Signalian
PDF THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2015
- Messages
- 10,608
- Reaction score
- 305
- Country
- Location
In the light of anti-terror operations commencing since 2002 in Pakistan in the KPK region and more recently in Punjab, National Guard force has rarely been used, infact maybe not used at all.
Its a war time active force which is composed into two organizations:
1. Mujahid Force
2. Janbaz force
Their main task is defence and secondly providing AD in wartime as well as protecting un-explosed flanks or positions where attack by enemy is not of high priority. They are also used to provide depth in defence and can be used as second line of defence, dug-in behind a regular infantry battalion of Pakistan Army.
They are also used with regular PA to deceive the enemy about the number of regular battalions in the event of war. This is done by attaching two companies of regular infantry battalion (e.g FF, Sind etc) and two companies of NG (Mujahid force) thus increasing the number of PA Regular forces in the eyes of enemy as deception.
They are also used as guide-scouts and recon role as they are are locals from their own area and know their own terrain exceptionally well.
The dilemma is, as their name suggests, National Guard, is rarely used at all in any national security operations since 2002. Instead the police and rangers (or FC) is always thrust into combat and if need arises the regular PA forces join in. They are 160,000+ in number in total. Thats not a small number. PA regular forces have been bearing the brunt of ops in the KPK region. Almost all the infantry regiments and even personnel from armoured regiments and mechanized regiments have operated as foot infantry in the regions of KPK. By moving the regular forces from border cantonments for WOT in KPK, any escalation by India means the PA units re-deploying to the eastern border.
The lack of training for COIN role as well as lack of modern equipment (MRAPS,NVG,BP vests) etc has already taken lives of thousands of PA regular troops whose role was fighting a full scale war on the borders. It has taken PA roughly a decade to adapt and train troops for the COIN role with good results coming in the last ops Zar-e-azab.
Now after WOT ops end, these Regular PA troops will again take to the barracks near the borders and maybe re-called again for COIN ops when Police or Rangers are unable to complete their ops such as the one seen recently in Rajanpur.
Where is NG in all of this ??? 160,000+ soldiers are sitting idle, watching all other outfits run around for a decade.
If National Guard is given the latest MRAP's which have been acquired recently including Cougar, navistar and others like OTOKAR Cobra, Mohafiz etc and trained to perform the duties of COIN and with their local knowledge of the terrain and area, they can prove much more handy and available as well as hop in a situation more quickly than the regular Army.
This will save the Pakistan Army from lots of burdens.
1. PA can concentrate on protecting the borders and wherever PA is internally required, the NG can answer the call. Be it COIN, polling stations, clearing , sweeping and de-mining ops. Any ops which is above the scope of Rangers/FC.
2. Save the logistics trouble to PA by travelling from one location to another to conduct an ops. NG is a local area raised force and it can be still be rotated on regular basis to different stations for performing internal conflicts.
3. Army doesnt need to use MRAPs in an event of war with India. Army has trained FC in utilizing tanks as well as artillery. NG can be trained in both as well as given an aviation wing for transport. NG already operates different types of anti-aircraft guns in AD role so it can handle heavy weapons. With MRAPs, NVG, Kevlars etc and an aviation wing, NG can become a well utilized force for internal security.
4. In an event of war with India, PA cannot be expected to provide troops for internal conflicts at the same time while fighting with Indian Regulars on the borders. Even SSG will be busy with ops on enemy soil and there wont be many around to conduct internal ops. Obviously NG wont be sent in to fight the Indians as first line of defence too, and NG conducting an offense against Indian regulars is out of question.
My 2 cents.
Its a war time active force which is composed into two organizations:
1. Mujahid Force
2. Janbaz force
Their main task is defence and secondly providing AD in wartime as well as protecting un-explosed flanks or positions where attack by enemy is not of high priority. They are also used to provide depth in defence and can be used as second line of defence, dug-in behind a regular infantry battalion of Pakistan Army.
They are also used with regular PA to deceive the enemy about the number of regular battalions in the event of war. This is done by attaching two companies of regular infantry battalion (e.g FF, Sind etc) and two companies of NG (Mujahid force) thus increasing the number of PA Regular forces in the eyes of enemy as deception.
They are also used as guide-scouts and recon role as they are are locals from their own area and know their own terrain exceptionally well.
The dilemma is, as their name suggests, National Guard, is rarely used at all in any national security operations since 2002. Instead the police and rangers (or FC) is always thrust into combat and if need arises the regular PA forces join in. They are 160,000+ in number in total. Thats not a small number. PA regular forces have been bearing the brunt of ops in the KPK region. Almost all the infantry regiments and even personnel from armoured regiments and mechanized regiments have operated as foot infantry in the regions of KPK. By moving the regular forces from border cantonments for WOT in KPK, any escalation by India means the PA units re-deploying to the eastern border.
The lack of training for COIN role as well as lack of modern equipment (MRAPS,NVG,BP vests) etc has already taken lives of thousands of PA regular troops whose role was fighting a full scale war on the borders. It has taken PA roughly a decade to adapt and train troops for the COIN role with good results coming in the last ops Zar-e-azab.
Now after WOT ops end, these Regular PA troops will again take to the barracks near the borders and maybe re-called again for COIN ops when Police or Rangers are unable to complete their ops such as the one seen recently in Rajanpur.
Where is NG in all of this ??? 160,000+ soldiers are sitting idle, watching all other outfits run around for a decade.
If National Guard is given the latest MRAP's which have been acquired recently including Cougar, navistar and others like OTOKAR Cobra, Mohafiz etc and trained to perform the duties of COIN and with their local knowledge of the terrain and area, they can prove much more handy and available as well as hop in a situation more quickly than the regular Army.
This will save the Pakistan Army from lots of burdens.
1. PA can concentrate on protecting the borders and wherever PA is internally required, the NG can answer the call. Be it COIN, polling stations, clearing , sweeping and de-mining ops. Any ops which is above the scope of Rangers/FC.
2. Save the logistics trouble to PA by travelling from one location to another to conduct an ops. NG is a local area raised force and it can be still be rotated on regular basis to different stations for performing internal conflicts.
3. Army doesnt need to use MRAPs in an event of war with India. Army has trained FC in utilizing tanks as well as artillery. NG can be trained in both as well as given an aviation wing for transport. NG already operates different types of anti-aircraft guns in AD role so it can handle heavy weapons. With MRAPs, NVG, Kevlars etc and an aviation wing, NG can become a well utilized force for internal security.
4. In an event of war with India, PA cannot be expected to provide troops for internal conflicts at the same time while fighting with Indian Regulars on the borders. Even SSG will be busy with ops on enemy soil and there wont be many around to conduct internal ops. Obviously NG wont be sent in to fight the Indians as first line of defence too, and NG conducting an offense against Indian regulars is out of question.
My 2 cents.