This work is by someone who has had the privilege of serving for more than a decade in the oldest Parachute (later Special Forces) unit of the Indian Army. His other assignments during the service took him to places and desks from where he remained very closely associated with the evolution of the parachute battalions into Special Forces ones. Written by someone who has done some hardcore foot soldiering in an SF unit and who has also had an interrelated exposure at a macro level of conceptualisation and perspective planning, this work takes its readers on a unique journey. NINE runs in his blood and the esprit de corps is hard to miss. This book tells us what it takes to be an SF soldier and what soldierly bonding is all about. An unputdownable piece of work for those who like to read about unknown aspects of an SF soldier’s life.
Born For War (Paperback; INR 399) is a first-hand account of a Mukti Bahini fighter who, in 1971, was barely eligible to get enrolled into the outfit that had waged a resistance war against brutalities of the Pakistani Army. Narrated by the man who was a young kid at that time, the book carries descriptive notes that make it easier for the uninitiated to understand the overall context.
This is the second volume of the series (Titled Remembered Glory and differentiated by the Volume Number) of real stories from the battlefields of 1971 war. Anecdotes and war despatch from three services, viz., Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, make an unputdownable read.
Accounts of life inside a submarine. Written by a career submariner of the Indian Navy, this book gives its readers a peep into the living and operating conditions prevailing inside a submarine. Authentic, crisp and gripping!
4/5 GR (FF) was first raised on 15 March 1941 at Abbottabad, fought WW II in Burma Theatre, were awarded four Battle Honours and Theatre Honour ‘Burma 1942-45’. After the WW II Battalion was disbanded in December 1946 and was re-raised on 1 January 1963 at Dehradun. Right from the time of its re-raising till date, Battalion participated in the 1965 War (J & K) and 1971 War (East Pakistan). Conducted First-Ever Heliborne Operation of Indian Army at Sylhet on 7 December 1971, resulting in the surrender of Two Infantry Brigades (202 & 313) of Pakistan Army on 15 December 1971 to the Battalion, 26 hours before official surrender at Dacca on 16 December 1971. Awarded Sylhet as Battle Honour and East Pakistan as Theatre Honour. IPKF Operations in Sri Lanka (1987-88) brought added laurels to the Battalion. During CI Ops in Nagaland (1971, 72-73), Assam (Op Rhino-1997-98) Battalion had prize catches of insurgents. An operational stint in Bhutan, UN Peace Mission Congo and five tenures in LOC/LAC environment, including worlds highest battlefield; Siachen(2009). The Battalion also topped sports/professional events at National and Command level; Khud Race, Boxing Football, Shooting, Archery etc. In Oct 21 won Gold Medal in Prestigious Cambrian Patrol Competition held in Wales(UK) amongst 95 competing Nations Youngest in the Regiment crowned itself with glory with bravery, honours and awards. Best tribute to the Battalion; Brigadier S A Hassan Pakistani Garrison Commander Sylhet; ‘If this Battalion (4/5 GR(FF)) was not there, we would have fought for at least another 10 days’. No wonder the Battalion has started third-generation legacy; Grandfather- Father- son, in the Battalion. Excellence is not a singular act but a habit. You are what you do repeatedly. (Shaquille O’Neal) 4/5 GR (FF) was first raised on 15 March 1941 at Abbottabad, fought WW II in Burma Theatre, were awarded four Battle Honours and Theatre Honour ‘Burma 1942-45’. After the WW II Battalion was disbanded in December 1946 and was re-raised on 1 January 1963 at Dehradun. Right from the time of its re-raising till date, Battalion participated in the 1965 War (J & K) and 1971 War (East Pakistan). Conducted First-Ever Heliborne Operation of Indian Army at Sylhet on 7 December 1971, resulting in the surrender of Two Infantry Brigades (202 & 313) of Pakistan Army on 15 December 1971 to the Battalion, 26 hours before official surrender at Dacca on 16 December 1971. Awarded Sylhet as Battle Honour and East Pakistan as Theatre Honour. IPKF Operations in Sri Lanka (1987-88) brought added laurels to the Battalion. During CI Ops in Nagaland (1971, 72-73), Assam (Op Rhino-1997-98) Battalion had prize catches of insurgents. An operational stint in Bhutan, UN Peace Mission Congo and five tenures in LOC/LAC environment, including worlds highest battlefield; Siachen(2009). The Battalion also topped sports/professional events at National and Command level; Khud Race, Boxing Football, Shooting, Archery etc. In Oct 21 won Gold Medal in Prestigious Cambrian Patrol Competition held in Wales(UK) amongst 95 competing Nations Youngest in the Regiment crowned itself with glory with bravery, honours and awards. Best tribute to the Battalion; Brigadier S A Hassan Pakistani Garrison Commander Sylhet; ‘If this Battalion (4/5 GR(FF)) was not there, we would have fought for at least another 10 days’. No wonder the Battalion has started third-generation legacy; Grandfather- Father- son, in the Battalion. Excellence is not a singular act but a habit. You are what you do repeatedly. (Shaquille O’Neal)
A firsthand account by an officer who commanded a brigade in Sri Lanka during the IPKF operations in the Island country. His formation saw action from the very beginning till the very end of the campaign that remains debatable even today.
COMMANDOS. Those elite troops for whom nothing is impossible. A special breed of soldiers who walk dangerously and believe that “Who Dares, Wins”. Real-life action heroes who plunge into situations normally confined to celluloid. It is these men who form the cutting edge of real-life war games. Men whom Winston Churchill once described as “mad, quite mad...(but) in war there is often a place for mad people who bring glory at all costs.” This action-packed book tells the story of Special Forces worldwide and examines these forces. How are they organised, trained and equipped? What are the tasks they carry out in combat? How do they operate in the battlefield? What is their role in countering terrorism? What will be their role in the context of future warfare? Tracing the history of raids and rescue missions from the raid on Somnath Temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1025 to those of Shivaji on the Mughals in 1663, it goes on to describe the rescue of Mussolini from Italy, Israeli hostages from Entebbe Airport and killing of Osama. Detailed descriptions and analysis of Second World War raids as well as the Indian Army commando action against the terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir and Mumbai demonstrate the daring of the men who constitute the Special Forces today. With these modern-day Otto Skorzenys and David Stirlings at large, no citadel is secure enough, no army safe from penetration. Terrorism looms large as a major threat today to free societies of the world. It is a cheaper method of waging a war. The only way the world can cope effectively with this threat is by cooperating internationally against it. Illustrated throughout, The Killer Instinct is a highly readable account of past raids and rescues, terrorism and the face of war in the new millennium.