Elite Forces of India and Pakistan

Osprey Elite #41

by Kenneth J. Conboy, Paul Hannon (Illustrations)

Influenced by the German use of paratroopers early in World War II (1939-1945), General Sir Robert Cassels, the Commander-in-Chief India, ordered the formation of an airborne cadre in October 1940. Thus marked the origins of India's first élite units. Pakistan can trace the origins of its own army airborne to the common parentage of British-raised forces. Following the partition from India in August 1947, it raised its own Special Service Group, with individually specialised companies including desert, mountain, ranger and underwater warfare units. This remarkable volume by Kenneth Conboy details the history, organisation, uniforms and insignia of the élite forces of India and Pakistan. Also covered are the elite forces of Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Genres: History, India, Military History

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 1992

About the author

Kenneth J. Conboy is a former policy analyst and deputy director at the Asian Studies Center in Washington, D.C., and author or coauthor of seventeen books, including The CIA’s Secret War in Tibet and Spies and Commandos: How America Lost the Secret War in North Vietnam and, most recently, FANK: A History of the Cambodian Armed Forces.

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice, although quite outdated at this point. Published in 1992 so accurate up to that time period. Which is interesting, because India and probably the rest of the countries in S. Asia had much more primitive "elite" military forces at that point. So all of these are kind of the predacessors of current spec ops units and stuff, or earlier, more basic iterations, like paratroopers and guys like the frogmen.

All nations still use martial races theory it seems like.

It also lists a number of really interesting incidents which are very difficult to read about or understand elsewhere. For instance the Indian intervention in the Maldives in 1988, and the coup attempt there. Very hard to learn about that topic.

Most interesting units are the amphibious ones from the 1971 war in Bangladesh, and the units which fight in the highest glaciers of Kashmir.

Book is too short. Illustrations are well done and rare.

[Reid Hildebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Very informative and pretty detailed about the units it's very good and recommend this book to anyone who is in interest of the subject