MARCOS (India)
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MARCOS (also known as Marine Commando Force [MCF]) is an elite special operations unit of the Indian Navy. "MARCOS" is short for "Marine Commandos", and MCF is an acronym for "Marine Commando Force".
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[edit] Origins
Along with the Para Commandos of the Indian Army. The initial MARCOS group was planned along with the establishment of the NSG counter-terrorism unit in 1986. The first unit was called the Indian Marine Special Force, and was later renamed as Marine Commando Force (MCF) in 1991.
They are also locally known as the Dadiwali Fauj (Hindi: Bearded Army) since they are the only unit of the Indian armed forces that permits non-Sikh recruits to maintain beards.
[edit] Strength and operations
MCF currently has a strength of 2,000 personnel.
Operations undertaken:
- Operation Pawan (Hindi: Wind): part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in 1988.
- Raid on an LTTE base at Guru Nagar on October 18, 1987.
On the night of 21 October 18 MARCOS operators including Lt Singh, boarded two Gemini rafts off the coast of Jaffna City and towed two wooden rafts of explosives into a channel leading to the city's Guru Nagar Jetty. Avoiding mines, eight men and two officers shifted to the wooden rafts and paddled to the jetty then fixed demolition charges to the jetty and LTTE speedboats. The commandos were detected but laid down suppressive fire and detonated the explosives before retreating to the Geminis without taking casualties. Two nights later, commandos swam back into the harbour amidst heavy patrolling by the LTTE to destroy the remaining speedboats. They were again detected and sustained minor injuries. These actions helped recapture Trincomalee and Jaffna harbours from the LTTE. For leading these actions the 30 year old Lt. Singh became the youngest officer to receive the Maha Vir Chakra Award.
- Operation Cactus: part of Indian Navy contingent defending the democratic government of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives from a coup.The force proved its mettle by carrying out a highly successful operation to crush a coup in the Maldives. When some 50 mercenaries escaped with more than 25 hostages, including a minister, in a ship, the MCF was pressed into service and it successfully seized the ship.
- The Marcos are in action at the Wular Lake in Kashmir, Asia's largest fresh-water lake, where they have achieved great success and stopped most of the infiltration by terrorists. The lake used to be a major infiltration route for terrorists.
- Kargil conflict. Covert ops behind enemy lines.
- Protecting offshore oil rigs and platforms
[edit] Training and activities
Candidates undergo a two-year training regime, which has an attrition rate of almost 50%. In addition to parachute training and diving they are also taught jungle and high-altitude warfare in India's Northeastern states. Training has been adapted from American SEALs and British Royal Marines Commandos.The training is considered more rigorous than any standard Indian Army unit.[citation needed] Units are also known to cross-train with foreign units such as the US Navy SEALs. However, most of the unit's training and operational doctrine still remains shrouded in secrecy.
Some MCF operations are also known to be very similar to those of the Israeli undercover special warfare units called Mistaravim (Hebrew: "Those who pretend to be Arabs").
During 2003 the MCF participated in training exercises called Exercise Balance Iroquois 03-1/Vajra Prahar, with American Special Operations Forces in Mizoram [1].
During September 2005, the MCF participated in the joint US/Indian naval exercises called "Malabar 05".[2]
[edit] Bases
The MCF currently operates out of the naval bases at Mumbai INS Abhimanyu, Kochi, and Visakhapatnam.
Plans are underway to set up a commando training facility for amphibious operations at the naval academy in Goa on the lines of the Indian Army's Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) in Warangte, Mizoram. The Naval Academy is eventually to be shifted to Ezhimala in northern Kerala.[3]
[edit] Equipment
- Small Arms: AK-47, Colt M16A2, INSAS 5.56 mm, Tavor Assault Rifles, HK MP5 sub-machine gun and 7.62 mm SLR assault rifle.
- Transport: H-3 Sea King and Chetak helicopters, Cosmos CE-2F/X100 two-man submarines
[edit] References
- De Lionis, Andres. "Marine Commandos: India's Flexible Elite", Jane's Intelligence Review, 8:230-232, May 1996
- "Naval marine commandos bag gallantry awards for operations against ultras", Indian Express, March 10, 2000
- Bharat Rakshak, an Indian defence analysis website
