An Indian Air Force Garud at IAF Hindon on Air Force Day 2012 | Photo: Angad Singh
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to upgrade the capabilities of its Garud special forces, in response to the findings and recommendations of the military committee set up to review security of military installations after the attack by Pakistani terrorists on the IAF base at Pathankot on January 02, 2016.
The committee, headed by a former vice chief of the Indian Army, Lieutenant General Phillip Campose (retired), had submitted it’s report in May 2016.
It’s recommendations included the upgrade of weapons and equipment operated by security personnel at these installations.
Earlier this month, the IAF initiated the process of upgrade of equipment with the the issue of five Requests for Information for it’s Garud special forces. The IAF has asked for information for ’50-60 armored vehicles’, 1,800 submachine guns, 2,000 9mm pistols, 600 7.62mm rifles with 200 Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGL) and 120 Night Vision Devices (NVDs).
Except for the armored vehicle requirement for which only Indian vendors are permitted to respond, all the above requests for information are open to responses from both Indian as well as foreign vendors.
The IAF also plans to move quickly on these acquisitions. It has given vendors only a little more than a month to provide information, with a deadline of June 08 for all five RFIs.
Further, it stipulates a plan to move on the acquisition process under DPP 2016 by ‘end-2017 or early-2018’ on these purchases.
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