Pathankot Attack: Shouldn't a Younger Force Guard Airfields?

[Zarvan]

CHANDIGARH: Should we be exposing retired armed forces personnel, who make up the Defence Security Corps (DSC), to attacks by terrorists? A debate has started among some former defence personnel on the issue after six DSC men were killed in the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air force station.

To be fair to the DSC men, they were caught unawares at the Pathankot station's cook house and were not armed. Yet, one of the men, grappled with a terrorist and killed him only to be shot by another terrorist.

However, many feel that these men have already given their best years to guarding the borders. While it is a good idea to give them a fresh posting post retirement given that they have fought for the country, guard duty at forward bases like Pathankot should be given to younger men. All the DSC personnel who died or suffered injuries were in their 50s.

There is now a demand to raise a separate force comprising newly inducted youths to guard air bases with high-value assets.

Among those who started the debate was Lt Gen H S Panag (retd), former army commander of Northern and Central Commands. He tweeted to Manohar Parrikar, "More than that security at the Air Bases is pathetic. Allow IAF to raise Air Base Security Units!" He added, "Base perimeter 2025km! DSC nothing more than trip (sacrificial) wire. Garuds-poorly trained!"

The tweets were widely circulated.

Though Garud commandos of the Air Force are trained on the lines of the NSG, they are small in number and trained to act as quick reaction teams (QRT) of the airbase. The peripheral security of the airfield is done by DSC men. The Air Force also has many technical persons who either fly an aircraft or maintain it and are not trained to guard airfields from such attacks. Panag told TOI, "I suggest government must raise special airfield defence units and train them on the lines of army to secure vulnerable installations."

Former Air officer commanding in chief, South-Western Command, Air Marshal Randhir Singh said that around four decades back, there was a demand from the Air Force to set up an Air Force Regiment, a dedicated force but the Centre did not want to spend funds.

India-Pakistan Foreign Secretary-level talks: India 'mulling options' - The Economic Times

 

[Abdullah S.]

Capability over convenience.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

They should have been rotated to other positions, or bases down south?

 

[atomix]

More than young it is the experience that was missing I suppose. If the same attack had taken place in kashmir it would have taken less time for local police/troops as they are battle hardened and are expecting such kind of attacks. More ever peace brings a sense of complacency. May be rotation of troops from hot zones like kashmir might be helpful in spreading of counter-terrorism expertise.

.

 

[fockewulf190]

Plights of the DSCs in air bases are deplorable.

 

[Vapnope]

Hi,

As bad as I feel about the attack on the facility and dead soldiers----I realize that the indian security at the airbase is as fckd up as security at pakistani air bases----.

Seems like its more messed up than Pakistani Air bases. 3rd day and still operation is not complete.

 

[posedion]

Hi,

As bad as I feel about the attack on the facility and dead soldiers----I realize that the indian security at the airbase is as fckd up as security at pakistani air bases----.

100 % right on mark true

Seems like its more messed up than Pakistani Air bases. 3rd day and still operation is not complete.

the attempt looks like was to catch one alive
that was to trying to nab the big prize

 

[Pulsar]

Hi,

As bad as I feel about the attack on the facility and dead soldiers----I realize that the indian security at the airbase is as fckd up as security at pakistani air bases----.

I agree! We've taken security for granted. Knowing the importance of such bases having strategic assets, it is incumbent we lay more emphasis on security by providing a dedicated and well trained force for their protection.

 

[The_Sidewinder]

Hi,

As bad as I feel about the attack on the facility and dead soldiers----I realize that the indian security at the airbase is as fckd up as security at pakistani air bases----.

Agreed Sire. I dont know about Pakistani counterparts but I am sure Indian forces were complacent as this kind of attack never took place beforehand. I hope this becomes a good learning lesson for forces.

 

[Stag112]

Its so tempting to write such shallow analyses, and someone has done it.

1) DSC does sentry duty. You will not have a heavily armed force capable of taking on suicide terrorists doing sentry duty 24-7. Duh! Its like saying why have patrol boats, build only destroyers. The correct argument is have more Garud or similar commandoes on every base.

2) Yes sentries will take a hit when suicide terrorists armed to the teeth attack them. Its often too late when a suicide squad reaches their target destination, its best to take them out before that. Case in point - the terror boat incident exactly a year ago off Gujarat. Similarly when a patrol boat discovers an enemy missile boat in times of peace, it will probably be sunk. Does not mean we only build destroyers and have them do patrolling.

3) The time taken was due to the methodical approach adopted to kill the hiding scum without risking a life. I am ALL for it as no lives were lost after the first day due to contact with terrorists, no military assets were destroyed. That's a successful operation. Sure the macho urge to say look we killed them in 6 hours etc is understandable, but its funny that these people are such rambos at home (cough cough, just check their dismal record) but send their illiterate civilians drugged on religion and drugs to do their dirty work! Their criticism should be taken with a pinch of salt. Of course we have to learn our lessons and improve, but not the wrong lesson like this stupid article suggests.

 

[ayesha.a]

Plights of the DSCs in air bases are deplorable.

Hi,

As bad as I feel about the attack on the facility and dead soldiers----I realize that the indian security at the airbase is as fckd up as security at pakistani air bases----.

Seems like its more messed up than Pakistani Air bases. 3rd day and still operation is not complete.

When terrorists attacked a PAF base, they destroyed two eyeries, the highest valued and prized assets in the entire Pakistani military. After that, when terrorists attacked a naval base, they destroyed two more prized assets, the orions. When terrorists attacked one of the largest airbases in India, they did not get past the allegedly geriatric jawans of the DSC.

The 50+ year old Defense service corps jawans did their job - defending the high value assets. The terrorists did not come with the aim of killing DSC jawans - they came to destroy high value assets. They did not even get close. They were foiled. That is more than Pakistanis can say about the attacks on their bases.

More than young it is the experience that was missing I suppose. If the same attack had taken place in kashmir it would have taken less time for local police/troops as they are battle hardened and are expecting such kind of attacks. More ever peace brings a sense of complacency. May be rotation of troops from hot zones like kashmir might be helpful in spreading of counter-terrorism expertise.

.

Really? What experience were they lacking? They served an entire career in the Indian army, before retiring and then choosing to serve the country further by guarding military bases. They are at least as experienced as any serving jawans, if not more. They are battle hardened veterans, not greenhorns.

Its so tempting to write such shallow analyses, and someone has done it.

1) DSC does sentry duty. You will not have a heavily armed force capable of taking on suicide terrorists doing sentry duty 24-7. Duh! Its like saying why have patrol boats, build only destroyers. The correct argument is have more Garud or similar commandoes on every base.

2) Yes sentries will take a hit when suicide terrorists armed to the teeth attack them. Its often too late when a suicide squad reaches their target destination, its best to take them out before that. Case in point - the terror boat incident exactly a year ago off Gujarat. Similarly when a patrol boat discovers an enemy missile boat in times of peace, it will probably be sunk. Does not mean we only build destroyers and have them do patrolling.

3) The time taken was due to the methodical approach adopted to kill the hiding scum without risking a life. I am ALL for it as no lives were lost after the first day due to contact with terrorists, no military assets were destroyed. That's a successful operation. Sure the macho urge to say look we killed them in 6 hours etc is understandable, but its funny that these people are such rambos at home (cough cough, just check their dismal record) but send their illiterate civilians drugged on religion and drugs to do their dirty work! Their criticism should be taken with a pinch of salt. Of course we have to learn our lessons and improve, but not the wrong lesson like this stupid article suggests.

Precisely.

I have some criticisms about the number and kind of agencies being involved, and a few other aspects of the whole operation. But the time taken is nowhere on that list of criticisms.

Hunting one terrorist in that base (spread out over thousands of acres, and surrounded by forests and vegetation) is like hunting for a needle in a haystack. It WILL take time and patience. But the important thing is that those terrorists could not get anywhere close to their objective, which was the helicopters and fighter jets on that base.

No matter what the age of our sentries, no matter how poor their equipment and salaries were, one thing was certain - no terrorist can come and lay waste to our assets. Combing operations may take days or months, but our assets will be safe. That much is guaranteed by those 50+ year old DSC personnel. (Who spent the better parts of their lives shivering in Siachen or burning in Thar.)

 

[cerberus]

Hony Capt Fateh Singh was a gold and silver medal winner at the Common Wealth Shooting championship Games held at Delhi in 1995. A “legendary big bore shooter” was what the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) said of him while mourning the death of “son and brave heart”. He was posted in Pathankot about two years ago. He had won gold in the Big Bore Rifle Three Position and silver in Big Bore Rifle Prone Postion at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in 1995. Capt Fateh singh was one of the first big bore rifle international shooting medallists of our country and during his celebrated career he had guided and inspired many shooters among many others to fight serve and defend the country.

This Defence Security Corps (DSC) personnel Killed 1 Trained Fidayeen in Hand to Hand Combat And Killed by other From Behind If you Heard DM Mohan Parrikar During His Media Briefings

I think We Should Not Judge Capability of Our Forces by Just one Failure I think there Failure By State Agencies Like Police and Bureaucracy.

 

[ayesha.a]

Its so tempting to write such shallow analyses, and someone has done it.

1) DSC does sentry duty. You will not have a heavily armed force capable of taking on suicide terrorists doing sentry duty 24-7. Duh! Its like saying why have patrol boats, build only destroyers. The correct argument is have more Garud or similar commandoes on every base.

2) Yes sentries will take a hit when suicide terrorists armed to the teeth attack them. Its often too late when a suicide squad reaches their target destination, its best to take them out before that. Case in point - the terror boat incident exactly a year ago off Gujarat. Similarly when a patrol boat discovers an enemy missile boat in times of peace, it will probably be sunk. Does not mean we only build destroyers and have them do patrolling.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of military installations. (Some small, some behemoths.) We cannot have a parallel army of young, tough, special force guys guarding all of them. Sentry duties are different from warfighting. It is foolish to make young, fit people do sentry duties, for the same reason that a city's traffic police should not be comprised of special force commandos with tavors. Traffic wardens have their place, beat cops have their place (a very important one too), soldiers have their place, commandos have their place, sentries have their place.

Using retired jawans to guard bases is an excellent, cost effective policy. In fact, retired armymen should also be inducted into the CRPF or state police forces, whose duties are less strenuous. It would save the country a fortune in recruitment and training, while infusing police forces with some discipline and character.

(The Mumbai police sub inspector Tukaram Omble who caught Kasab alive was an ageing, retired ex armyman. I need not explain how his actions strengthened the nation.)

 

[Stag112]

There are hundreds, if not thousands of military installations. (Some small, some behemoths.) We cannot have a parallel army of young, tough, special force guys guarding all of them. Sentry duties are different from warfighting. It is foolish to make young, fit people do sentry duties, for the same reason that a city's traffic police should not be comprised of special force commandos with tavors. Traffic wardens have their place, beat cops have their place (a very important one too), soldiers have their place, commandos have their place, sentries have their place.

Using retired jawans to guard bases is an excellent, cost effective policy. In fact, retired armymen should also be inducted into the CRPF or state police forces, whose duties are less strenuous. It would save the country a fortune in recruitment and training, while infusing police forces with some discipline and character.

(The Mumbai police sub inspector Tukaram Omble who caught Kasab alive was an ageing, retired ex armyman. I need not explain how his actions strengthened the nation.)

Yes but who will explain this to our over macho (to overcompensate for shyte for brains syndrome) neighbors?

 

[ayesha.a]

Yes but who will explain this to our over macho (to overcompensate for shyte for brains syndrome) neighbors?

You can see from this thread, and from all over the Indian media, that is isn't just our neighbours who have these misconceptions. People thrillingly listen to these fancy titles of "black cats", "garuds", "paracommandos", "special forces" (only the MARCOS was missing) and so on being "rushed in", and wonder what superannuated jawans of DSC are doing there. The fact of the matter is that these DSC jawans are expected to be, and always have been, the first line of defence in such situations. And they have never disappointed the nation - no attack on a military base has been successful in India, ever. All the multibillion dollar equipment, all the starred officers etc have been protected, almost always by the DSC. That's what they get paid for, and that's what they do.

Protecting vital installations is the job of sentries, not warfighters. Especially so when it is on a 24/7/365 basis. The CISF, the DSC etc are meant for that role, and that's what they do. Yes, we lost 5 DSC jawans - but if the base was only patrolled by Garuds or NSG, would the outcome be any different? Did the DSC jawans commit any tactical errors that led to their deaths? Would the outcome have been different if the sentries were 20 somethings?

If anybody can explain how their age was a hindrance or their tactical efficacy was lacking, I am eager to listen. But simply spouting armchair analyses about "50+ year olds" and so on, is a disservice to men who have volunteered to serve the nation not once, but TWICE - once as young warfighters, and then as old peacekeepers.

Most of the DSC personnel in Pathankot were aged above 45.

No wonder DSC is not used in J&K air bases.

This sentence would be a stinging insult to one of the bravehearts who was martyred today, Havildar Jagdish Chand. He was dutifully guarding Leh AFB just a month ago, before being transferred to Pathankot.

Have you ever been to an air base in J-K? Every one of them is guarded by the DSC and the AFP, as are all other air bases in the country.