Call for Pakistan Army, to raise a TIER-1 Special Operations Force.

[Kompromat]

The title is pretty self explanatory for those who already realize the dire need for a TIER-1 Special Operations Force to be raised by Pakistan Army. Some would argue that the SSG has TIER-1 SOF units at its disposal, which go by different names inside the SSG. However, it is imperative for Pakistan's security apparatus to appreciate the ever growing threat of terrorism and insurgency and to raise an 'institutionalized TIER-1 Special Operations Force'.

In the light of current security climate, Pakistan Army should consider raising a new fully independent TIER-1 SOF, like a 'Surgical Intervention Division', instead of relying on SSG's specialist warfare elements. In order to raise a TEIR-1 Special Operations Force, the most important aspect is whats known in the military circles as 'SOF Culture/Ecosystem'. It means that a nation's SOF operative producing capability becomes a culture, with streamlined high end training,mission planning [Intel-Situational awareness included] ,execution and evaluation. Pakistan is one of those few nations that can claim that culture with real,lengthy combat experience in Counter Terrorism, Urban Warfare & Counter Insurgency.

Current breed of PSOF [Pakistan Special Operations Forces] i.e SSG [Special Services Group] of the Army, SSW [Special Services Wing] of the Air Force, SSGN [Special Services Group Navy] and SEALs of Pakistan Navy and SOW [Special Operations Wing] of the Pakistan Paramilitary Force , are raised from regular infantry and troopers.

A new force has to be raised which draws its recruits from the 'existing SOF apparatus' instead of regular infantry and troopers. What it means is that the TEIR-1 SOF, candidates have to be existing PSOF operatives, with an age limit of late twenties to the mid thirties. It would require, a new selection criteria which will push the SOF training envelope and would only pick out the 'right ones'. Examples of such forces are the US Army's detachment delta, otherwise known as The Delta Force etc.

TEIR-1 SOF operatives are trained according to specialist warfare demands in mind, ie CT/COIN/UW.
In this regard, Pakistan Army needs to develop a new training program to produce highly skilled professionals to carry out high risk operations to combat the ever evolving threats to Pakistan's security. In this type of battle, skill,training and war fighting resources make more difference than the numbers of boots on the ground. Such a force will most definitely bolster Pakistan's ability to fight terror and insurgency more effectively.

___________________

What are your opinions?


Best | Aeronaut.



@balixd @blain2 @Xeric @Abu Zolfiqar @Icarus @F.O.X @Oscar @RescueRanger @TaimiKhan @Irfan Baloch @Bezerk

 

[Thorough Pro]

That is one important aspect, but equally important are extending intelligence gathering setup and increasing collaboration among them by bringing them all under one authority and providing adequate funding to support operations.

Secondly supporting this effort through adequate legislation giving more powers and autonomy and prohibiting media from carrying out media trial of them/their activities.

Since 9/11, USA did not set up any new force, they basically setup DHS for better collaboration between various intelligence arms of the state and giving additional powers to the LEA's.

 

[Mercenary]

Whats the point?

US has Tier-1 Special Forces because they conduct operations all over the world.

Pakistan is only relegated to its own geographical battlespace.

So I don't see a need for it.

 

[Kompromat]

Whats the point?

US has Tier-1 Special Forces because they conduct operations all over the world.

Pakistan is only relegated to its own geographical battlespace.

So I don't see a need for it.

Pakistani special forces were not trained to fight COIN or Counter Terrorism Ops. Only one company had such training in the past, the rest of the SOF operatives had to adapt to the new reality of warfare. Same was the deal with the regular Army which was trained from ground up to fight a full scale war against India.

TIER-1 Forces will upgrade and institutionalize Pakistan's COIN/Counter Terrorism war fighting capability by building a combat outfit from ground up to defeat these new threats.

Moreover, the US is not the only country with TIER-1 grade SOF units & no they don't have to be deployed overseas. UK,Australia, Germany and many other nations have these units now - so should Pakistan take steps in this direction.

That is one important aspect, but equally important are extending intelligence gathering setup and increasing collaboration among them by bringing them all under one authority and providing adequate funding to support operations.

Secondly supporting this effort through adequate legislation giving more powers and autonomy and prohibiting media from carrying out media trial of them/their activities.

Since 9/11, USA did not set up any new force, they basically setup DHS for better collaboration between various intelligence arms of the state and giving additional powers to the LEA's.

One more important aspect of Special Warfare, Pakistan has been ignoring so far is a single streamlined, Integrated Special Operations Command,[ISOC] structure.

 

[F.O.X]

I think it is already underway , dont have the exact details , but personals from SSG , SSGN & SSW , were chosen for special training , this has been going on for past 2 years , these guys were sent to different countries & climates , for this .

Will try to get some more dirt on this .

 

[Kompromat]

I think it is already underway , dont have the exact details , but personals from SSG , SSGN & SSW , were chosen for special training , this has been going on for past 2 years , these guys were sent to different countries & climates , for this .

Will try to get some more dirt on this .

That is good, but is it enough?

We need an independent Tier-1 SOF to be raised in numerical strength from the ground up. We have one of the best trained,highly experienced and battle hardened SOF apparatus in the world. Its time to push the envelope, as tomorrow's threats don't demand a large Army but a small highly skilled, highly resourced SOF outfit.

 

[ejaz007]

Yes the need is there but this force should not be restricted to ground force only. They should also have adequate air assets at their disposal. Not necessarily fighters but good combat and transport helicopters.

The force should be under the command of at least a three star general under the direct command of COAS.

 

[Rank]

When you fight against those who work on $$ and your war is typical guerrilla.... nor your military nor any military in the world is capable to fight against such people who don't care about either civilian or soldier dying...

You should killed/destroy them with full force and how the only possibility to counter such people is "INTELLIGENCE". You don't need another new special forces. US so called special forces just create more panic and chaos in the state and helping rebels like Iraq, Libya, Syra etc. Black Water etc like mercenaries nothing else more...tell any single successful story without any lie of any western special forces against guerrilla warfare?

 

[fatman17]

Yes the need is there but this force should not be restricted to ground force only. They should also have adequate air assets at their disposal. Not necessarily fighters but good combat and transport helicopters.

The force should be under the command of at least a three star general under the direct command of COAS.

in essence what we are wanting is a combination of air-borne and air-cav, only they will be trained as SOF's. PK SSG officers are trained at Ft.Benning Georgia, home of the US Green Berets. it would need to be at least brigade HQ strength to make a real impact. an independent SOF brigade with its own air assets, scout helos, armed helos & transport helos. very expensive to operate!!!

 

[fatman17]

first we really need to define our needs not replicate what other countries are doing....we need troops for COIN ops against militants.....we are using our SSG's because we lack specialised COIN troops.....the idea was to train & transform FC Wings into COIN troops because they know the Area of OPs better than the army....there is a strong movement to fully integrate the 60,000 FC into a new PK Army corps trained in CI, just like the NLI was fully integrated into the army. this would leave the army to concentrate on its core mission - a conventional war against india.

 

[ejaz007]

in essence what we are wanting is a combination of air-borne and air-cav, only they will be trained as SOF's. PK SSG officers are trained at Ft.Benning Georgia, home of the US Green Berets. it would need to be at least brigade HQ strength to make a real impact. an independent SOF brigade with its own air assets, scout helos, armed helos & transport helos. very expensive to operate!!!

If the force does not have its own air assets and commanding office is a Brigadier or a lower rank than in my view the force shall have difficulty carrying out operations due to protocols and procedures.

First operational deployment approval shall consume lots of time then the force shall rely on some other units assets for movement and these assets might not always be available. For air support you need another units cooperation and it shall also be subject to availability of resources and critical requirement of other operations shall also come into consideration.

Therefore if you need an SOF then it should be totally self sufficient. Money factor does not count. Money shall be available once decision is made.

 

[fatman17]

If the force does not have its own air assets and commanding office is a Brigadier or a lower rank than in my view the force shall have difficulty carrying out operations due to protocols and procedures.

First operational deployment approval shall consume lots of time then the force shall rely on some other units assets for movement and these assets might not always be available. For air support you need another units cooperation and it shall also be subject to availability of resources and critical requirement of other operations shall also come into consideration.

Therefore if you need an SOF then it should be totally self sufficient. Money factor does not count. Money shall be available once decision is made.

it matters whether we like it or not.

 

[ejaz007]

it matters whether we like it or not.

In this particular case money might not matter because the soldiers are already there, so is the equipment. We just need to create a new force and transfer all under one command.

Money matters when you have to hire new personnel and procure new equipment which I believe shall not be the case.

 

[niaz]

in essence what we are wanting is a combination of air-borne and air-cav, only they will be trained as SOF's. PK SSG officers are trained at Ft.Benning Georgia, home of the US Green Berets. it would need to be at least brigade HQ strength to make a real impact. an independent SOF brigade with its own air assets, scout helos, armed helos & transport helos. very expensive to operate!!!

You are correct Hon, Fatman17.

Not necessarily Air borne (Para) but that can be readily moved by Air, helos or by roads at a very short notice and equipped with powerful man-portable weapons to hold out on its own against heavily armed insurgents.

Something on the lines of about 3 or 4 light infantry battalions each with a mortar battery and a few heavy machine guns to tackle well defended hide outs should do it. Most important element would be logistics support and vertical insertion capability in case its units get surrounded in an ambush.

You don’t need to go to Fort Benning for training. Why not train them at Fort Monroe. That is the kind of landscape these troops are likely to fight in FATA or in Baluchistan or on the Pak-Afghan border.

 

[Neptune]

Examples from the world:

DEVGRU, picks from Naval Special Warfare Teams (SEAL teams). They killed OBL.

The C Company, picks from the A and B teams of Maroon Berets.
They captured Öcalan (founder&leader of PKK) in Kenya.

SAD's SOG, picks from DEVGRU, 1st SFOD-Delta, 1st TACP, MARSOC, all over the world.

US formed DEVGRU after closing SEAL Team 6, post 9/11.

Turkey formed the C Company of Maroon Berets after the PKK issue to capture&kill their senior leaders.

US/CIA formed the Red Cells after 9/11 to prevent infiltrations inside US soils over Canada&Mexico...etc. They acted like al-qaeda operatives, when they found the security breaches, they killed the assets helped them to cross the border, and reported the crack to USBP.

France, Philipines, Spain, UK, Turkey, US...etc. And now NSHQ of NATO, after the OEF experiment.

All those units were created after incients that required special care. (i'm not underestimating the terrorist activities in Pakistan, but unfortunately That's the way it is)

My point is, to create such units, PK needs an assymetric threat bigger&different than Al-Qaeda (i hope there won't).

@Aeronaut @Hyperion and other Pakistani fellows...