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In coming out with draft Qualitative Requirements (QRs) for the sky marshal kit, the government has now virtually made public details of much of the equipment carried by the men tasked with thwarting hijacks and other security threats on board Indian carriers on domestic and some international routes.
Commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) fly like ordinary passengers on commercial airliners on certain “vulnerable” sectors. QRs are generally put out before the actual tendering for a product. They are intended to inform vendors the exact requirements from the product.
The draft QRs mention in detail the features that security agencies are looking for in items ranging from plastic handcuffs, pepper sprays and knuckle-busters to various kinds of holsters for Glock 17 pistols and daggers for use by sky marshals.
In describing the requirements of underarm, waist, and ankle holsters, the QRs specify that they are required for Glock 17 pistols. Austrian-made Glock 17s are one of the favoured weapons of the NSG. Among the QRs for the underarm holster: “Required to be worn under the shirt and over the vest” and “shape of pistol should not be visible/identifiable, i.e pattern to be broken so than an observer cannot identify the pistol being concealed”.
Requirements for the “concealed waist holster” state that it “will be worn along the trouser waist line from the inside” and that “it is required to be clipped to the belt to prevent from falling”.
The QRs for the “ankle holster” say that it “should be taut and close to the ankle in order not to be identifiable”. The QRs give away the fact that 6” to 8” daggers are carried on board by sky marshals.
The self-protection aerosole device (pepper spray) “should be non toxic” and should “temporarily disable the person against whom used”, the QRs state.
The contents of the spray should be such that “can be washed away by using water to reduce/remove effect”, and “may be pepper or similar item that will temporarily disable person against whom used”.
The plastic handcuffs must weigh less than 250 g, and not be bulky or cumbersome. “It should fit in the pocket of bearer” and “could be disposable”, the QRs state.
The knuckle-busters the government is looking for should be “light weight” and “could be of metal or hardened/ reinforced plastic”. They should have the capability to immobilize the subject with the first punch and should have a “customized concealment solution”.
There is also a mention of “Discreet Belt Worn Pouch” that can “...hold up to two magazines of Glock-17” where the outline of the weapon is not evident.
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It is a knuckle-duster, nobody wants to bust his knuckles delivering a punch. Spellcheck sees no mistake if you type shit instead of shot. This is supposed to be a national newspaper - a wee bit more care when subbing, please! And the headlines sometimes read like they should in an eveninger. This is just to let you know, so don't post this up as a comment, please.
it is not shooting the messenger. tenders have to be public otherwise it does not serve the needs of transparency. but that does not mean you distribute it to people who should not know it. this is NOT investigative journalism. some said that if the tender is public, anyone with malicious intent can access it. sure they can. but do you have to be the messenger and make it more easy to get? the point is, there has to be lines that need to be drawn and just not be irresponsible in the name of journalism.
Nobody needs this information.Such despicable journalistic standards are a threat to national security. Its a sheer waste of newsprint. I would request the editors of Indian Express to be careful in selecting the stories they publish.
The comments posted so far on this story indicate that is a classic example of "shooting the messenger". Instead of appreciating that a journalist has held up the mirror to the babus who have carelessly put such sensitive details in public domain, the "learned" people here are finding it convenient to call the journalist names. It is not a confidential document that the reporter has exposed, thus compromising national security. All he has done is that he has used a QR document to illustrate how foolish the government can be at times while making things public. If a reporter could find these details, what makes you think that a potential terrorist wont be able to?? By exposing this faux pas, the journalist has at least started a discussion which will probably ensure that such sensitive details are not put in the public domain in future. Grow up gentlemen...sermonising is easy, but always doesn't help.
If IE can access these documents circulated by Govt among vendors for procuring equipments than surely ISI/terrorists can also access it (unless you consider ISI incompetent than IE). So, whats the point of lecturing IE on good journalism. IE did good job by bringing out the lapses in procurement of sensitive equipments which makes supposedly confidential information public knowledge.
Instead of "Glocks & knuckle-busters: Govt outs sky marshal gear" heading, this news items shud b headed as "Glocks & knuckle-busters: IE outs sky marshal gear". We know, the Govt doesn't function on brains, but atleast wise and educated media shud, and they shud not hav reported this !! Sometimes, national security is more important than the TRPs.
I am aghast to read details that IE is doling out about sky marshals. I think internal security ministry must look into such reporting by uneducated low IQ journalists. They are providing sensitive informations about NSG and sky marshals to all would be hijackers. They have not learned anything from Mumbai attacks where terrorist handlers were getting all informations by just watching TV and were able to guide terrorists to defend and do maximum damage. These journalist must be lectured on reporting sensitive information.
this is a most irresponsible reporting and more damaging is the details of Govt's ORs for NSG's commandoes.We are creating and compounding problems every day.This is yet another step in that direction.There is some thjing called NEED TO KNOW about information sharing.While a common passenger may not go through this report but one who is planning to create an air related crime can plan much in advance.Do we ever read what American Sky Marshals carry,leave alone reading we donot have any clue about this.In the name of transparency,we are exposing ourselves to such dangers that we won't even know when terrorists will counter our Marshals.Let me tell the readers,These NSG commandoes dont even tell their family members and friends as to where they are heading for and at times they are informed only at the time of departure.There will never be a problem from NSG's Marshals but from some moles in the airlines and some reporters who even pay to get information.High time that we awke up.