Faced with criticism that an aircraft was not available to quickly ferry the National Security Guards (NSG) to terror-hit Mumbai, the government has decided to hasten the procurement of two planes for dedicated use by the central paramilitary forces, including the NSG.
"We have decided to hasten the process of procuring two aircraft for the NSG and the paramilitary troops. We are trying to get these aircraft as soon as possible," Home Ministry sources said.
The Border Security Force (BSF) will fly these aircraft, as it is the only paramilitary force to have its own air wing.
"The process of procuring two transport aircraft was already on, but we were looking at different options available in the global market," sources said.
The BSF is planning to induct these aircraft into its inventory to ferry troops and cargo to places where it is deployed. The dedicated fleet for the Special Forces, however, will be augmented in 2011 when the Indian Air Force (IAF) receives the first of its six C-130 J Hercules Special Operations aircraft from the US.
The IAF is planning to base all these aircraft in Hindan near here, as most of the Special Forces' units are based around the capital or at short distances from here. The aircraft would be placed there to cut down the response time of elite commando units such as the National Security Guards (NSG) during terror strikes or hijacking in other parts of the country.
