“When India conducted surgical strikes, the world experienced our power and realised that India practices restraint but can show power when needed,”
PM Modi at Washington- 26 June 2017
Indian Special Operational Forces (SOF) are one of the most battle hardened, combat rich force in the world known for successful conduct of operations whenever and wherever tasked, despite lack of certain formal structures and requisite wherewithal. The Surgical strikes post Uri in September 2016 and the surprise occupation of Kailash ridge in Aug 2020 aptly demonstrated India’s Special operations capabilities.
However, the key question which needs discussion and deliberation is – Are they optimally structured and equipped to effectively contribute to the changing nature of future warfare and the emerging security challenges in the Indian context? Are we as a nation and the Armed Forces preparing our SOF as a force multiplier, a game changer and a critical component of ensuring ‘Low Cost – High Risk and Effect’ Instrument of National security?
The SOF should be mandated, structured, organised, equipped, manned, trained and located to be the first and possibly the final responders in emerging security challenges, impacting national security or national interests and assets. The Special Operations Division is a good beginning, however the strategic need is for a Special Operations Command (SOC), keyed in to the national security architecture.
Understanding SOF
Before evolving a conceptual framework, structures, role, organisation and operational effectiveness and efficacy of SOF, it will be prudent to comprehend the nature of future wars characterised by Multi Domain warfare (MDW), in the Indian Context.
Multi-domain warfare is a concept designed to overcome the adversary’s integrated defensive capabilities, avoid domain isolation and fracturing, and preserve freedom of action. The SOF must be able to penetrate adversarial defences at a time and place of choosing, in more than one domain, by opening windows of superiority to allow maneuver inside the adversary’s integrated defence.
The speed and space of current and future world events will not allow the time to synchronize federated solutions. In order to present the enemy with multiple dilemmas, SOF must converge and integrate multi-domain solutions and approaches before the battle starts. The need is a sensor-shooter system encompassing all platforms, and maintain a common operating picture.
The MDW concept, principally involves responding to a set of strategic-military and operational-tactical concerns, which are: –
- How to deter the escalation of violence, defeat adversary operations to destabilize the region, and turn denied spaces into contested spaces should violence escalate?
- How to manoeuvre from contested strategic and operational distances and with sufficient combat power in time to defeat enemy forces?
- How to conduct deep manoeuvre by air, naval, and/or ground and special forces to suppress and destroy enemy indirect fire and air defense systems and reserve forces?
- How to enable ground forces to defeat the enemy in the Close Area?
- How to consolidate gains and produce sustainable outcomes, set conditions for long-term deterrence, and adapt to the new security environment?
The multi-domain battle concept is expected to integrate three key areas, organizations and processes, technology, and people. The major domains of warfare remain unchanged, it is the simultaneous, non linear exploitation of all domains in many battle spaces which changes the dynamics of future wars and hence the imperative to build cost and combat effective capabilities. 
Figure. Multi-Domain Battlefield (Graphic by Arin Burgess, Military Review)
Wars and challenges
The nature of war has been and will remain an act of imposing one’s’ will on the adversary. However, the character of war i.e how future wars will be waged and fought has undergone a change due to numerous geo-political and socio-economic factors, technological advancements and military innovations. A number of relevant lessons can be derived from the ongoing Russia – Ukraine War. Future conflicts are likely to involve states or a state-sponsored actor as one of the participants of the conflict. States will also predominantly determine the spectrum, location and duration of conflicts.
The last major driver of change that has had the foremost impact on character of war and the future operating environment is technology. Technological developments including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data analytics, additive manufacturing, robotics, unmanned weapon systems, nanotechnology, quantum computing, brain-computer interface, bio-technology etc are rapidly changing the way future wars will be fought and won.
AI would overcome the four challenges of data processing – scale, speed, complexity, and endurance – necessary to analyze the increasing data from connected sensors. This will enable unmanned systems to have enhanced mission duration & effectiveness, reduce operating costs and risks to military personnel. Future SOF will need to identify, imbibe, induct and exploit new age technologies.
Security challenges
The security challenges for India can no longer be defined and definite, as these are likely to be hybrid, conducted in many battle spaces by multiple means driven by a collective ideology, plausibly without any direct attribution and without any overt physical military application of combat power ab-initio. A collusive or collaborative threat from both China and Pakistan is a high probability, a security challenge and threat which India needs to be prepared to meet and mitigate.
Wars in today’s context cannot be fought with outdated organisations and structures, wherein the Army, the Navy and the Air Force conduct operations in a linear stand-alone mode, with coordination and cooperation dependent on personalities. War is a joint endeavour, wherein all elements of national power and all resources of the union are synergised.
This truism is even more relevant in the present context, as warfare today is a complex phenomenon likely to be waged in the multi-dimensional and multi-domain space. Consequently, a SOF and a joint force, which acts in an integrated manner, is not just desirable but an imperative. The complexities of the future security environment demand that India be prepared to face a wide range of threats of varying levels of intensity. Success in countering these threats will require skillful integration of the core competencies of the service specific SOF into an integrated force structure.
However, reorganisation by itself will not succeed in achieving such integration. What is also required is a change in mindset, a change that makes every soldier, sailor and air warrior feel that he is a member of the Indian Armed Forces and not just the Indian Army, the Indian Navy or the Indian Air Force. This is best achieved by first integrating the SOF.
Special Operations
Special Operations can be defined as “Unconventional military operations, undertaken in a hostile or politically sensitive environment, to achieve political and military objectives at national, strategic and operational level and to safeguard economic interests. Their arena extends the complete spectrum of conflict and ranges from direct action to covert and clandestine operations. These are undertaken mostly in concert with other elements of national power” As these operations have international and national ramifications, it is essential to create an appropriate political understanding.
The national polity needs to comprehend the options and the associated risk sensitivity compared to out of proportion impact and limited escalation dynamics. The structure of SOF is a major indicator of a nation’s will and capabilities to safeguard its interests, the capability to project hard power and political signalling.
At present each Service has its own SOF which have grown over the years. These are service specific and more often than not, there is competition and conflict of interests, rather than cooperation and coordination, be it their roles and tasks, equipping, training and command and control. Existing SOF of the Armed Forces includes fourteen Parachute (Special Forces) Battalions of the Army, an 800 strong Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) organised on the concept of the US Marine SEALS and a 1000 strong IAF Garud. The NSG (SAG) and the Special Group manned and led by the Army for internal security and hostage rescue are under the MHA.These are elite forces, where every man is a volunteer, highly trained and motivated.
This force is among the most battle hardened and combat rich force equal to if not better than the best in the world. The SOF are both force multiplier and substituter.
These forces provide the theatre commanders with low-cost high effect options to target high value military objectives in depth areas, thus giving the much needed strategic and operational reach during war. SOF are assigned missions at the strategic, theatre and operational level and tasked to execute direct action, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks during war to delay, disrupt and destroy high value targets in depth areas. During peace they are mandated to execute CT and CI operations, special reconnaissance, hostage rescue, capability building of Friendly Foreign Countries, and above all, training for war.
Envisaged role and structure of SOF should include :-
Role
- Rapid Deployment. The need for a designated, equipped, highly mobile, well trained early intervention force capable of operating in a highly transparent media intensive environment to safeguard national interests and secure India’s national goals.
- Act as an Instrument of Nation’s Smart Power. The term smart power refers to an approach that relies primarily on alliances and partnerships backed by a strong military. This has evolved due to inadequacies of both hard and soft power thus necessitating an integrated approach to achieve national aims. The SOC is an optimal instrument to project smart power as it will be integrated at the politico-military level with a capability for application of a multitude of forces and skills including cultural skills to project tailor made forces.
- Force Projection in continuance with national interests.
- Instrument of deterrence and threat in being for political signaling .
- HADR as part of regional and global responsibilities.
- Assist friendly governments in a crisis situation albeit on invitation.
- As an aspiring permanent member of UNSC, India as a risen responsible power and a global leader will be called upon to play a more pivotal role in world events. Hence it is imperative to build capabilities.
- To act as a force multiplier in support of conventional ops.
- HADR missions in the region and in inaccessible areas.
Structure
- SOC should not be an amalgamation of all available SOF of the three services. It should be a capability-based org to cater for the roles that have been elaborated above, at the same time retaining certain SOF components under the theatre commands.
- Hierarchy. This is the most important and critical facet of the SOC and includes.
- Integrated command.
- Directly under PMO through a CDS.
- C in C should be a member of the Crisis Management Group.
- Integrated Intelligence set up .
- Mission planning staff with expertise in Special operations.
- Information Warfare Cell with reps from MEA and PIB.
- Interface with concerned ministries and other Government agencies as and when required.
- Representatives of RAW, IB, DIA & NTRO should be an integral part of HQ SOC for integrated planning, early assessment and monitoring of developing crisis situations.
- R&D and Procurement Wing.
- Fast track provisioning, development and procurement of equipment and weapons.
- R&D for mission specific wherewithal
- Creation of a R&D setup to support inhouse operational requirements including high end and future technologies.
- Nodal Agency. SOC can be the nodal agency for training, manpower provisioning, equipment, R & D and doctrines for all SOF. C-in-C should be the advisor for SOF even for the SOF under theatre commands.
Another major implication of the future operating environment is the necessity to accord higher priority to Information Warfare and develop suitable concepts that fully utilize all its capabilities. Large investments would also need to be made to develop new technologies, in conjunction with the civil private industry, as most of these technologies are dual use. This will entail framing suitable policies for increasing interface with the civil industry. Battlefield transparency and speed of decision making by utilizing AI will reach phenomenal levels, thus posing cognitive challenges for Armed Forces relying on human manned legacy systems.
Unmanned systems that are autonomous with precise and intelligent targeting capability would require that own forces must be comparatively smaller in size, task oriented, highly mobile & with decentralized decision making. This will enable them to disperse and concentrate as per operational requirement. This is where the SOF will be critical and crucial to operating in the multi domain battles.
Conclusion
Military leadership challenges will be posed by speed of maneuvers, multiple domains in which operations will have to be conducted and 24×7 nature of operations. Leadership challenges will again dictate that Special Operations capability be exploited as these will be the first responders with higher probabilities of success in high risk missions likely to manifest in MDW.
As Indian Armed Forces transform and transit to Integrated Theatre Commands, one of the more doable and effective transformation will be the creation of a Special Operations Command (SOC) with requisite structures, role, organisation and wherewithal to protect and project our national interests.
