172-538: Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) , informally referred to as Para-Commandos , is a group of special forces battalions of the Parachute Regiment in the Indian Army . These units specialise in various roles including counter-insurgency , counter-terrorism , direct action , hostage rescue , special reconnaissance and unconventional warfare . The unit's heritage stems from World War II , with
344-662: A broad-gauge line in future, connecting Gwalior to Kota, Rajasthan via Sheopur. It is the junction point to reach tourist destinations like Shivpuri, Dholpur and Bhind. Gwalior is on the Main train line between Delhi (station code: NDLS) and Mumbai (Bombay; CSTM) and between Delhi and Chennai (MAS). Some trains starting here and travelling towards Eastern India via Gwalior Junction – Jhansi Junction provide direct connections to points in eastern India including Kolkata , Durgapur , Barauni , Varanasi , and Allahabad. There are about fifty trains to New Delhi and Agra every day, and around
516-557: A complete Combat Divers course, after which they earn a combat diver badge. They are also experienced in conducting SHBO (special heliborne operations) and typically employ Cheetahs, MI-8/MI-17, or HAL (Dhruv) helicopters for this purpose. The Para (SF) conducts a series of joint exercises, named Vajra Prahar, with the United States Army every year, in which about 100 personnel from the US and Indian special forces participate. INDRA
688-461: A defensive posture as they encountered heavy firing from Pakistani posts. The Indian raiders sent one of their vehicles rushing towards Pakistani positions, firing an LMG , to distract gunfire. This tactic was successful because nighttime provided cover to the para commandos. Subsequently, the other raiders too opened fire and overpowered the Pakistani posts. Soon, a pathfinder team was assigned
860-433: A digitally-networked battlefield", whereas the "indirect approach includes empowering host nation forces, providing appropriate assistance to humanitarian agencies, and engaging key populations." Elements of national power must be deployed in concert without over-reliance on a single capability, such as special forces, that leaves the entire force unprepared and hollow across the spectrum of military operations. Throughout
1032-480: A fight as he was a strong ally of the British, but after negotiations, his troops capitulated and the rebels took possession of the fort. The British attacked Gwalior in no time, the battle was fought by Lakshmibai. Indian forces numbered around 20,000, and British forces around 1,600 troops. Lakshmibai's example is remembered to this day by Indian nationalists. She died fighting, and Gwalior was free from rebels. There
1204-680: A gunfight with militants that lasted hours. The late 1980s saw the Para (SF) in action in Sri Lanka , as part of Operation Pawan . However, the lack of proper planning by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPF), and insufficient intelligence on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 's (LTTE) whereabouts, caused the initial heli-borne assault on Jaffna University on 11 October 1987 to be a tragic failure. However, it
1376-498: A land mine in haste. The Indian army said the strike was a pre-emptive attack on the militants' bases, claiming that it had received intelligence that the militants were planning "terrorist strikes" against India. India said that in destroying "terrorist infrastructure" it also attacked "those who are trying to support them," indicating it also attacked Pakistani soldiers. India later briefed opposition parties and foreign envoys, but did not disclose operational details. The footage from
1548-692: A meeting with the C-in-C Middle East, General Claude Auchinleck , his plan was endorsed by the Army High Command. The force initially consisted of five officers and 60 other ranks . Following extensive training at Kabrit camp , by the River Nile , L Detachment, SAS Brigade, undertook its first operations in the Western Desert . Stirling's vision was eventually vindicated after a series of successful operations. In 1942,
1720-739: A police station and then an Army camp in the Jammu region killing 10 people, including an Army officer, in twin fidayeen attacks. The terrorists sneaked across the border early on Thursday, barely three days ahead of a meeting between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan. The attack was on a police station. The 16 Cavalry unit of the Army in Samba district falls under the jurisdiction of 9 corps, headquartered at Yol Cantonment in Himachal Pradesh. The three heavily armed terrorists believed to be from
1892-411: A population of 1,054,420. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Gwalior has an average literacy rate of 84.14%, higher than the national average of 74%: male literacy is 89.64% and female literacy is 77.92%. In Gwalior, about 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. The city's metropolitan population, which includes the commuter town of Morar Cantonment , was 1,102,884. Hinduism
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#17327835416342064-535: A product of the Reagan administration under Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger . Admiral William H. McRaven , formerly the ninth commanding officer of USSOCOM (2011–2014), described two approaches to special forces operations in the 2012 posture statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services : "the direct approach is characterized by technologically enabled small-unit precision lethality, focused intelligence , and inter-agency cooperation integrated on
2236-641: A proposal to General Sir John Dill , the Chief of the Imperial General Staff . Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal and on 23 June 1940, the first Commando raid took place. By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered and in November 1940 these new units were organised into a Special Service Brigade consisting of four battalions under the command of Brigadier J. C. Haydon. The Special Service Brigade
2408-521: A raiding team composed of six officers and around 120 soldiers led by Major C. M. Malhotra. The special forces raiders began their operation at 5.30 PM on 13 December 1971. They started from Poonch and crossed the Poonch River . After they reached the Mandole village, they started searching for the artillery guns and eventually located them. The Raiders divided themselves into six teams. Each one of
2580-645: A record for the highest tally of wins in both these exercises that is hosted annually ever since their participation was inducted in the competition hosted by Botswana in Africa's Kalahari Desert from 8–10 June 2002, in which 10 Para (SF) participated. Special forces from other nations like the Special Air Service of the UK and the Green Berets of the US also participated. In 2014 and 2021 teams from
2752-436: A sector commander of Mukti Bahini , planned to deploy a special commando team. The task assigned to the team was to carry out commando operations and to terrorize Dhaka . The major objective of this team was to prove that the situation was not actually normal. Moreover, Pakistan, at that time, was expecting economic aid from World Bank, which was assumed to be spent to buy arms. The plan was to make World Bank Mission understand
2924-516: A separate combat arm. The Macheteros de Jara was an auxiliary cavalry regiment that was organized since August 15, 1932, before the Battle of Boquerón began. The regiment was recruited from former outlaws from Paraguay who fought against Bolivian officers and soldiers. The 50th Infantry Regiment (Cuchilleros de la Muerte) was a Bolivian infantry regiment that fought in the Chaco War. Nicknamed
3096-690: A sharpshooter under the command of General Licerio Gerónimo , killed General Henry Ware Lawton of the United States Army , making the latter the highest ranking casualty during the course of the war. The German Stormtroopers and the Italian Arditi were the first modern shock troops. They were both elite assault units trained to a much higher level than that of average troops and tasked to carry out daring attacks and bold raids against enemy defenses. Unlike Stormtroopers, Arditi were not units within infantry divisions, but were considered
3268-469: A standard infantry battalion , and it lacked any form of artillery , and had to rely on other units for logistical support. Its men were no longer parachute-trained, but relied on aircraft for transport. Some 750 men from the 2nd Raiding Brigade , of this group were assigned to attack American air bases on Luzon and Leyte on the night of 6 December 1944. They were flown in Ki-57 transports , but most of
3440-635: A strategic location in the Gird region of India. The historic city and its fortress have been ruled by several historic Indian kingdoms. From the Alchon Huns in the 5th century AD to Gurjara Pratihara dynasty in the 8th century AD. It was passed on to Kachchhapaghatas in the 10th century AD. It fell into the hands of the Delhi Sultanate in 12th century AD, it was then passed on to the Tomars in
3612-457: A stringent selection and training process that spanned more than a year, on 1 February 1996, the unit under Colonel VB Shinde was formally inducted as the 21st Battalion (Special Forces), The Parachute Regiment, originally raised by Colonel I. Ramachandran. The unit has done well in its short lifespan and is the proud recipient of the Chief of Army Staff Unit Citation thrice (1992, 2006, and 2011) and
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#17327835416343784-445: A sub-tropical climate with hot summers from late March to early July, the humid monsoon season from late June to early October, and a cool dry winter from early November to late February. Under Köppen's climate classification the city has a humid subtropical climate . The highest recorded temperature was 48 °C and the lowest was −1 °C. Summers start in late March, and along with other cities like Jaipur and Delhi , are among
3956-409: A wild goose chase. They engaged the enemy for 24 hours and picked up all their dead with their weapons after reinforcements arrived the next morning. After the failed assault on Jaffna City, the 10 Para (SF) participated in a heli-borne assault on the town of Moolai 23 kilometres (14 miles) to the northwest in November 1987. More than 200 LTTE guerrillas were killed and an arms depot was seized. To give
4128-513: Is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh ; It is known as the City of Music having oldest musical gharana in existence. It lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located 313 kilometres (194 mi) south of New Delhi , the capital city of India and 446 kilometres (277 mi) from Bhopal , the state capital, Gwalior occupies
4300-537: Is a series of joint exercises with Russian special forces, and operation Sampriti is the name for joint exercises with Bangladeshi special forces. Para (SF) also conducts exercises and training with the special forces of Israel . The Ajeya Warrior is a series of exercises with the SFSG of the UK. Indian special forces also conduct exercises with forces of the following 16 friendly countries: the United States, France,
4472-638: Is a statue erected at the cenotaph (Samadhi) of Lakshmibai on her horse at Chhatri of Rani Lakshmibai in Gwalior's Phoolbagh area where she was died and cremated which commemorates her contribution to the fight for independence. Tantia Tope and Rao Sahib escaped. Tantia Tope was later captured and hanged in April 1859. Scindia is a Maratha clan in India. This clan included rulers of the Gwalior State in
4644-834: Is also perfected. The commandos are sent to the Naval Diving School, Kochi for combat diving training. Like other special forces, these SF operators are trained for land, air, and water. The daily routine begins with a 20 km (12 mi) morning run. Infiltration, exfiltration, combat patrolling, Urban Warfare, intelligence gathering, ambush tactics, counter-ambush tactics, counter-insurgency, unconventional warfare, guerilla warfare, asymmetric warfare, raids and sabotage, basic martial arts training, tactical shooting, combat marksmanship, buddy system drills, Close Quarter Battle tactics, tactical driving, advanced weapon courses and handling, demolition training, survival skills, linguistics training, logistics training, trade-craft training
4816-791: Is for three months which doesn't include additional time for specialised skills. When the probation period starts, all soldiers including officers are stripped of their ranks, who are known as probationers or probies. A probationer may opt to leave anytime during the course. The achievement rate will be 12-15 percent and above, because many probationers are drawn from their regimental battalions. Every Special Forces operator specialises in various skills such as weapons handling communication, demolition, medical procedures and navigation. PARA (SF) usually works in small teams of only six men, focusing on strategic reconnaissance, surveillance, target designation (RSTAD), hostage rescue, and direct action (DA) tasks, and are selected and trained accordingly. Those who complete
4988-429: Is generally very mild with daily temperatures averaging in the 14–16 °C (57–61 °F) range, and mostly dry and sunny conditions. January is the coldest month with average lows in the 5-6 °C range (41-42 °F) and occasional cold snaps that plummet temperatures down to a single digit. Gwalior has been ranked 26th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India. Gwalior
5160-564: Is imparted by the intelligence agencies. The training drills involve live ammunition at all times which is a reason for fatal accidents at times leading to death. Night and weapons training and field craft involving 20 km (12 mi) treks with 60 kg (130 lb) loads and live ammunition are conducted. Weekly forced marches with 65 kg (143 lb) combat loads with distances over 80 km (50 mi) to 130 km (81 mi) and quarterly night drops with full combat loads are also conducted. In addition to this in-house training,
5332-670: Is now a part of the syllabus at the Indian Military Academy . A series of raids were conducted by soldiers from the 10 Para (also known as The Desert Scorpions ) at Chachro , Virawah, Nagarparkar and Islamkot during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war . The main objective of these raids was to hit Pakistan military installations located 80 kilometers inside hostile territory, disrupting supply lines, creating confusion, and undertaking important inroads into hostile territory. Two teams, codenamed Alpha and Charlie, trained for five months in skills such as desert warfare . During
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5504-780: Is one of the major commercial railway stations of the North Central Railway, whose zone headquarters is centred in Prayagraj . The station has won awards from Indian Railways for excellent clean infrastructure in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1992. It is in the Adarsh Station Category of Indian Railways. Gwalior Light Railway connected to the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Sheopur . It is being converted to broad gauge and may commence service as
5676-570: Is practised by the majority of the people in Gwalior (88.84%). Other religions practised include Islam (8.58%), Jainism (1.41%), Sikhism (0.56%), and Christianity (0.29). Gwalior has a long history of religious amity. The erstwhile Maharajas of the Scindia dynasty considered the Sufi saints to be their gurus and headed the Muharram procession every year. Languages of Gwalior (2011) Hindi
5848-547: Is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration of the city, which is divided into 66 wards. Shobha Satish Sikarwar(INC) is the present Mayor of Gwalior. The Municipal Commissioner , a member of the Indian Administrative Service , is responsible for the corporations finances and for the services and works conducted for the city. Gwalior Municipal Corporation covers an area of 414 square kilometres (160 sq mi). The municipality
6020-415: Is situated in the valley between the hills. Gwalior's metropolitan area includes Lashkar, City Centre, Old City (Fort), Gwalior West and Morar Cantonment . Gwalior was one of the major locations of rebellion during the 1857 uprising . Post-independence, Gwalior has emerged as an important tourist attraction in central India while many industries and administrative offices came up within the city. Before
6192-641: Is the Gwalior (Lok Sabha constituency) . In June 2024 General Election, Bharat Singh Kushwah of Bharatiya Janata Party had been elected as the Member of Parliament from Gwalior. Central government institutions include: Gwalior is a major railway junction in the Northern central region. The Gwalior Junction (Station code: GWL) is the part of the North Central Railways . Gwalior is one of
6364-420: Is the predominant language of Gwalior, with nearly 96% of residents speaking it as their first language. Sindhi and Marathi are spoken by 1% each. Gwalior is located at 26°13′N 78°11′E / 26.22°N 78.18°E / 26.22; 78.18 . in northern Madhya Pradesh 300 km (190 mi) from Delhi. It has an average elevation of 197 metres (646 feet). Most part of it comes under
6536-955: The Armed Forces Special Operations Division . The Special Group (aka 4 Vikas/22 SF/22 SG), a clandestine special forces unit which operates under Research and Analysis Wing , recruits from the PARA SF, Garud Commando Force and MARCOS . Currently, the Para Special Forces consists of 15 battalions with each battalion consisting of 620 special forces operators: The unit is tasked with various missions such as special operations, direct action, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, counter-proliferation, counter-insurgency, search and destroy, and personnel recovery. All Indian army personnel are designated as volunteers for induction into special forces. Some enter
6708-622: The Barisha Raid in Syria of 2019. The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan involved special forces from several coalition nations, who played a major role in removing the Taliban from power in 2001–2002. Special forces have continued to play a role in combating the Taliban in subsequent operations. Gwalior Gwalior ( Hindi : IPA: [ɡʋɑːlɪjəɾ] , pronunciation )
6880-515: The Battle of Ilomantsi , Soviet supply lines were harassed to the point that the Soviet artillery was unable to exploit its massive numerical advantage over Finnish artillery. Their operations were also classified as secret because of the political sensitivity of such operations. Only authorized military historians could publish on their operations; individual soldiers were required to take the secrets to
7052-531: The Battle of Palembang , on Sumatra in the Netherlands East Indies , on 14 February 1942. The operation was well-planned, with 425 men of the 1st Parachute Raiding Regiment seizing Palembang airfield, while the paratroopers of the 2nd Parachute Raiding Regiment seized the town and its important oil refinery. Paratroops were subsequently deployed in the Burma campaign . The 1st Glider Tank Troop
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7224-670: The Bharatiya Janata Party . Her son, Maharaja Madhavrao Scindia was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971, representing the Congress Party, and served until his death in 2001. His son, Jyotiraditya Scindia , also in the Congress Party, was elected to the seat formerly held by his father in 2004, but later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2020. As of the 2011 Census of India , Gwalior had
7396-635: The Counterinsurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) in Vairengte, Mizoram, and the Indian special forces training school in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh. These schools are among the finest of their kind anywhere, and routinely host foreign students . Members of USSOCOM (United States Special Operations Command) and UKSF (United Kingdom Special Forces) have conducted joint training exercises with
7568-619: The Gird area. The Tigra Dam is located on the outskirts of the city. The dam is now being used to store water from the Sank river and supply water to the city. The reservoir is used for leisure activities including speed boating, paddle boating, and water scooters. The Swarna Rekha river is a reconstructed part of the Swarna Rekha river which was dried during the British raj. Boat rides run between Padav in central Gwalior to Gwalior Zoo. The Lashkar part of Gwalior has many parks, including
7740-605: The Golden-Quadrilateral Highway project passes through the city. The Agra-Bombay national highway (NH3) passes through Gwalior, connecting it to Shivpuri on one end and Agra on the other. The Yamuna Expressway is easily accessible from Agra for the travellers going to New Delhi. The city is connected to the Jhansi by the National Highway 75, towards the south of the city. The northern part of
7912-720: The Indian Navy . Thus, 6 Para and the 17 Para Field Regiment conducted the first-ever international intervention by the Indian Army without any loss of life. In 1999 nine out of ten Parachute battalions were deployed for Operation Vijay in Kargil, which bears testimony to the operational profile of the Regiment. While the Parachute Brigade cleared the Mushkoh Valley intrusions, 5 Para was actively involved in
8084-891: The Iranian Embassy siege (London), the Air France Flight 8969 ( Marseille ), Operation Defensive Shield , Operation Khukri , the Moscow theater hostage crisis , Operation Orchard , the Japanese Embassy hostage crisis ( Lima ), in Sri Lanka against the LTTE , the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, the 2016 Indian Line of Control strike the 2015 Indian counter-insurgency operation in Myanmar and
8256-528: The Kailash Range in August 2020. The Parachute Regiment presently has fifteen Special Forces, two Territorial Army , and one Counter Insurgency ( Rashtriya Rifles ) battalion in its fold. Due to the absence of centralized command and lack of a standardized process for selection procedures vary among the Para (SF) battalions. There is a variety of pipelines to get into different Para (SF) battalions. In
8428-453: The Napoleonic wars , rifle regiments and sapper units were formed that held specialised roles in reconnaissance and skirmishing and were not committed to the formal battle lines. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, there were wars between American colonists and Native American tribes. In Colonial America specialized Rangers formed and first mentioned by Capt. John Smith , in 1622. Learning frontier skills from friendly Native Americans
8600-505: The No. 8 (Guards) Commando (later named " Layforce "). After Layforce was disbanded, Stirling remained convinced that due to the mechanized nature of war a small team of highly trained soldiers with the advantage of surprise could exact greater damage to the enemy's ability to fight than an entire platoon. His idea was for small teams of parachute trained soldiers to operate behind enemy lines to gain intelligence, destroy enemy aircraft, and attack their supply and reinforcement routes. Following
8772-434: The People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) were killed. The Forces also claimed to have located and destroyed five militant camps during the Operation and more than 117 weapons, including sixty-nine AK-series rifles, forty-eight rocket launchers, and an unspecified quantity of explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). No militant was arrested. No fatality among the Special Force (SF) personnel or civilians
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#17327835416348944-440: The Phool Bagh, or the garden of flowers, built to welcome the Prince of Cambridge and the Italian Garden – the garden which was used by the Scindias as a place of relaxation, is Italian in architecture with a water pool surrounded by musical fountains. Ambedkar Park and Gandhi Park are other prominent parks. Gwalior Zoo provides a home for white tigers , serpents, golden pheasants, sambar , hyena, bison, and others. Gwalior has
9116-420: The Rajput states, and conquered the state of Ajmer. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the city was briefly held by rebel forces in 1858 until they were defeated by the British. The Scindia family ruled Gwalior until India's independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, when the Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia acceded to the Government of India. Gwalior was merged with a number of other princely states to become
9288-526: The United States , the term special forces often refers specifically to the U.S. Army Special Forces , while the term special operations forces is used more broadly for these types of units. Special forces capabilities include the following: Other capabilities can include close personal protection ; waterborne operations involving combat diving/combat swimming , maritime boarding and amphibious missions; as well as support of air force operations . Special forces have played an important role throughout
9460-478: The United States Army Rangers specialist soldier dates back to the 17th through 19th century from military units such as United States Mounted Rangers , United States Rangers and Texas Rangers . In WWII mid-1942, Major-General Lucian Truscott of the U.S. Army, a General Staff submitted a proposal to General George Marshall onceived under the guidance of then Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, that selectively trained Ranger soldiers were recruited for
9632-421: The 1 Para, as an experiment, was converted to become the first special forces unit of the Indian army and was kept as the tactical reserve. Already a recipient of the Chief of Army Staff Unit Citation twice, and the GOC-in-C Eastern Command Unit Citation once, the unit was originally 1 Punjab Regiment, which was later re-designated as 1 PARA (Punjab) and in 1978 was converted to 1 PARA (SF). On 15 January 1992,
9804-403: The 13th century AD who were the vassal rulers of the Delhi Sultanate . The Mughal Empire conquered the city and its fortress in the 16th century AD. When the Mughal Empire was declining, it fell into the hands of Jat rulers , then to the Maratha in 1754, and lastly it was passed on to the Scindia Dynasty of Maratha Empire in early 18th century. In April 2021, It was found that Gwalior had
9976-441: The 18th and 19th centuries, who were a princely state during the period of British colonial rule until Indian independence. During independence, the clans became involved in politics. The Scindia state of Gwalior became a major regional power in the second half of the 18th century and figured prominently in the three Anglo-Maratha Wars . (Gwalior first fell to the British in 1780.) The Scindias held significant power over many of
10148-416: The 19th-20th century until the modern formation of the Army Ranger Battalions in WWII. The British Indian Army deployed two special forces during their border wars: the Corps of Guides formed in 1846 and the Gurkha Scouts (a force that was formed in the 1890s and was first used as a detached unit during the 1897–1898 Tirah Campaign ). During the Second Boer War (1899–1902) the British Army felt
10320-401: The 5/8 Gurkha Rifles who were surrounded and held captive by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels for over 75 days. Just 90 Para (SF) forced 2000-5000 members of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) divided into 5 battalions to surrender. This ultimately led to the liberation of Freetown. On 11 April 2009, the 57 Mountain Division of the Indian Army based in Manipur, 21 Para (SF) along with
10492-482: The 50th was allocated to the newly founded 44th Airborne Division . In the post-independence restructuring, India retained only one parachute brigade—the 50th. This brigade consisted of three distinguished battalions personally nominated by the then Commander-in-Chief, namely 1 PARA ( Punjab Regiment ), 2 PARA ( Maratha Light Infantry ) and 3 PARA ( Kumaon Regiment ). During the Jammu and Kashmir operations of 1947-48, these battalions distinguished themselves with glory in
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#173278354163410664-422: The Allied lines by mis-directing convoys away from the front lines. A handful of his men were captured by the Americans and spread a rumor that Skorzeny was leading a raid on Paris to kill or capture General Dwight Eisenhower . Although this was untrue, Eisenhower was confined to his headquarters for several days and Skorzeny was labelled "the most dangerous man in Europe". In Italy , the Decima Flottiglia MAS
10836-430: The American colonies, including Knowlton's Rangers , an elite corps of Rangers who supplied reconnaissance and espionage for George Washington 's Continental Army. Daniel Morgan , was known as leader of The Corps of Rangers for the Continental Army . Rogers' Rangers on Roger's Island, in modern-day Fort Edward, New York, is regarded as the "spiritual home" of the United States Special Operations Forces , specifically
11008-404: The Australians also raised the Z Special Unit and M Special Unit . M Special Unit was largely employed in an intelligence-gathering role, while Z Special Force undertook direct action missions. One of its most notable actions came as part of Operation Jaywick , in which several Japanese ships were sunk in Singapore Harbour in 1943. A second raid on Singapore in 1944, known as Operation Rimau ,
11180-529: The British Special Forces, with the curricula differing according to each soldier's specialization. Their task, on deployment to Poland, was to sustain the structures of the Polish state, training the members of the Resistance in fighting the German occupant. This included taking part in the Warsaw Uprising . Following advice from the British, Australia began raising special forces. The first units to be formed were independent companies , which began training at Wilson's Promontory in Victoria in early 1941 under
11352-612: The Chindits and took part in similar operations in Burma. In late November 1943, the Alamo Scouts (Sixth Army Special Reconnaissance Unit) were formed to conduct reconnaissance and raider work in the Southwest Pacific Theater under the personal command of then Lt. General Walter Krueger , Commanding General, Sixth U.S. Army. Krueger envisioned that the Alamo Scouts, consisting of small teams of highly trained volunteers, would operate deep behind enemy lines to provide intelligence-gathering and tactical reconnaissance in advance of Sixth U.S. Army landing operations. In 1983, nearly 40 years after
11524-436: The Commando training depot at Achnacarry in the Scottish Highlands was established by Brigadier Charles Haydon. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Vaughan, the Commando depot was responsible for training complete units and individual replacements. The training regime was for the time innovative and physically demanding, and far in advance of normal British Army training. The depot staff were all hand picked, with
11696-400: The Commandos served in all theatres of war from the Arctic Circle to Europe and from the Mediterranean and Middle East to South-East Asia . Their operations ranged from small groups of men landing from the sea or by parachute to a brigade of assault troops spearheading the Allied invasions of Europe and Asia. The first modern special forces units were established by men who had served with
11868-490: The Commandos, including the Parachute Regiment , Special Air Service , and Special Boat Service . The No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando organised by British of volunteers from occupied Europe led to French Commandos Marine , Dutch Korps Commandotroepen , Belgian Paracommando Brigade . The first modern special forces unit was the Special Air Service (SAS), formed in July 1941 from an unorthodox idea and plan by Lieutenant David Stirling . In June 1940 he volunteered for
12040-400: The GOC-in-C Eastern Command Unit Citation twice (2008 and 2016), as well as a host of individual gallantry awards. The most notable operations are in the Loktak Lake of Manipur. With the changing scenario in military operations and the need for more special forces units, 2 Para began the conversion process from parachute to special forces role, followed closely by the 3rd Para and the 4th Para in
12212-454: The Home Ministry's decision to conduct pro-active raids against militants in the countryside and mountains. Personnel includes Para (SF), Paratroopers (Airborne), and special units of the Rashtriya Rifles – a paramilitary unit created for counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir. They have also included MARCOS personnel, many of whom are seconded to the Army for CT operations. On 26 September 2013, terrorists dressed in Army fatigues stormed
12384-887: The Indian Air Force and 21 Para (SF) carried out a cross-border operation along the Indo-Myanmar border and destroyed two militant camps one each of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K) (NSCN) and the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL). The operations were carried out inside Myanmar, along the Nagaland and Manipur border at two locations. One of the locations was near Ukhrul in Manipur. The army attacked two militants' transit camps. 70 commandos were reportedly involved in
12556-612: The Indian Army are among the oldest airborne units in the world. The 50th Indian Parachute Brigade was formed on 27 October 1941, comprising the British 151st Parachute Battalion , the British Indian Army 152nd Indian Parachute Battalion, and the 153rd Gurkha Parachute Battalion. The Parachute Regiment was formed from these and several other units in 1952. The three battalions serving with the Parachute Brigade were removed from their respective Infantry Regiments to form
12728-594: The Indian Paras. SOF members from the three nations routinely train at each other's facilities to improve military cooperation and tactical skills. This allows the SOF operators from each nation to see tactics and perspectives offered by other top-notch organisations. It is thought that the French Foreign Legion also has approached CIJWS regarding the courses taught by them. Para SF troops can also undergo
12900-1078: The Indian army won the gold medal out of the 140 teams that participated in Exercise Cambrian Patrol held in the UK. The Para SF has provided training to special forces from Afghanistan and Tajikistan . In December 2013, 60 Afghan special forces were trained by the 10 Para (SF) at the Thar Desert . A month earlier, the Tajik special forces had undergone training. In 2021, Uzbek airborne forces were also trained in specialized para operations. Special forces Special forces or special operations forces ( SOF ) are military units trained to conduct special operations . NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special forces emerged in
13072-528: The Indian raiders and the Pakistanis ensued, followed by gunfights . Soon, Virawah was captured by the Indian raiders. The raiders then proceeded to Nagarparkar and captured it by the morning of 8 December. Following this, the Indian raiders returned to their base in India but were again tasked to attack an ammunition dump in Islamkot . The raiders reached their target at 5:30 AM on 17 December but found
13244-669: The Knives of Death (Spanish: Cuchillos de la Muerte), the regiment relied almost exclusively on the use of blade weapons, particularly bayonets. Modern special forces emerged during the Second World War . In 1940, the British Commandos were formed following Winston Churchill 's call for "specially trained troops of the hunter class, who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast." A staff officer , Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Clarke , had already submitted such
13416-568: The LoC at several points shortly after midnight IST on 29 September (18:30 hours UTC, 28 Sept.). Teams from 4 Para SF crossed the LoC in the Nowgam sector of Kupwara district , with teams from 9 Para SF simultaneously crossing the LoC in Poonch district . By 2 a.m. IST, according to army sources, the special forces teams had traveled 1 km (0.62 mi) – 3 km (1.9 mi) on foot, the teams began
13588-411: The LoC to carry out 24-hour surveillance and observation of multiple objectives and to put together an accurate terrain analysis, patterns of life on site along with the best possible avenues of approach and exfil routes through the heavily secured border. Allegedly the intelligence was strong enough to discern the names along with an accurate slant of the fidayeens at the launch pads. After the return of
13760-485: The Meghdoot Force formed the nucleus, and the new unit was based in Gwalior . In June 1967 the unit was split equally into two to form a second commando unit, designated as 10th Battalion, each with three Companies. 10th Battalion was mandated to operate in the Western Desert and 9th Battalion in the northern mountains. In 1969, these battalions were re-designated as 9 and 10 Para (Commando) battalions. In 1978,
13932-504: The OSS. On February 16, 1942, the U.S. Marine Corps activated a battalion of Marines with the specific purpose of securing beach heads, and other special operations. The battalion became the first modern special operations force of the U.S. The battalion became known as Marine Raiders due to Admiral Chester Nimitz 's request for "raiders" in the Pacific front of the war. The history of
14104-536: The Pakistan independent battery. They also destroyed an airfield. In Bangladesh 2 PARA (Airborne), which was a part of the 50 (Independent) Parachute Brigade, carried out India's first airborne assault operation to capture Poongli Bridge in Mymensingh District near Dhaka. Subsequently, they were the first unit to enter Dhaka. For this action 2 PARA were given the Battle Honour of Poongli Bridge and
14276-661: The Para-military Assam Rifles and State Police, launched a counter-insurgency operation, code-named "Operation Summer Storm" in the Loktak Lake region and adjoining Loktak Lake in Bishnupur District, located south of State capital of Imphal. The first major mobilisation of troops in 2009 ended on 21 April. As the troops began pulling out, an Army spokesperson described the operation as a success, disclosing that 129 militants, all belonging to
14448-697: The Parachute Regiment Training Centre along with the Records and PAO (OR), and the Para Regiment, moved to Bangalore and occupied the erstwhile location of Pioneer Corps and Training Centre. Bangalore is the new Key Location Project of the center. 1995 saw the formation of the fourth commando battalion when 21 Maratha Light Infantry was selected to convert to special forces and slated for the Eastern Command. After
14620-518: The Parachute Regiment stands from 8,000-10,000 which includes one Rashtriya Rifles personnel and two Territorial Army battalions, while the Para (SF) includes between 5,000-6,000 personnel or maybe more. They have to hide their operational history unless declassified and their credentials from the general public during active service. One of the SF battalion (reportedly, 1 PARA SF) operate under
14792-467: The Parachute Regiment. Since then the Parachute Regiment has grown to comprise ten battalions including Parachute (Special Forces) battalions. In 1986, 8 PARA became 12 Battalion, Mechanised Infantry Regiment, while 21 Maratha LI converted to PARA (Special Forces). During their short but eventful existence so far, the regiment's battalions have had extensive operational experience, and singular achievements, to speak of their level of professionalism. In 1944,
14964-623: The Rangers helped carry out offensive strikes " frontier combat " against hostile Natives. Thus Ranger companies were formed to provide reconnaissance, intelligence, light infantry, and scouting. Colonel Benjamin Church (c. 1639–1718) was the captain of the first Ranger force in America (1676). Many Colonial officers would take the philosophies of Benjamin Church's ranging and form their own Ranger units. Several Ranger companies were established in
15136-703: The SAS attacked Bouerat. Transported by the Long Range Desert Group (which carried out deep penetration, covert reconnaissance patrols, intelligence missions and attacks behind the enemy lines from 1940), they caused severe damage to the harbour, petrol tanks and storage facilities. This was followed up in March by a raid on Benghazi harbour with limited success but they did damage to 15 aircraft at Al-Berka . The June 1942 Crete airfield raids at Heraklion , Kasteli , Tympaki and Maleme significant damage
15308-531: The Special Forces training school in Nahan , Himachal Pradesh, which is followed by further specialised selection. This concept of geographical specialisation was eventually modified and each Para (SF) battalion is now trained to operate in various terrains and climatic conditions. Indian Army soldiers can volunteer for the course irrespective of their ranks. Depending on the battalion, the probation period
15480-549: The Theatre Honour Dhaka. In the Western Sector the unit was also involved in the Battle of Chamb . Operation Mandhol was a raid carried out by soldiers from the 9 Para (SF) to seek and destroy Pakistani artillery located in hostile territory near a village called Mandole. During the operation, aided by an artillery officer Capt. D Tyagi from 195 Mountain Regiment , six artillery guns were destroyed by
15652-401: The UK, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Maldives, Seychelles, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. Personnel from the Para (SF) have participated in international competitions like Airborne Africa, Cambrian Patrol . This exercise was designed to test the special forces community's endurance, combat efficiency, and combat readiness. The regiment has
15824-613: The United States Army Rangers. These early American light infantry battalions were trained under Robert Rogers' 28 "Rules of Ranging" , which is considered the first known manual of modern asymmetric warfare tactics used in modern special operations. Various military Ranger units such as the United States Mounted Rangers , United States Rangers , Loudoun Rangers , 43rd Virginia Rangers , and Texas Military Rangers continued throughout
15996-585: The ability to outperform any of the volunteers. Training and assessment started immediately on arrival, with the volunteers having to complete an 8-mile (13 km) march with all their equipment from the Spean Bridge railway station to the commando depot. Exercises were conducted using live ammunition and explosives to make training as realistic as possible. Physical fitness was a prerequisite, with cross country runs and boxing matches to improve fitness. Speed and endurance marches were conducted up and down
16168-646: The air. Special forces have been used in both wartime and peacetime military operations such as the Laotian Civil War , Bangladesh Liberation War-1971 , Vietnam War , Portuguese Colonial War , South African Border War , Falklands War , The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the Jaffna University Helidrop , the first and second Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, Croatia , Kosovo , Bosnia , the first and second Chechen Wars ,
16340-718: The aircraft were shot down. Some 300 commandos managed to land in the Burauen area on Leyte. The force destroyed some planes and inflicted numerous casualties, before they were annihilated. During World War II, the Finnish Army and Border Guard organized sissi forces into a long-range reconnaissance patrol ( kaukopartio ) units. These were open only to volunteers and operated far behind enemy lines in small teams. They conducted both intelligence-gathering missions and raids on e.g. enemy supply depots or other strategic targets. They were generally highly effective. For example, during
16512-541: The area c.950 –c.1192 CE, leaving remarkable architectural works such as the Sasbahu Temples . In 1021, Gwalior was attacked by forces led by Mahmud Ghazni . In 1231 Iltutmish , ruler of the Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate , captured Gwalior after an 11-month-long effort and from then till the 13th century it remained under Muslim rule. In 1375, Raja Veer Singh was made the ruler of Gwalior and he founded
16684-410: The assault, with hand-held grenades and 84 mm recoilless rifles destroying the ammo and the fuel dumps at the launch pads. Simultaneously, the containment and assault elements opened fire, killing the terrorists on sight and those who tried to squirt from the objective. At first light, the teams swiftly returned to the Indian side of the LoC, suffering one injured, a soldier wounded after tripping on
16856-555: The attackers behind the ambush of the Army on 4 June, which claimed the lives of 18 Army jawans (soldiers) of 6 Dogra Regiment from the Chandel district of Manipur. This has been noted as the largest attack on the Indian Army after the Kargil war of 1999. Intelligence gathering had started a few weeks prior, through drones, satellites, and various other Indian assets, on 26 September 2016, small recon teams were tasked to infiltrate across
17028-399: The battle. Finally, the raiders destroyed all the artillery using explosives and returned to their base at 6.30 AM on 14 December 1971. This operation caused the Pakistan military to tweak its military doctrine by assigning additional soldiers to defend artillery guns. Pakistan Army officials, who came to India as a delegation after the war had ended, acknowledged the raid. Operation Mandhol
17200-455: The battlefield. Chachro was subsequently handed over to Indian infantrymen and the Alpha team proceeded further. The Alpha team moved towards their next targets: Virawah and Nagarparkar . They reached Virawah before the dawn of 8 December, moving in broad daylight the preceding day. The first contact made by the raiders with the Pakistani soldiers was at 1:30 AM. Hand-to-hand combat between
17372-636: The battles of Shelatang, Naushera , Jhangar , and Poonch , and were awarded the respective Battle Honours. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , an ad hoc commando unit, named Meghdoot Force, consisting of volunteers from various infantry units was organised by then Major Megh Singh of the Brigade of the Guards . The unit performed exceptionally well during the war destroying many strategic bridges and killing many Pakistani soldiers, and thus
17544-519: The best air quality index (AQI 152) amongst the 4 major cities in Madhya Pradesh . Besides being the administrative headquarters of Gwalior district and Gwalior division , Gwalior has many administrative offices of the Chambal division of northern Madhya Pradesh. Several administrative and judicial organisations, commissions and boards have their state and national headquarters situated in
17716-401: The camp before landing to neutralise the three terrorists. The 1 Para (SF) had identified the exact spot during the aerial reconnaissance from where the intruders were returning the army fire. After landing, the commandos started engaging the terrorists in a direct gunfight, but to give them the impression that their exact hiding location had still not been identified, an abandoned building inside
17888-408: The camp was blasted. This made the terrorists complacent thinking that their hiding spot had not yet been pinpointed. They kept on intermittently returning army fire until all three of them were eliminated. The entire operation, from the moment the terrorists entered the camp until they were gunned down, took nearly nine hours to complete. The main worry of the soldiers tasked to eliminate the terrorists
18060-453: The capture of Maldives , an island nation off the southwestern coast of India, on 3 November 1988 by the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) mercenaries , the army turned to the 50 (Independent) Parachute Brigade to carry out an airborne/air attempt transported operation to liberate the country and return power to the legal government. This operation had 6 Para spearheading
18232-768: The central government of India . The judiciary has four levels: the lowest level being the Gwalior Gram panchayat (or " Gram Nyayalaya "). Above the gram panchayat is the District Court for Gwalior district sits Lashkar. Above that, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has its main seat in Jabalpur , but also a permanent bench in Gwalior city. The final court of appeal is the Supreme Court of India . The Gwalior Municipal Corporation
18404-581: The city. Gwalior was the capital of the state of Madhya Bharat from 1948 till 1956 which later became a part of the larger state of Madhya Pradesh. Prior to Indian independence on 15 August 1947, Gwalior remained a princely state of the British Raj with the Scindia as the local rulers. High rocky hills surround the city from all sides, on the north it just forms the border of the Ganga- Yamuna Drainage Basin. The city however
18576-542: The command of the divisional cavalry regiments that were re-designated as cavalry commando regiments. As a part of this structure, a total of 11 commando squadrons were raised. They continued to act independently and were often assigned at brigade level during the later stages of the war, taking part in the fighting in New Guinea, Bougainville and Borneo , where they were employed largely in long-range reconnaissance and flank protection roles. In addition to these units,
18748-881: The commandos also attend several schools run by the Army that specialize in warfare over varying types of terrain and specialisations. These include the Junior Leaders' Commando Training Camp in Belgaum , Karnataka , the Parvat Ghatak School (for high altitude mountain warfare) in Tawang Arunachal Pradesh , the desert warfare school in Rajasthan , the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Sonamarg, Kashmir ,
18920-628: The commandos battle experience, 1 Para (SF) was rotated home in early 1988 and replaced by 9 Para (SF). This battalion was scheduled to return home in June 1988, but the tour of duty was extended due to a planned air assault into the coastal swamps around Mullaittivu . The mission was a success, in that it located several arms caches. The 9 Para (SF) also provided 12 men for the security of the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka. With
19092-850: The creation of the 50th Parachute Brigade in October 1941 under the British Indian Army . 9 Para (SF) was raised in 1965 as the 9th Parachute Commando Battalion (as part of the Parachute Regiment) and is the oldest among the fifteen Para (SF) units of the Indian Army. It has been involved in various operations including the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 (including Chachro Raid ), Operation Bluestar , Operation Pawan , Operation Cactus , Kargil War , Operation Ginger , 2015 Indian counter-insurgency operation in Myanmar , 2016 Pampore stand-off , 2016 Indian Line of Control strike and in several anti-terror operations. The parachute units of
19264-554: The deaths of two Pakistani soldiers and the wounding of nine. The Para SF reportedly conducted reconnaissance against Chinese military posts near the Pangong Tso during the 2020 China–India skirmishes . They participated alongside the Special Frontier Force in occupying dominating positions of 'Blacktop', 'Gurung hill ', 'Helmet', and various other peaks and ridges on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, west of
19436-671: The early 20th century, with a significant growth in the field during World War II , when "every major army involved in the fighting" created formations devoted to special operations behind enemy lines. Depending on the country, special forces may perform functions including airborne operations , counter-insurgency , counter-terrorism , foreign internal defense , covert ops , direct action , hostage rescue , high-value targets / manhunt , intelligence operations , mobility operations , and unconventional warfare . In Russian-speaking countries, special forces of any country are typically called spetsnaz , an acronym for "special purpose". In
19608-559: The earth, of great merit, who was renowned by the name of the glorious Tôramâna; by whom, through (his) heroism that was specially characterized by truthfulness, the earth was governed with justice", and his Mihirakula as "the lord of the earth" as of 520 CE. Around the 9th century, the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty controlled Gwalior and during their rule, they constructed the Teli ka Mandir temple. The Kachchhapaghata dynasty ruled
19780-880: The end of World War II, the US Army created the Special Forces Tab . It was later decided that personnel with at least 120 days' wartime service prior to 1955 in certain units, including the Devil's Brigade, the Alamo Scouts and the OSS Operational Groups, would receive the Tab for their services in World War ;II, placing them all in the lineage of today's U.S. and Canadian (via Devil's Brigade) Special Forces. The Axis powers did not adopt
19952-466: The end of the 20th century it became a million plus agglomeration and now it is a metropolitan city in central India. Gwalior is surrounded by industrial and commercial zones of neighbouring districts ( Malanpur – Bhind , Banmore – Morena ) on all three main directions. Gwalior has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission . According to legend, Gwalior
20124-659: The few places where both narrow gauge and broad gauge railways tracks were operational (until the line closed in 2020 ). Gwalior was the terminus for the longest narrow-gauge route operating in the world, covering a distance of 198 km (123 mi) from Gwalior Junction to Sheopur. Gwalior Junction is a six-railway track intersection point. It won an award for the best and cleanest station of North Central Railway zone . Gwalior has 3 railway stations within city limits namely: Birla Nagar station Sithouli Station Dabra Station Travellers can board/de board from Gwalior Junction Railway Station from these routes namely: Gwalior
20296-563: The forgotten sector of Batalik and was awarded the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Unit Citation and Theatre Honour Kargil for its resounding success against the Pakistani Army Operation Khukri was a rescue mission conducted by the 2 PARA (SF) in Sierra Leone in June 2000. About 90 operators commanded by Major (now Lt. Col.) Harinder Sood was airlifted from New Delhi to spearhead the mission to rescue 223 men of
20468-444: The free-fall course, which requires at least 50 jumps from altitudes up to 33,500 feet (10,200 metres) to pass. Both High Altitude Low Opening ( HALO ) and High Altitude High Opening ( HAHO ) techniques are learned. The ability to use the HAHO method and specially designed maneuverable parachutes called HAPPS (High Altitude Parachute Penetration System)/AMX-310 to conduct stealth insertions over distances up to 50 kilometres (31 mi)
20640-416: The government authorised the formal raising of a commando unit. Lt Col Megh Singh was selected to raise the unit which was originally intended to be a part of the Brigade of the Guards. However, recognising parachute qualification as an integral element of special operations, the unit was transferred to the Parachute Regiment and raised as its 9th Battalion (Commando) on 1 July 1966. The erstwhile members of
20812-409: The grave. A famous LRRP commander was Lauri Törni , who later joined the U.S. Army to train U.S. personnel in special operations. In June 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War , the World Bank sent a mission to observe the situation in East Pakistan . The media cell of Pakistan's government was circulating the news that the situation in East Pakistan was stable and normal. Khaled Mosharraf ,
20984-473: The group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were holed up in the cavalry armored unit's camp at Samba for several hours after they barged into the Officer's mess until they were killed during a fierce gunfight with 1 Para (SF) of the army. The bodies of the three terrorists aged between 16 and 19 were in the custody of the Army. Authorities moved commandos of 1 Para (SF) in helicopters to the shootout site. The Para (SF) commandos first carried out an aerial reconnaissance of
21156-468: The hazardous situation prevailing in East Pakistan and urged ending the military regime in East Pakistan. The Crack Platoon carried out several successful and important operations. The power supply in Dhaka was devastated which caused severe problems for the Pakistan Army and the military administration in Dhaka. Stemming from Resolution 598 , Operation Prime Chance was the first deployment of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) troops, which were
21328-406: The history of the Gwalior Fort and Man Mandir Palace. By the 15th century, the city had a noted singing school which was attended by the prominent figure of Hindustani classical music, Tansen . After death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb the Jat ruler Bhim Singh Rana captured Gwalior from Mughals . Later in the 1830s, the Scindia Dynasty captured Gwalior and it remained a princely state during
21500-683: The history of warfare, whenever the aim was to achieve disruption by "hit and run" and sabotage , rather than more traditional conventional combat. Other significant roles lay in reconnaissance , providing essential intelligence from near or among the enemy and increasingly in combating irregular forces, their infrastructure and activities. Chinese strategist Jiang Ziya , in his Six Secret Teachings , described recruiting talented and motivated men into specialized elite units with functions such as commanding heights and making rapid long-distance advances. Hamilcar Barca in Sicily (249 BC) had specialized troops trained to launch several offensives per day. In
21672-440: The hottest in India and the world. Temperatures peak in May and June with daily averages being around 33–35 °C (91–95 °F), and end in late June with the onset of the monsoon . Gwalior receives 750 mm of rain on average per year, most of which is concentrated in the Monsoon months (from late June to early October). August is the wettest month with about 250 mm of rain. Winter in Gwalior starts in late October, and
21844-590: The insurgents from running and escaping. The actual operation (hitting the camp and destroying it) took about 40 minutes. Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 helicopters were put on standby, ready to be pressed into service to evacuate the commandos in case anything went wrong. In its statement after the operation, the Indian Army said it was in communication with Myanmar and that, "There is a history of close cooperation between our two militaries. We look forward to working with them to combat such terrorism." The Indian Army claimed to have inflicted heavy casualties (158 reported) on
22016-837: The late Roman or early Byzantine period, Roman fleets used small, fast, camouflaged ships crewed by selected men for scouting and commando missions. In the Middle Ages , special forces trained to conduct special operations were employed in several occasions. An example of this were the special forces of Gerald the Fearless , a Portuguese warrior and folk hero of the Reconquista . Muslim forces also had naval special operations units, including one that used camouflaged ships to gather intelligence and launch raids and another of soldiers who could pass for Crusaders who would use ruses to board enemy ships and then capture and destroy them. In Japan , ninjas were used for reconnaissance , espionage and as assassins , bodyguards or fortress guards, or otherwise fought alongside conventional soldiers. During
22188-575: The latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, special forces have come to higher prominence, as governments have found objectives can sometimes be better achieved by a small team of anonymous specialists than a larger and much more politically controversial conventional deployment. In both Kosovo and Afghanistan , special forces were used to co-ordinate activities between local guerrilla fighters and air power . Typically, guerrilla fighters would engage enemy soldiers and tanks causing them to move, where they could be seen and attacked from
22360-458: The loss of men who required such extensive and expensive training limited their operations to only the most critical ones. Two regiments of Teishin Shudan were formed into the 1st Raiding Group, commanded by Major General Rikichi Tsukada under the control of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group , during the Philippines campaign . Although structured as a division, its capabilities were much lower, as its six regiments had manpower equivalent to
22532-431: The mid-1980s, there were plans to merge triple para commando battalions from the Parachute Regiment under a unique organization which is known as the Special Forces Regiment. However, due to several administrative and logistical obstacles, these plans were abandoned. The Parachute Regiment continues to train and recruit them. Para (SF) operates in assault teams, which work individually behind enemy lines. The total strength of
22704-440: The mission. 6 Para flew in on 4 November 1988 in a fleet of IL-76 , An-32 and An-12 transport aircraft. One team rescued the president, another took over the airfield, and a third rescued Maldivian security personnel besieged in the National Security Service HQ. Later 7 Para and part of 17 Para Field Regiment were also deployed to the Maldives. When mercenaries tried to escape by sea along with hostages, they were intercepted by
22876-400: The nearby mountain ranges and over assault courses that included a zip-line over Loch Arkaig , all while carrying arms and full equipment. Training continued by day and night with river crossings, mountain climbing, weapons training, unarmed combat , map reading, and small boat operations on the syllabus. Reaching a wartime strength of over 30 individual units and four assault brigades ,
23048-443: The need for more specialised units. Scouting units such as the Lovat Scouts , a Scottish Highland regiment made up of exceptional woodsmen outfitted in ghillie suits and well practised in the arts of marksmanship , field craft , and military tactics filled this role. This unit was formed in 1900 by Lord Lovat and early on reported to an American, Major Frederick Russell Burnham , the Chief of Scouts under Lord Roberts . After
23220-458: The new Indian state of Madhya Bharat. Jivajirao Scindia served as the state's Rajpramukh , or the appointed governor, from 28 May 1948 to 31 October 1956, when Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh. In 1962, Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia , the widow of Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia, was elected to the Lok Sabha, beginning the family's career in electoral politics. She was first a member of the Congress Party, and later became an influential member of
23392-440: The newly established special operations Army Ranger Battalion . The United States and Canada formed the 1st Special Service Force as a sabotage ski brigade for operations in Norway. Later known as the "Devil's Brigade" (and called "The Black Devils" by mystified German soldiers), the First Special Service Force was dispatched to the occupied Aleutian Islands, Italy and Southern France. Merrill's Marauders were modeled on
23564-421: The operation. The commandos, equipped with assault rifles, rocket launchers, grenades, and night vision goggles, were divided into two groups. The teams trekked through the thick jungles for at least 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) before they reached training camps. Each of the teams was further divided into two sub-groups. While one was responsible for the direct assault, the second formed an outer ring to prevent any of
23736-419: The para regiments as rookies from recruitment, while others transfer in from regular army units. They are put through a probationary period/selection process of three months for Para S.F (Special Forces) battalions. To be a Para S.F (Special Forces) operator, the army personnel are primarily required to qualify as Paratroopers; once selected, they may choose to advance for the SF selection, which takes place during
23908-411: The period of British rule. Chaturbhuj Temple at Gwalior Fort claims the world's very first occurrence of zero as a written number. Gwalior was major centre in the 1857 rebellion , mainly because of Rani Lakshmibai . After Kalpi (Jhansi) fell into the hands of the British on 24 May 1858, Lakshmibai sought shelter at Gwalior Fort. The Maharaja of Gwalior, was not willing to give up his fort without
24080-568: The platoon split and deployed in different areas surrounding Dhaka city. The basic objectives of the Crack Platoon were to demonstrate the strength of Mukti Bahini, terrorising Pakistan Army and their collaborators. Another major objective was proving to the international community that the situation in East Pakistan was not normal. That commando team also aimed at inspiring the people of Dhaka, who were frequently victims of killing and torture. The Crack Platoon successfully fulfilled these objectives. The World Bank mission, in its report, clearly described
24252-617: The probation period and are inducted into the Para (SF) undergo further selection and training, but to earn the Balidan Badge or " Badge of sacrifice ", they should survive further training, before being deployed in active operations at hostile zones. Some of the training during the 90-day selection includes: The training in SF battalions is a continuous process. In the special forces, the members are imparted both basic and advanced training. They are taught specialised modes of infiltration and exfiltration, either by air (combat freefall) or sea (combat diving). Some trainees return to PTS to undergo
24424-399: The raids, the para commandos inserted themselves 80 kilometers deep into Pakistani territory and traversed a distance of over 500 kilometers, attacking Pakistan military installations and positions. They completed the raids with zero Indian casualties. The raids began on 5 December 1971, when commandos from the 10 Para penetrated 70 kilometers inside hostile territory. The soldiers went into
24596-506: The recon teams, plans were laid down for the assault, and on 29 September 2016, The Paras assaulted their targeted objectives across the Line of Control (LoC), where militants congregate for their final briefings before infiltrating across the border. An Indian security source said the operation began with fire missions of Indian forces firing artillery across the frontier to suppress Pakistani positions while three to four teams of 70–80 para SF commandos from 4 and 9 Para (Special Forces) crossed
24768-409: The regular Filipino army soldiers. Most of the members of this unit came from the old Spanish Army filipino members which fought during the Philippine Revolution . The sharpshooters became famous for their fierce fighting and proved their worth by being the usual spearheading unit in every major battle in the Philippine–American War . In the Battle of Paye on December 19, 1899, Bonifacio Mariano,
24940-459: The rule of the Tomar clan. During those years, Gwalior saw its golden period. The Jain Sculptures at Gwalior Fort were built under Tomar rule. Man Singh Tomar a Tomar Rajput made his dream palace, the Man Mandir Palace which is now a tourist attraction at Gwalior Fort. Babur described it as "the pearl in the necklace of forts of India and not even the winds could touch its masts". The daily light and sound show organised there apprise about
25112-501: The same number of trains to the Bhopal and Nagpur stations. However, fewer trains are available for long routes like Mumbai and Chennai. The luxury trains – the Maharaja Express and the India on Wheels – stop at Gwalior on their week-long round trip of tourist destinations in Central India. More than 180 trains stop at Gwalior Railway Station Gwalior is fairly well connected to other parts of Madhya Pradesh and India by national and state highways. The proposed North-south-Corridor of
25284-406: The six teams was tasked to destroy one of the six guns. Subsequently, an intense gunfight took place between the Indian raiders and Pakistan Army soldiers. The gunfight resulted in two Indian casualties namely Paratrooper Rajmal and Paratrooper Balwan Singh who was a resident of Village Moungri of District Udhampur of J&K and many Pakistani casualties, with some Pakistani soldiers escaping from
25456-465: The specialist role with dual tasking of Airborne as well as the special tasks giving a significant boost to the operational capability of Indian Army. The unit first saw action in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war , the first six-man assault team was inserted 240 kilometres (150 miles) deep into Indus and Chachro, where they carried out raids. The assault team killed 73 and wounded 140 on the Pakistani side. In addition, they also destroyed 35mm artillery guns of
25628-417: The spring and the autumn seasons twice a year. There are fifteen Para (SF) battalions and soldiers are selected accordingly. An example of this would be the 10 Para (SF) which are also known as Desert Scorpions. The probation period for this unit is three-months and the probationers are selected accordingly for desert warfare . The 9 Para (SF) who specialise in mountain warfare go through a six-month course at
25800-426: The start of World War II “September campaign,” the Polish Government did not sign the capitulation, but moved to Paris and then to London. In an attempt to achieve its aims the government in exile gave orders to the Polish resistance and formed a special military unit in Britain with the soldiers called Cichociemni (“silent and unseen”) paratroopers to be deployed into Poland. The Cichociemni were trained similar to
25972-400: The strike captured by overhead drones and thermal imaging was released to the media afterward. It was also informed that around 40-50 militants were killed and many more injured in one of the surgical strikes. However, the Pakistan army dismissed India's claim and instead claimed that Indian troops had not crossed the LoC but had only skirmished with Pakistani troops at the border, resulting in
26144-428: The target empty. Subsequently, while retreating, the raiders ambushed a Pakistani convoy, killing 18-20 Pakistani troops and imprisoning survivors. In 1984 the Para (SF) was involved in Operation Blue Star . They were charged with leading an attack to evict Sikh militants hiding inside the Holy Site of the Sikh religion the Golden Temple Punjab . 80 members of 1 Para (SF) were given the task of assaulting two areas of
26316-401: The task of charting a route for the Alpha team to attack the wing headquarters of the Pakistan Rangers in Chachro . The pathfinders used the cover of darkness to chart a suitable route and green-lighted the raid before the dawn of 7 December. Within a few hours, the team killed 17 Pakistani soldiers, took 12 prisoners, and captured Chachro . After this raid, the Charlie team exfiltrated out of
26488-482: The temple, one of which required divers. However, there were several setbacks as a result of inaccurate intelligence on the strength of the militants who were trained by Gen. Shabeg Singh (ex-1 Para himself), operating in low light, the conventional manner of the raid, and the lack of incentive, all of which resulted in a mission failure. The diver mission was aborted after the first team got bogged down. The commandos accompanied by Raghunath Dubey achieved their aims after
26660-411: The true situation of East Pakistan and to stop sanctioning the aid. Khaled, along with A. T. M. Haider , another sector commander, formed the Crack Platoon . Initially, the number of commandos in the platoon was 17, trained in Melaghar Camp . From Melaghar, commandos of Crack Platoon headed for Dhaka on 4 June 1971 and launched a guerrilla operation on 5 June. Later, the number of commandos increased,
26832-494: The tutelage of British instructors. With an establishment of 17 officers and 256 men, the independent companies were trained as "stay behind" forces, a role that they were later employed in against the Japanese in the South West Pacific Area during 1942–43, most notably fighting a guerrilla campaign in Timor , as well as actions in New Guinea . In all, a total of eight independent companies were raised before they were re-organised in mid-1943 into commando squadrons and placed under
27004-409: The use of special forces on the same scale as the British. The German army's Brandenburger Regiment was founded as a special forces unit used by the Abwehr for infiltration and long distance reconnaissance in Fall Weiss of 1939 and the Fall Gelb and Barbarossa campaigns of 1940 and 1941. Later during the war the 502nd SS Jäger Battalion , commanded by Otto Skorzeny , sowed disorder behind
27176-469: The war, Lovat's Scouts went on to formally become the British Army's first sniper unit. Additionally, the Bushveldt Carbineers , formed in 1901, can be seen as an early unconventional warfare unit. The Luna Sharpshooters , also known as the " Marksmen of Death " ( Spanish : Tiradores de la Muerte ), was an elite unit formed on 1899 by General Antonio Luna to serve under the Philippine Revolutionary Army . They became famous for fighting fiercer than
27348-421: The years 2004 and 2005. Further 11th Para (SF) in 2011, 12th Para (SF) in 2013, and 13th Para (SF) in 2022 were raised from within the strength of the regiment to augment the strength of the existing Special Forces battalions. In 2022, in 5th Para, 6th Para, 7th Para, 23rd Para, and 29th Para, the airborne punch of the Indian Army was reorganised and redesignated as PARA (SF) on Modification Airborne and were given
27520-415: Was because of the efforts of the Para (SF) that later led to the capture of the Jaffna peninsula, forcing the LTTE militants to take refuge in the forests. Six soldiers lost their lives in that mission. Due to their superior training, the Para (SF) took refuge under a house, after they were misled by a youth who offered his services to help the commandos track Velupillai Prabhakaran but instead took them on
27692-426: Was caused, and raids at Fuka and Mersa Matruh airfields destroyed 30 aircraft. In the Burma Campaign , the Chindits , whose long-range penetration groups were trained to operate from bases deep behind Japanese lines, contained commandos ( King's Regiment (Liverpool) , 142 Commando Company) and Gurkhas . Their jungle expertise, which would play an important part in many British special forces operations post-war,
27864-529: Was created on 6 June 1887 with two divisions for Lashkar and Morar, which later were merged with a single constitutional body. There are four seats in the state legislative assembly (the "Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha") responsible for the Gwalior municipal area, the constituencies being Gwalior , Gwalior Rural , Gwalior East and Gwalior South . Prior to the 2008 boundary changes the seats were "Gird", "Lashkar East" and "Lashkar West". State institutions include: The national assembly seat covering Gwalior
28036-413: Was formed in 1943, with four Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks. The paratroop brigades were organized into the Teishin Shudan as the first division-level raiding unit, at the main Japanese airborne base, Karasehara Airfield, Kyūshū , Japan. However, as with similar airborne units created by the Allies and other Axis powers , the Japanese paratroops suffered from a disproportionately high casualty rate, and
28208-416: Was formed under Cavalry Major Antonios Stefanakis in Palestine, with 200 men. In 1942, the unit was renamed Sacred Band . In close cooperation with the commander of the British SAS Regiment, Lt. Colonel David Stirling , the company moved to the SAS base at Qabrit in Egypt to begin its training in its new role. The special forces unit fought alongside the SAS in the Western Desert and the Aegean . During
28380-459: Was found to have the second-highest level of air pollution according to a World Health Organization study in 2016. Particulates from the burning of garbage and fossil fuels make breathing the air of this city a hazard. The administration of Gwalior is shared between the departments and institutions of three levels of government – civic administration by the Gwalior Municipal Corporation , state administration by government of Madhya Pradesh , and
28552-401: Was founded in 600 CE after a local chieftain, Suraj Sen , who was cured of leprosy from a drink given to him by a holy man called Gwalipa. Suraj subsequently set up a town and fort and named them after Gwalipa. The earliest historical record found at Gwalior is the Gwalior inscription of the Alchon Hun ruler Mihirakula . It describes Mihirakula's father Toramana (493–515) as "a ruler of
28724-441: Was learned at a great cost in lives in the jungles of Burma fighting the Japanese. Immediately after the German occupation of Greece in April–May 1941, the Greek government fled to Egypt and started to form military units in exile. Air Force Lt. Colonel G. Alexandris suggested the creation of an Army unit along the lines of the British SAS. In August 1942 the Company of Chosen Immortals ( Greek : Λόχος Επιλέκτων Αθανάτων )
28896-425: Was quickly expanded to 12 units which became known as Commandos. Each Commando had a lieutenant colonel as the commanding officer and numbered around 450 men (divided into 75 man troops that were further divided into 15 man sections ). In December 1940 a Middle East Commando depot was formed with the responsibility of training and supplying reinforcements for the Commando units in that theatre. In February 1942
29068-496: Was reported. Paratroopers and Para (SF) have conducted thousands of counter-insurgency (COIN) operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and the eastern states of India. Sometimes these units work with the Rashtriya Rifles (COIN force) in complicated operations. Since the mid-1990s, the role of Paratroopers and Para (SF) as a counter-terrorism force has increased substantially. They are now actively involved in counter-terrorist (CT) and COIN operations in Kashmir as an essential part of
29240-434: Was responsible for the sinking and damage of considerable British tonnage in the Mediterranean . Also there were other Italian special forces like A.D.R.A. ( Arditi Distruttori Regia Aeronautica ). This regiment was used in raids on Allied airbases and railways in North Africa in 1943. In one mission they destroyed 25 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. The Imperial Japanese Army first deployed army paratroops in combat during
29412-402: Was the Army Public School situated some distance from the place where the terrorists had been engaged in a sustained firefight. Army men were worried about the possibility of the terrorists moving into the school and taking children and staff hostage. For this reason, the operation to eliminate the terrorists was carried out with extreme caution and patience. Based on precise intelligence inputs,
29584-399: Was unsuccessful. The United States formed the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II under the Medal of Honor recipient William J. Donovan . This organization was the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and was responsible for both intelligence and special forces missions. The CIA's elite Special Activities Division is the direct descendant of
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