“They are trained more for hijacks and hostage rescue than for fighting in urban buildings,” says Lt-Gen. (Retd) V.K. Sood. “They are excellent men, but they lack equipment to establish quick and decisive superiority over well-equipped terrorists with commando training occupying strategic positions.”

According to Col. (Retd) R.Y. Tugnait, every American infantryman has helmets with communication pieces, but somehow the Indian government does not provide it to Indian soldiers or even commandos.

NSG commandos were found visibly short on headgear, optics, and breathing and communication equipment. They went in wearing fire-resistant balaclavas and vintage helmets instead of lightweight yet bullet-proof kevlar helmets mounted with communication microphone and earpiece, night-vision goggles and tactical lights. They did not possess laser-scanning devices to see through smoke either. The terrorists set up fires at the Taj Mahal Hotel, the epicentre of action, to distract and block the commandos, who did not have respirators or gas masks to keep operating in the midst of smoke.

Even though NSG commandos’ black flame-resistant Nomex suits are standard apparel for anti-terrorist forces around the world, it is not certain if they were wearing special undergarments to cool their bodies in the heat of the burning parts of the Taj building. The US and the UK special forces, such as Delta Force and Special Air Service (SAS), respectively, are now adopting special textiles to keep commandos cool under their body armour. One such body vest is Outlast, which contains micro ‘thermocules’ that turn liquid when warmed by body heat, and cool the body. They also did not seem to have fire- and bullet-proof knee and elbow pads to secure their mobility.

However, one area where the NSG is up there with the best is weaponry. Their weapon of choice is the German Heckler & Koch MP5 sub-machine gun, which comes in several variants to suit different kinds of operations. Popular with most elite anti-terrorist units around the world for its low recoil, reliability and accuracy, the MP5 fires 9-mm bullets at the rate of 800 rounds per minute in a burst, twice the firing rate of the AK-47s, and is effective over 50 metres. The bullets are suitable for close combat in confined areas as they kill but do not pass through a body or a wall.