BSF & NSG set to beef up coastal security.THE CENTRE is now arming commandos of the Border Security Force ( BSF BSF B lymphocyte stimulatory factor. ) and the National Security Guards National Security Guards (NSG) is India's premier counter-terrorism force, created by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of 1985. The NSG operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is headed by the Director General of the ( NSG) to counter terror threats from the sea. To meet the challenge, the BSF on Saturday invited global bids for four Fast Attack Craft A Fast Attack Craft (FAC) (German: Schnellboot) is a small (100 to 400 tonnes), fast (up to ca. 40 knots) ship for offensive tasks, mainly equipped with surface-to-surface missiles and/or anti-ship torpedoes. ( FAC FAC - Functional Array Calculator. An APL-like language, but purely functional and lazy. It allows infinite arrays. ["FAC: A Functional APL Language", H.-C. Tu and A.J. Perlis, IEEE Trans Soft Eng 3(1):36-45 (Jan 1986)]. ), a waterjet- propelled mini- ship fitted with arms. These will be used for surveillance in the sensitive Sir Creek region of Gujarat. Each craft costs over Rs 16 crore. The NSG is also boosting its sea- fighting capability. It has placed orders for inflatable assault boats, the kind used by the 26/ 11 terrorists to reach Mumbai. The NSG will base 18 such boats in Mumbai to counter terror threats from the sea. The FACs will greatly boost surveillance capabilities in the Rann of Kutch Rann of Kutch An extensive salt marsh of western India and southeast Pakistan between the Gulf of Kutch and the Indus River delta. It was the scene of major border disputes in 1965 and 1971. . There have been several intelligence inputs warning that Pakistani terrorists may try to enter the country from this area. The FACs will allow both day and night patrolling in the marshy areas of the creeks with shifting sand bars and shallow waters. Sixteen BSF commandos can sit in a 15m- long FAC that can reach speeds of up to 45 knots. " Each FAC will be fitted with a radar and have armour protection for anti- terrorist operations," a BSF official said. Now, only the Indian Navy has FACs procured after 26/ 11. As far as the NSG is concerned, 125 commandos are being specially trained in marine warfare to operate the assault boats it plans to buy. " The commandos are being trained on the lines of the MARCOS Mar·cos , Ferdinand Edralin 1917-1989. Philippine president (1965-1986) who maintained close ties with the United States and exercised dictatorial control over his country. of the Indian Navy," a NSG official said. The home ministry has delivered 46 hi- tech speed interceptor boats, each costing nearly Rs 12 crore, to police units of nine coastal states and four Union Territories ( UTs) since 26/ 11 for coastal patrolling. Twenty such boats were delivered last month. Home minister P. Chidambaram has a target of delivering 84 such boats by the year- end. But many states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Orissa say they have no trained police personnel to operate these boats and, citing multiplicity of authorities, contend that coastal security should be left entirely to the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and the BSF's water wing. The NSG has also placed orders for heliborne hel·i·borne adj. Carried or transported by helicopter: heliborne troops. equipment for commandos as air- drop operations are now a necessity in counterterror coun·ter·ter·ror adj. Intended to prevent or counteract terrorism: counterterror measures; counterterror weapons. n. Action or strategy intended to counteract or suppress terrorism. warfare and for safely rescuing hostages. The capabilities of its bomb disposal unit are also being beefed up ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year. aman.sharma@mailtoday.in Copyright 2009 India Today Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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