| Special Service Group (SSG) | |
|---|---|
Special Service Group Formation Insignia outside the headquarters at Cherat. |
|
| Active | March 23, 1956- Present |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Branch | Pakistan Army |
| Type | Special Forces, Commandos, Elite Force |
| Role | Primary tasks:
|
| Size | Ten Battalions consisting of 7,000 active duty men |
| Part of | Pakistani Special Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Cherat, Attock, Tarbela |
| Motto | Man Janbazam |
| Colours | Maroon and Sky blue |
| Anniversaries | March 23, 1956 |
| Engagements | Operation Gibraltar Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan Siachen Glacier Kargil War Operation Silence Counter Terrorism Operations United Nations Military missions War In Afghanistan |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Major-General Farrukh Bashir |
| Abbreviation | SSG |
The Special Service Group (SSG), also known as Black Storks, because of their distinctive headgear, the unit is also known as Maroon Beret, are a special operations military unit of the Pakistan Army mandated with fourteen primary and special missions: asymmetric warfare, anti piracy, special operations, counterproliferation, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, underwater demolition, direct action, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, hydrographic reconnaissance, amphibious reconnaissance and personnel recovery. The SSG is an independent commando division of Pakistan Army. It is an elite special operations force similar to the United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and the British Army's SAS. The SSG regularly conducts its exercises with U.S. Special Forces, PLA Special Operations Forces, and Special Air Service of United Kingdom.
Official numbers are put at 7,000 men, in 10 battalions; however the actual strength is classified.[1] It is estimated to have been increased to 7 battalions, with the eventual formation of 3 brigades of special forces (9 battalions). It is currently commanded by Major General Furrukh Bashir.
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'SSG Pak is a Pakistan Army' SSG Pak was raised by amalgamating 17/10th Baloch (19 Baloch) and 312 Garrison Company. Based out of Cherat and Attock, the SSG was created in 1956. That year, 19 Baloch was selected for conversion to a special operation force. As a result of this, the SSG has inherited many of the traditions and insignia of the Baloch Regiment. 19 Baloch (SSG)'s first commander was Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) Aboobaker Osman Mitha[2] who commanded it for six years till 1961.[3] The first commander of its Alpha Company was Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Gaideen Khan Abdullai Mahsud. Their initial training and orientation as regards tactics was based on the US Special Forces pattern with whom they co-operated closely in the Cold War years.[2] The SSG initially had 6 companies and each company had specialization units, specialized in desert, mountain, ranger, and underwater warfare.[2] The desert companies participated in training exercises with US Army Special Forces Mobile Training Team in late 1964. In August 1965, scope of SSG was raised from a battalion size force to larger Special Operations outfit and instead of 19 Baloch(SSG) they simply adopted the name Special Service Group.[2] The scuba company in Karachi was renowned for its tough physical training.[2] Later on, Chinese training, tactics, weapons, and equipment were also introduced.[2]
The SSG jawans were initially deployed along the Afghan border to repel Afghan incursions into Pakistan but the first major deployment came during the war of 1965. Around 120 officers and men were dropped on the night of 6/7 September near the Indian airbases of Adampur, Pathankot and Halwara in an ill-conceived operation to destroy Indian combat aircraft and put the bases out of action. Badly planned, lacking any solid intelligence, and even more badly executed the operation ended in a disaster. However the SSG sources declare it as partially successful: according to them all aircraft from Pathankot airbase were evacuated and 2 Indian infantry brigades (One brigade by admission of General JN Chaudary, Indian Army Chief at that time in his autobiography) kept searching for these paratroopers.[2] Due to the difficult terrain and poor visibility, none of the teams were able to regroup after the drops. Most of the SSG personnel were captured; only a few made it back to Pakistan. Captain Hazur Hasnain and a few jawans captured an Indian Army jeep and made it back via Fazilka[2] By 1971, the SSG had grown to 3 battalions with 1 permanently stationed in East Pakistan.
The performance of the SSG in the 1971 was much better despite Pakistan's surrender to India,with 1 Commando Battalion making a spectacular raid on an Indian artillery regiment and disabling several of their guns besides inflicting casualties.[2]
During the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the SSG deployed there, disguised as Afghans and provided support to the Mujahideen fighting the Soviets. Author Aukai Collins, in the book My Jihad, gave the Pakistani infiltrators the title "Black Storks".[4] They appear to have engaged the Soviet Airborne Forces in major battles such as the January 1988 Battle for Hill 3234 in which the Russians lost six men and the Pakistanis lost over a hundred men. Another battle sometimes reported as having been fought between the Pakistanis and Soviet troops, in Kunar Province in March 1986, appears to have actually been fought between the GRU Spetsnaz's 15th Spetsnaz Brigade, and the Asama Bin Zaid regiment of Afghan mujahideen under Commander Assadullah, belonging to Abdul Rasul Sayyaf's faction.[5]
The SSG was also active on the eastern border with India and they have fought in Siachen. In the Kargil war SSG performed rather well, infiltrating relatively deep into Indian territory undetected as sheep herders. During the period of snowfall all the Indian posts were empty and they didn't have to face any repulsion, though later when Indian Army came to know about it resulted in a full-fledged war. In 1980, the SSG's Musa Company, which was originally formed in 1970 as a combat diver unit, was given the anti-terrorist operations role. Musa Company got the best founders in the beginning like Major Faiz Akbar Shah and Captain Sajjad Ali Shah. They were UDT/Seals qualified from class 79 of American Navy Seals. Captain Sajjad, who later retired as a Lieutenant Colonel was a salvage expert and had the intensive training of under water demolition. Musa Company was trained by British SAS advisers in mid-1981.[2]
Recently, SSG has been active in anti-terrorist operations in Pakistan's restive western borders with Afghanistan and fighting Islamic extremists in Pakistani cities such as the Lal Masjid siege.[6]in the operation of generals headquarters in Rawalpindi and also in the PNS mehran operation
Pakistani special forces have 10 battalions:[21]
Each battalion consists of 700 men in four companies, with each company split into platoons and then into 10-man teams. Battalions are commanded by Lieutenant Colonels.
Plus three independent commando companies:
SSG officers must have at least three years of prior military experience and volunteer from other formations for three-year assignments with the SSG; non-commissioned officers and enlisted men volunteer from other formations to serve permanently in the SSG. All trainees must participate in an eight month SSG course at Cherat. The SSG course emphasizes physical conditioning, including a 60-mile march in 12 hours and a Six mile run in 40 minutes with full gear. Following the SSG course, trainees must go through the airborne training to get their commando wings from the SSG Airborne School. The course lasts four weeks, with wings awarded after five day-jumps and three night-jumps.The SSG recruits get trained in hand-to-hand combat training and very hard physical fitness training only about ?% recruits make it through to the Pakistan SSG due to the very tough training course.
Many in the SSG school are selected for additional specialist training. A HALO course is given at Peshawar with a "Skydiver" tab awarded after 25 freefall jumps. A "Mountain Warfare" qualification badge is given after completing a course at the Mountain Warfare School in Abbottabad. A "Combat Diver" badge is awarded for the course held by the Naval Special Services Group SSGN at Karachi. (Three classes of combat swimmers are recognized: 1st class to those completing an 18-mile swim, 2nd class to those finishing a 15-mile swim, and 3rd class for a 10-mile swim.) Due to Siachen crisis, a Snow and High Altitude Warfare School was established in the Northern Areas after splitting off from the Army School of Physical Training and Mountain Warfare in Abottabad.
SSG regularly sends students to the US for additional training.
SSG conducts regular (bi-annual) exercises with the Turkish Special Forces which have been designated as the "Ataturk" series. The first of these exercises was held in December, 1998. The Turkish force included 21 officers and 14 non-commissioned officers. The second exercise of this series was held in November 2000, while Atatürk-III concluded in September 2002.[22]
During the 1980s and then into the 1990s, SSG held many similar training exercises with US Special Forces called "Inspired Venture". These exercises were usually held during the early months of January and February with approximately 150 US troops. The exercises were focused on weapon familiarization and use, mountain-warfare along with tactics, raids and ambushes, and eventually airborne operations..
The SSG also conducts exercises with Chinese special forces. In 2006, China and Pakistan conducted an eight-day exercise called the Pakistan-China Joint Exercise Friendship-2006.[23]
SSG has also been reported to train with the Jordanian Royal Special Forces and Iranian Quds Force and conducts training for special forces of other Middle Eastern countries at Cherat.
Components of the battalions are constantly rotated between Cherat, Attock, and any other hot spots (such as Pakistan-India border or when Pakistani forces are deployed overseas as part of the UN peace keeping operations) in order to provide experience to the operators. The SSG are used to provide security to various vital points such as the strategic nuclear facilities in Pakistan. It is thought that a number of SSG operators are stationed in Saudi Arabia for the protection of the Saudi royal family. Many SSG officers and other ranks are routinely seconded to the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for clandestine and reconnaissance missions. SSG has planted some of their operatives under command of ISI within various civilian government and private institutions for various security purposes. The details of the operatives are highly classified. Most of the operatives of this "covert" division are planted in educational institutes..
The SSG also has a unit in the Pakistan Navy modelled on the US Navy SEALs and British SBS called the Special Service Group Navy (SSGN). The SSGN currently maintains headquarters in Karachi headed by a Pakistan Navy commander. It has a strength of one company and is assigned to unconventional warfare operations in the coastal regions. During war it is assigned to midget submarines. Operatives are also trained in underwater demolition and clearance diving. All other training is similar to the army SSG with specific marine-oriented inputs provided at its headquarters. The strength of the navy commandos is put at 1,000.
After the 1965 war with India, Air Commodore Mukhtar Ahmed Dogar, SJ (who had flown Royal Indian Air Force aircraft supporting the Chindits operating behind Japanese lines in Burma in World War II) was instrumental in creating a special forces unit for the Pakistan Air Force called 312 Special Service Wing (SSW). It was put in suspended animation in 1972 but revived in 1999. The unit was modeled on the US Air Force's 1st Special Operations Wing unit and the US Army's Rangers. This new component of the Special Forces of Pakistan has been recently created and fields a force of 1,000-1400 men. They can undertake Airborne Assault, Heli-borne Assault and HAHO Operations. They are trained to take action against the enemy's airforce related targets. They can also be assigned for sabotage opo
The commandos are distinguished by their insignia of maroon berets, a common color for airborne troops, with a silver metal tab on a light blue felt square with a dagger and lightning bolts, and a wing on the right side of the chest. The combat uniform of the SSG is similar to the US woodland pattern camouflage coat and pants. Other uniforms include camouflage and black dungarees (for the CT team).
SSGN (SSG Navy) is distinguished by a dark blue beret with three versions of the "fouled anchor" navy badge for officers, NCOs and enlisted men. A metal SSGN qualification badge featuring a vertical dagger superimposed over a midget submarine is worn over the left pocket on dress uniforms. Parachute wings are worn over the right pocket.
The SSW (Special Service Wing) is distinguished by maroon berets with PAF Officer, JCO or Airmen insignia on the beret, and a wing on the right side of the chest. The combat uniform of SSW is olive drab camouflage. They also wear their special service wing insignia on the left shoulder "Winged Dragons and lightning bolts" .
The SSG is equipped with an array of modern weaponry which includes, Steyr AUG, HK G3, and Chinese Type-81/56 rifles, Colt M4 Carbines, and FN P90[1][25] and HK-MP5 Sub-machine guns (many different variants). Light machine gun in use is Rheinmetall MG3 (locally produced along with HK G3s and MP5s). In sniper or Marksman role, the SSG CT (Counter-Terrorism) teams are equipped with Barrett M82, Finnish Tikka bolt-action rifles, Steyr sniper SSG 69 and HK PSG1 and Dragunov SVD Semi-automatic rifles. Pistols include various Heckler & Koch models.