In the last few months, the elite Black Cat commandos of the National Security Guards have been striving to reduce the clock time to undertake surgical commando operations to respond to any threat situation, whether it is a terrorist strike or a hostage situation.
The NSG commandos are stationed in readiness 24x7 to neutralise any terrorist and hijack threats and are required to move within a thirty-minute mobilisation timeframe, a unique skill that sets the force apart from other counter-terror and central-armed police forces.
Sources said the clock time remained the same for many years after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks when rigorous training, scientific analysis and continuous mock drills had resulted in reducing the time significantly.
The response time now has further come down from the clocked minutes recorded in earlier drills, said a senior government official.
Officials said the reduction in response time cannot be disclosed or specified as it may give critical information to inimical elements.
However, the achievement came after a special emphasis was laid by NSG DG M.A. Ganapthy on adopting different strategies to reduce the time. One of the indicators was that the time can be reduced by reducing the load carried by the commandos at a given point.
During Mumbai terror attacks, questions were raised about the response time of the NSG and the need to augment its rapid response capability. It was reiterated in some quarters after the Pathankot airbase attack in 2016.
With quicker intelligence flow from the multi-agency centre under the Intelligence Bureau, a need to develop capacity for quicker counter terror operations was felt once again. “Quick intelligence flow has to be accompanied by quick action,” said a security official.
Officials said the regional hubs operationalised by the NSG in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata as well as the other units have taken into account the changing face of terror threats, which have metamorphosed into drone attacks recently. It was the NSG that was deployed to provide counter drone protection to Srinagar and Jammu airbases after the first ever drone attack took place on June 27.
A faster response time to thwart new age threats is the need of the hour, said a home ministry official.