National Security Guard (NSG)
NSG Popularly known as the Black Cats, the special force is only meant to be used in extreme situations. They were crucial in 2008’s ‘Operation Black Tornado,’ when NSG commandos attacked the Nariman House, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, and Oberoi Trident hotel; killing all terrorists who had held siege to the premises during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
NSG, The National Security Guard, is a counter-terrorism squad established in 1986 by an act of Parliament known as the ‘National Security Guard Act, 1986.
The idea for such a force arose in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star; an Indian military operation carried out in 1984 to remove militant religious leaders from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Akshardham Temple attack, and the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for ‘combating terrorist activities with a view to guarding states against internal disturbances.’
It has always kept the slogan ‘Sarvatra, Sarvottam, Suraksha‘ concentrating on its primary idea of quick and fast strike and prompt departure from the theatre of combat.
Being a Federal Contingency Force, the National Security Guard has dealt with all aspects of terrorism in any section of the country.
The NSG has added a new and extensive psychology exam for entry-level troops interested in being admitted and trained as ‘black cat’ commandos who conduct specific counter-terror and counter-hijack operations in the country.
History Of NSG
The core principle of the NSG is a quick strike and a swift departure from the theatre of combat. As a Federal Contingency Force, the National Security Guard has been granted the SPECIFIC ROLE of dealing with all aspects of terrorism in any section of the country. The NSG was modeled after the SAS of the United Kingdom and the GSG-9 of Germany. It is a task-oriented force with two complementary elements: the Special Action Group (SAG), which consists of Army soldiers, and the Special Ranger Groups (SRG), which consists of individuals recruited from the Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces.
In 1984, the Union Cabinet decided to establish a Federal Contingency Force comprised of highly motivated, carefully equipped, and well-trained troops to combat the many manifestations of terrorism. In June 1984, a core comprising the NSG Director-General and other essential members was sanctioned and took preparations to build the Force. A measure to establish this organization was proposed in parliament in August 1986, and it obtained the President’s approval on September 22, 1986. The National Security Guard (NSG) legally began operations on that day.
Purpose
The National Security Group (NSG) is a ‘Federal Contingency Deployment Force’ tasked with combating all aspects of terrorism. It is designed to be deployed “only in extreme situations” as a specialized counter-terrorism force. It is not intended to take over “activities of the State Police Forces or other Para Military Forces.” However, its mission has evolved to offer personal security to powerful politicians regardless of the actual threat they face.
Although in January 2020, the NSG was relieved of its VIP security responsibilities to focus on its original objectives as elite counter-terrorism and anti-hijacking organization.
The NSG specializes in counter-terrorism operations like hijackings on the land, sea, and air; bomb disposal (search, detection, and neutralization of IEDs); PBI (Post Blast Investigation); and hostage rescue missions.
The National Security Guard’s objective is to “train, equip, and keep ready a special force capable of confronting terrorism quickly and efficiently in order to live up to its slogan “Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha.”
Organizational Structure
According to the NSG website, it is inspired by both the British Special Air Service and Germany’s GSG 9. (Grenzschutzgruppe 9 or “Border Guard Group 9”)
For administrative purposes, the Director-General is aided by four Indian Police Service officials, Inspectors General for Administration and Headquarters (HQ), who Deputy Inspectors General assists. The NSG’s Financial Advisor is a former official of the Central Accounts Services with the rank of Joint Secretary, and Deputy Financial Advisors aid him.
The operations planning and execution are overseen by a Major General on assignment from the Indian Army, known as the Inspector General (operations). Training is led by another Inspector General (Training) at Manesar, Gurgaon. They are also aided by two DIGs, DIG (Operations) and DIG (Security) (Training). The NSG’s strength is believed to be at 7000 people. Indira Gandhi Airport serves as a hub for NSG air travel.
There are two Special Action Groups (SAGs): 51 and 52. Together with 11 SRG, both form the counter-terrorist force (CTF), which is the NSG’s counter-terrorist arm. Counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations are handled by 51 SAG and 11 SRG, while 52 SAG oversees anti-hijacking operations. SRG members are mainly selected from CAPFs, whilst SAG members are primarily drawn from the Indian Army.
- There are three Special Ranger Groups(SRG), numbered 11, 12, and 13. Along with 51 SAG, 11 SRG is part of the counter-terrorism force (CTF) and is solely employed for counter-terrorism activities. The 12 and 13 SRG offer tight protection and specific security services for India’s high-profile targets, such as the defense minister. SRG personnel are selected from border guarding units such as the BSF, ITBP, and SSB and internal security forces like the CRPF, CISF, and Assam Rifles. Recently, the Government of India decided to withdraw SRGs from protection tasks and re-orient them only for the mission of NSGs, such as SAG and 11 SRG
Rank Structure And Design
The ranks in National Security Guard are as follows:
S.N | Ranks in NSG | Equal Ranks in Army / CAPF |
1 | Director-General | Lieutenant General (commander scale) |
2 | Additional Director General | Lieutenant General (HAG) |
3 | Inspector General | Major General |
4 | Deputy Inspector General | Brigadier |
5 | Group commander | Commandant/ colonel |
6 | Squadron commander | 2IC / lieutenant colonel |
7 | Team commander | Major/ Assistant Commandant/ Deputy commandant |
Assistant Commanders (JCO):-
Assistant Commander Grade 1 | Subedar Major |
Assistant Commander Grade 2 | Subedar |
Assistant Commander Grade 3 | Naib Subedar |
NSG People Other Than Officers And JCO’s:-
Ranger grade 1 |
Ranger grade 2 |
Combatised tradesman |
Deployment
The National Security Group (NSG) is a Federal Contingency World Class Zero Error Force that deals with anti-terrorist actions in all of its forms. The NSG is a force that has been exceptionally equipped and educated to cope with specific scenarios and should utilize it only in extraordinary circumstances to foil significant acts of terrorism.
The NSG’s ethos is based on the pursuit of perfection, leading from the front, zero error, and speed. Surprise, stealth, precision, and accuracy are its hallmarks.
Task Operation
Determination is complex, with a dropout rate of around 70%–80%. Three months of their 14-month training in Manesar, Haryana, are devoted to fundamentals. Physical fitness training consists of 26 aspects, ranging from a cross-country obstacle course to jumping from great heights across divides and scaling various types of terrain. At the end of an obstacle-filled cross-country marathon, one endurance test combines martial arts and target shooting. This is intended to assess the candidate’s performance under stress and weariness. Those who pass the examinations are sent for nine months of intensive instruction.
Aspirants must also pass a psychological exam before being accepted into the NSG. The training involves learning how to perform urban counter-terrorism operations, underwater operations, home intervention, counter-UAV and anti-drone operations, bomb detection and disposal abilities, as well as a variety of other specializations. The Balanced Iroquois exercise between NSG and US Army Special Forces began on October 18, 2015. This three-week training session was preceded by a combined airborne leap at Aero India 2015.
Green Berets from the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) participated in a combined training exercise with the NSG in Kolkata in February 2018. The NSG taught the Green Berets various urban combat methods, and the Green Berets learned about some modern equipment used by US forces. Intervention tactics, training in the Kolkata Metro system, and a drill at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur were all part of the practice.
The NSG and US special forces from the 1st Special Forces Group conducted joint training in Hyderabad in March 2019.
Headquarters
The National Security Guard’s regional hub and commando training are located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved and sanctioned 534 crores (equivalent to 636 crores or US$85 million in 2020) in 2017 for the establishment of the Southern Regional Center (SRC) at Ibrahimpatnam, Hyderabad for training commandos. It would house 300 black cat commandos and will be responsible for combating any terror threat in the four states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. The hub’s land area is 81 hectares (200 acres), and it cost 157 crores (US$21 million) to build.
The Hyderabad based of the NSG’s 28 Special Composite Group (SCG) is one of the country’s four regional headquarters. By 2018, 300 commandos were stationed in Trimulgherry, the NSG center.
The state has different highly trained anti-terrorist strike groups. Aside from the NSG, the Telangana Police’s counter-terrorism unit, OCTOPUS, maintains a training center in the same neighborhood at Ibrahimpatnam with a staff of approximately 250 people.
Eligibility Criteria
- When you are chosen for a National Security Guard (NSG) position, you must complete a 14-month training program. The basic training lasts 90 days. The following are some of the general vital abilities necessary before joining the NSG:
- One must be physically fit to go through the intense commando training provided after selection.
- One should be devoted to your nation and its laws.
- One must be brave enough to accept any scenario and act accordingly.
- One should respond quickly and accept responsibility for your actions.
- One should be familiar with the Indian Army’s operations and duties.
- To be an officer or commando of the National Security Guard (NSG) entails a great deal of responsibility for the country’s and its residents’ protection. With big responsibility comes a wide range of brave works.
NSG Commandos During 2008 Mumbai Attack
JK Dutt, a former National Security Guard (NSG) chief most recognized for his participation in anti-terror operations following the 26/11 Mumbai assault, died from Covid problems. He was 72 years old.
Just as the NSG played a crucial role in resolving the issue, it has not been without criticism. During the Mumbai attacks in 2011, NSG took 10 hours to respond. The cause is a scarcity of readily available or dedicated transportation options. According to one observer, “the efficacy of a small but well-equipped squad of terrorists highlighted gaps in India’s preventative and punitive capabilities.” Furthermore, “the less-than-rapid arrival of the NSG 10 hours after the attacks began also highlighted logistical constraints.
- Mr. Dutt boarded an IL-76 aircraft of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) with roughly 200 “black cat” commandos to fly the first batch of the counter-terrorist attack squad to Mumbai shortly after the western metropolis reported several shootouts and public killings on the night of November 26, 2008. The special military conducted “Operation Black Tornado” to kill the ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who had slipped into Mumbai by maritime channel and lay siege for more than 60 hours, killing 166 people and wounding 300 more, including foreigners.
Top 13 Interesting Facts About NSG
The NSG Commandos are only taught to take headshots and only two at a time.
Guys are subjected to a warfare inoculation programme in which they perform an unfathomable act.
NSG Commandos fire more shots in a week on “alert status” than they do throughout their Army career.
Inability to continue in the force, a person’s target hitting rate must be more than 85%.
The fundamental training phase lasts 90 days at the organization’s training centre. Only those who pass the whole course successfully are admitted into the NSG and receive nine months of advanced training.
They are also known as Black Cats.
The NSG has a total workforce of 14,500 people.
The NSG is simulated by Germany’s GSG 9.
Their guys, like other special forces, must follow a code of conduct.
NSG now has access to some of the greatest military gear in India, including weapons obtained through direct purchase or off-the-shelf techniques.
Because the NSG is spread across the country, it is a pan-Indian force.
NSG has also purchased the Renault Sherpa Armoured Vehicle and the FORD-550 with MARS (Mobile Adjustable Ramp System) to allow NSG HIT squads to attack hijacked flights and facilities.
NSG include personnel of diverse ethnicities as well as commanders with extraordinary leadership abilities, making NSG an equally capable force.
