Forging a single dagger: India unites Para-SF, MARCOS, and Garuds under new doctrine

On Wednesday, India released three joint doctrines, including one for Special Forces (SF) operations.

This is seen as an important step to improve joint working and integration of the armed forces as they move towards theaterisation. The joint doctrine for Special Forces (SF) operations, released by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan at the Ran Samwad military conclave, aims to build a common understanding, shared terms, and basic procedures.

This will help create better coordination and teamwork among the Army’s Para-SF, Navy’s MARCOS, and Air Force’s Garuds. The doctrine for Special Forces (SF) operations covers many key areas, including joint training, future weapons, operational needs, and matters of command, control, and planning. To avoid duplication and improve effectiveness, the doctrine says Special Forces should train together in advanced skills.

The existing training schools of the Army, Navy, and Air Force should be upgraded into Joint Service Training Institutes (JSTIs), with each becoming a Centre of Excellence for a specific skill. This can be done without changing the command of each service, by using current infrastructure and sharing resources from all three forces.

Focus areas include:

• Training Special Forces (SF) and crews of platforms like aircraft and submarines for insertion and extraction during night or in adverse weather, using night vision and other advanced methods.

• Joint training on electronic warfare systems used by the three services.

• Training SF to guide precision weapons fired from aircraft, long-range artillery, and naval gunfire support (NGFS).

• Special Forces (SF) provide support and extra strength to field formations and usually work under the command of regional commands.

• For joint operations, the doctrine says SF can be deployed through the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) or future integrated structures.

When used together in joint missions, Special Forces (SF) must work at a high level of coordination. This means having common standard operating procedures (SOPs), joint training, and shared communication systems.

The doctrine stresses that joint training of the Army’s Para (SF), Navy’s MARCOS, and Air Force’s Garuds is essential to keep India’s SF capable, adaptable, and fully interoperable for tackling complex security challenges.

In his foreword, General Anil Chauhan writes that the doctrine explains a unified philosophy covering the principles, capabilities, and use of Special Forces (SF) on land, at sea, and in the air.

It is meant to serve as a basic guide for joint planning, execution, and capacity building, keeping in line with the new roles and missions of the 21st century.

The doctrine says that in the coming decade, new and revolutionary technologies could change the nature of Special Operations.

Advances in weapons, new technologies, and new ways of using them will transform the battlefield.

The second doctrine says that the success of airborne and heliborne operations in today’s and future battlefields will depend on advanced technologies, joint cooperation between services, and thorough training.

This will help in the smooth use of technology and better coordination of tactics, techniques, and procedures. The rules and guidelines in this document will make sure that India's airborne and heliborne forces stay a strong and quick-responding part of our military power, ready to take decisive action in all situations—from peace missions to full-scale wars, Chauhan writes in the foreword of the doctrine.

The new joint doctrine shows how India’s armed forces will work together in a unified way across land, sea, air, space, cyber and cognitive (related to mind and thinking) domains. This will strengthen teamwork and improve future readiness, the defence ministry said.

The idea of multi-domain operations can build a strong, quick and flexible force, able to use greater military power that supports the soldier in battle and also helps commanders in operation centres make better decisions, Chauhan writes in the foreword to the third doctrine. This document is the first step by the Indian armed forces to understand a new way of operations. It explains how the Army, Navy and Air Force will organise, plan and fight to defeat the enemy in any domain and at any level of war.