Garud: The Commandos of the Indian Air Force

Although the Indian Air Force turns ninety this 8th October, it remains the youngest among the three wings of the Armed Forces of India. The IAF, at the same time, has the distinction of creating the youngest Special Force of the Defence Forces, the Garud or the Commandos of the Indian Air Force.

During periods of war, the Army, being the most versatile of the forces in land battle, is responsible for the perimeter security of the Defence installations, while in the IAF, the security of internal installations is the responsibility of the Air Force Police and the Defence Security Corps. However, the changing security environment, especially the terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir in 2001, forced a rethinking on the security needs of the IAF.

Earlier, after the 2001 incident, the IAF did form a small force known as the Tiger Force, but it was considered as insufficient in handling the growing threat, hence, in September 2003, a decision was taken to have a special force in the IAF on similar lines as the Para Commandos in the Army or the MARCOS (Marine Commandos) in the Navy. Thus, February 2004 saw the emergence of the Garud, the IAF Commandos.

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