What is Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA)?

About Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA)

• Established in 2008, CoBRA is a specialized unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• It is one of the few units of the CRPF in the country that is specifically trained in guerilla tactics and jungle warfare.
• They are also known as ‘jungle warriors’.
• Originally established to counter the Naxalite problem (it was originally trained to track, hunt, and eliminate Naxalite groups), CoBRA is deployed within India to address any insurgent group engaging in asymmetrical warfare.
• Personnel for CoBRA are selected from CRPF, as CoBRA is an integral part of CRPF.
• They undergo rigorous commando and jungle warfare training before being posted to CoBRA units for operations.
• It has 10 units, raised between 2008 and 2011
• The majority of CoBRA teams are deployed in various Maoist violence-affected states while a few are based in the northeastern states to undertake counter-insurgency operations.

Key Facts about Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

• It is the premier central police force of the Union of India for internal security.
• It functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
• History of CRPF:
  • Originally constituted as the Crown Representative Police in 1939, it is one of the oldest Central paramilitary forces (now termed the Central Armed Police Force).
  • CRPF was raised as a sequel to the political unrest and agitations in the then princely States of India following the Madras Resolution of the All-India Congress Committee in 1936 and the ever-growing desire of the Crown Representative to help the vast majority of the native States to preserve law and order as a part of imperial policy.
  • It became the CRPF on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28th December 1949.
• Duties performed by the CRPF are
  • Crowd control, Riot control
  • Counter Millitancy / Insurgency operations, Dealing with Left Wing Extremism
  • Overall co-ordination of large-scale security arrangements, especially with regard to elections in disturbed areas.
  • Protection of VIPs and vital installations.
  • Checking environmental degradation and protection of local flora and fauna
  • Fighting aggression during wartime
  • Participating in UN Peacekeeping mission
  • Rescue and Relief operations at the time of natural calamities.

Q1) What is asymmetrical warfare?

Also known as asymmetric engagement, this refers to a form of unconventional warfare where there is a significant difference in the powers of the warring sides. The term is generally used to refer to conflicts between the armed forces of large nation-states and significantly smaller insurgent groups that possess relatively little firepower. The term was coined by Andrew J.R. Mack in his 1975 article “Why Big Nations Lose Small Wars”.

Source: Central Reserve Police Force to withdraw elite CoBRA force from Jammu and Kashmir following objections