used by the maoists.
Perhaps the Patka helmet is an effective solution to this problem as they have already served in the Army quite well in J&K and other N.E. states.this helmet provides a full proof frontal protection against the standard assault rounds(5.56/7.62 mm) used by the maoists

 

[Omega007]

If we're talking here about protecting heads from high-speed rifle bullets like NATO M 80 or SS 109,then the commercially available Kevlar ballistic helmets would be woefully ineffective;especially at those very close range encounters typical in jungle warfare.Like a M 885 ball 5.56X45mm bullet can penetrate upto 4mm of moderately hardened steel plate at upto ~700 meters when fired at an initial muzzle velocity of ~920 meters/second.So at ~15-20 meter (or even lesser) ranges,typical in jungle warfare a regular Kevlar ballistic helmet would provide almost no significant head protection.Sad but true.

CRPF has made huge improvements in its equipment and operational procedures in the last couple of years.... sure there are still deficits but the newspapers will of course never point out the good things

And how can there be 800 helmets if the the 10 COBRA battalions alone are fully equipped with the latest gear?

I don't know if there is any truth regarding this 800 number (although it does seem to be kinda underreported).But there is one thing - almost in each and every photographs I've seen of the COBRA troopers,although they seemed to be wearing NIJ level III body armors but none of them were wearing a ballistic helmet or a Patka.Strange, isn't it??

 

[Abingdonboy]

What a nonsensical article. The nature of this fight ie in jungles rules out the use of a heavy bulky bullet proof helmet. No professional force In the world wears such helmets when conducting CI ops in jungles it just isn't done.

 

[Gessler]

What a nonsensical article. The nature of this fight ie in jungles rules lithe use of a heavy bulky be ullet proof helmet. No professional force In the world wears such helmets when conducting CI ops in jungles it just isn't done.

Yeah...I've never seen CoBRA jungle operatives wearing helmets in action, they are seen only during
parades, perhaps as dress code. Also, it gets very uncomfortable wearing helmets in the sultry forests.

 

[DARIUS]

This post sounds like a wet dream of Zaid Hamid sahab!!

 

[vk17]

We dont need BPJ or helmets, just give us some rights, we will get everything n everyone ryt in order! ;-)

 

[Water Car Engineer]

What a nonsensical article. The nature of this fight ie in jungles rules out the use of a heavy bulky bullet proof helmet. No professional force In the world wears such helmets when conducting CI ops in jungles it just isn't done.

Colombians do.

And S. American jungles are a whole other beast.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Colombians do.

And S. American jungles are a whole other beast.

The way columbians operate in their jungles against FARC is entirely different to how the CRFP/COBRA operate agains the Naxals. The Colombians work using "hit and run" style raids, I've seen quite a bit on these guys. They get intel on a certain base of operations, they fly in, are dropped off- walk a short distance to the base destroy it and get out of the area ASAP. Indian CAPFs way of operating in the "Red Belt" is very different and is centred around the idea of "holding" territory- they launch an offensive, reclaim the ground back from the Naxals and instead of retreating remain. The Columbians don't engage in the kind of LRPs that CAPFs in Op Greenhunt are mandated to.

 

[IndoUS]

The way columbians operate in their jungles against FARC is entirely different to how the CRFP/COBRA operate agains the Naxals. The Colombians work using "hit and run" style raids, I've seen quite a bit on these guys. They get intel on a certain base of operations, they fly in, are dropped off- walk a short distance to the base destroy it and get out of the area ASAP. Indian CAPFs way of operating in the "Red Belt" is very different and is centred around the idea of "holding" territory- they launch an offensive, reclaim the ground back from the Naxals and instead of retreating remain. The Columbians don't engage in the kind of LRPs that CAPFs in Op Greenhunt are mandated to.

There was a great show in National Geography about Colombian drug war where they showed the American DEA and Colombian military personnel working together to raid a drug lab in the jungle, they quickly landed near the place blew it up with some C4 and then retreated back. The DEA agent even mentioned that they can't stick around for long since they are out numbered in the jungles and will most likely ambushed by the cartels if they stuck in the area for too long. Carrying the bulky BPJ's and Helmets in the Naxal areas during summer will only kill our soldiers from heat stroke. the Helmets also dampens the hearing ability while in the jungle and cover the soldiers sense of sight to great degree.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

The way columbians operate in their jungles against FARC is entirely different to how the CRFP/COBRA operate agains the Naxals. The Colombians work using "hit and run" style raids, I've seen quite a bit on these guys. They get intel on a certain base of operations, they fly in, are dropped off- walk a short distance to the base destroy it and get out of the area ASAP. Indian CAPFs way of operating in the "Red Belt" is very different and is centred around the idea of "holding" territory- they launch an offensive, reclaim the ground back from the Naxals and instead of retreating remain. The Columbians don't engage in the kind of LRPs that CAPFs in Op Greenhunt are mandated to.

Where do they remain? They make a base of operations in that area? Why would ballistic helmets hinder them?

In the Vietnam war, they also tracked thick jungle, filled with booby traps, with an un-seen enemy. And also set up in their locality. They still used helmets.

 

[Abingdonboy]

There was a great show in National Geography about Colombian drug war where they showed the American DEA and Colombian military personnel working together to raid a drug lab in the jungle, they quickly landed near the place blew it up with some C4 and then retreated back. The DEA agent even mentioned that they can't stick around for long since they are out numbered in the jungles and will most likely ambushed by the cartels if they stuck in the area for too long. Carrying the bulky BPJ's and Helmets in the Naxal areas during summer will only kill our soldiers from heat stroke. the Helmets also dampens the hearing ability while in the jungle and cover the soldiers sense of sight to great degree.

Exactly! The way the Columbians operate and Indian forces in the Naxal areas is very different with different aims. Whilst, under US pressure, the Columbian forces are only interested in disrupting the drug flow into the US homeland, Indian forces are trying to reclaim Indian territory- hence the "hold" strategy. Helmets being worn in these kind of operations is a no no, any professional military will tell you this.

Where do they remain? They make a base of operations in that area? Why would ballistic helmets hinder them?

In the Vietnam war, they also tracked thick jungle, filled with booby traps, with an un-seen enemy. And also set up in their locality. They still used helmets.

The kind of helmets those US grunts wore were very, VERY basic- little more than the tin shells worn in WW2, the helmets offered today are far more capable but a damn sight heavier. The helmets would but hinder them when they are conducting LRPs and area-domination patrols, BPJs yes, but not helmets- that just isn't how jungle ops are carried out.


This article was written with little understanding about what jungle CI ops involve. The example of the COBRAs is testament to this- they are a highly professional force that is entirely geared around jungle warfare, who have such helmets but you won't see them ever use them in actual jungle ops- maybe for specific missions like HR/CQB, but not day to day ops.