MARCOS, previously named as Marine Commando Force, is the special
operations unit of the Indian Navy. created for conducting special
operations such as Amphibious warfare, Counter-terrorism, Direct action,
Special reconnaissance, Unconventional warfare, Hostage rescue, Personnel
recovery, Combat search and rescue, Asymmetric warfare, Foreign internal
defence, Counterproliferation, Amphibious reconnaissance including
Hydrographic reconnaissance. The MCF is specially organised, trained and
equipped for the conduct of special operations in a maritime environment.
MARCOS is short for Marine Commandos. The force has gradually acquired
experience and a reputation for professionalism over the two decades it
has been in existence. The MARCOS are capable of undertaking operations in all
types of terrain, but are specialised in maritime operations in Jammu and Kashmir
through the Jhelum River and Wular Lake, a 65 square kilometer freshwater lake.
Some MARCOS personnel are also attached with the Army special forces units
conducting counter-terrorism operations in the area. MARCOS are widely feared
among the terrorists, who call them "Dadiwala fauj", meaning the "Bearded
army" because of their bearded disguise in civil areas.
History The Indian Armed Forces wanted to
establish an amphibious warfare and maritime special operations force.
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Indian Navy supported the landing
operations against the Pakistani base of Cox Bazar, Operation Jackpot, landing an
army brigade using Polnochny class landing ships without significant
resistance. Before this operation, Indian navy divers provided basic
training in underwater demolition to Bengali insurgents. However, this did
not yield expected results. Later, different Indian army units were
assigned amphibious roles in exercises. In 1983, the 340th Army Independent
Brigade based at Trivandrum, was converted to an amphibious assault unit.
Since then, the navy has conducted various exercises to demonstrate its
amphibious abilities, notably the Andaman Islands in 1984, and Goa in
1986. These assault operations included both airborne and amphibious forces. In
April 1986, the Indian Navy started planning for a maritime special force
which could conduct amphibious reconnaissance, raids and
counter-terrorist operations. The force was initially trained by the
other special forces of the country, including those under the Home Ministry
and the Army. Three officers were then sent to undergo a hard training schedule
with US Navy SEALs and further training was then acquired through exchanges with
the British Special Air Service. The officers formed the first nucleus of the
Indian Marine Special Force which was officially established in February 1987.
The first batch of marine commandos qualified in February 1987. It was later
renamed as the Marine Commando Force in 1991.
Known Activities and operations The MARCOS are capable of undertaking
operations in all types of terrain, but are specialised in maritime operations.
The force has undertaken numerous joint exercises with special forces from
around the world. The MARCOS presently has approximately two thousand
personnel, though its actual strength remains classified. Operations
undertaken by MARCOS usually remains classified though some of the known
operations are: MARCOS are known to be very secretive,
not revealing their actual identity as specialised, elite soldiers. In their
operations, they are sometimes assisted by Westland WS-61 Sea King transport
helicopters, Chetak helicopters and two-man submarines. MARCOS can be
launched from ships, aircraft and submarines in full battle gear.
Functions / Role The exclusivity of the unit lies in its
competence to operate in all three mediums namely Sea, Air and Land. The
MCF is specially organised, trained and equipped for the conduct of special
operations in a maritime environment. Personnel from unit are deployed round
the clock from Kashmir for CI/CT ops to GoA, Somalia for anti-piracy operations.
The unit has always been at forefront in providing diving / civil assistance
during times of natural disaster. The core tasking of MARCOS include:-
Conduct clandestine attack against enemy ships,offshore installations and other
vital assets behind enemy lines. To support amphibious operations
including pre-assault ops. To conduct unconventional warfare.
Conduct of surveillance and recce missions in support of military
operations. Conduct of clandestine diving
operations. To conduct hostage rescue operations in
maritime environment. Combating terrorism in a maritime
environment. Selection and Training
All MARCOS personnel are males selected from the Indian Navy. They are selected
when they are in their early 20s and have to go through a stringent selection
process and training. The selection standards are extremely high. The
training is a continuous process. American and British special forces
assisted in the initial training, which now consists of a two-year course for
new recruits. The training regimen includes: airborne operations, combat
diving courses, counter-terrorism, anti-hijacking, anti-piracy operations,
direct action, infiltration and exfiltration tactics, special
reconnaissance, unconventional warfare training etc. Majority of the training
is conducted at INS Abhimanyu which is also the home base of MARCOS.
All MARCOS personnel are freefall qualified. A few also qualify to
operated the Cosmos CE-2F/X100 two-man subs. MARCOS train along with the
Special Forces officers of the Indian Army like the Para Commandos at the
Indian special forces training school, Nahan and Army's other schools for
Unconventional warfare These include the Junior Leaders' Commando Training Camp
in Belgaum, Karnataka, the Parvat Ghatak School in Tawang Arunachal Pradesh,
Desert warfare school in Rajasthan, the High Altitude Warfare School in
Sonamarg, Kashmir and the Counter-insurgency and Jungle Warfare
School in Vairengte, Mizoram. These elite schools routinely host students
from other countries. MARCOS are then trained at various training agencies
within the navy. They are skilled combat divers and parachutists and most of the
training deals with counter-terrorist, anti-hijacking and anti-piracy
operations. Generally, the pre-training selection
process is made of two parts. Any Indian Navy personnel who wants to join this
outfit must first undergo a three-day long, physical fitness test and aptitude
test. Within this process, 80% of the application are screened out. Further
screening process is known as 'hell's week'. This is actually a five-week-long
process which involves high degree of physical exercises and sleep
deprivation. It is only after this process that actual training begins
Their training makes MARCOS tough nuts to crack. An Indian MARCO on an exchange
program in the US topped the US Navy SEAL course with ease.
The total duration of training of MARCOS is between two and half to three years.
The basic training lasts six months. The first two months is the weeding out
phase. The first phase of which lasts one month, in which they undergo many
rigorous physical tests of which only 50% pass. Then for the next nine months,
they are taught how to use different types of weapons, conduct special
warfare techniques and how to gather intelligence from the enemy. The cadets
start with basic diving and commando tactics and skills. Those that go on are
trained in every aspect of modern warfare and in every situation. This
includes firing while lying down, standing, running full-sprint, even
backwards and looking into a mirror – with a reaction time of 0.27 seconds.
This is followed by a year of training of specialised skills. They are trained
in various types of close combat including Krav Maga. Different forms of
warfare training is imparted through field operations in counter-insurgency
and anti-terrorist operations within the country and are trained to operate in
any kind of environment like beaches, deep sea, on the surface of the ocean,
in jungles, ravines and for situations like hostage rescue, urban combat and
piracy. A notably rigorous training program is the "death crawl" – an
800-metre struggle through thigh-high mud, loaded with 25 kg of gear and after
a 2.5 km obstacle course that most soldiers would fail. After that, when
the trainee is exhausted and sleep-deprived, he has to undergo the
final test – shooting a target 25 metres away, with a partner standing next to
it. The MARCOS are trained in every kind of
weapon and instruments, from knives and crossbows to sniper rifles, handguns,
assault rifles, submachine guns and bare hands. Being divers, they can reach
hostile shores swimming underwater. The further training includes:
Open and closed circuit diving Basic commando skills including advanced
weapon skills, demolitions, endurance training and martial arts
Para training Intelligence training
Operation of submersible craft Offshore operations
Anti-terrorism operations Operations from submarines
Skydiving Various special skills such as language
training, insertion methods, etc. Explosive ordnance disposal techniques
They are also trained to parachute into open water with full combat load. In
2013, the MARCOS have introduced a larger duck-drop system which will be
fitted on Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft. Each system can accommodate 32 commandos,
their weapons and fuel for the boats. Duck-drop system that marcos operate in
the past is smaller in size which is fitted on An-32 aircraft. This
force-multiplier was developed by the Agra-based Aerial Delivery Research &
Development Establishment. Once para-dropped from the aircraft, it
allows for the commandos to assemble inflatable motorised boats within ten
minutes, and quickly reach ships in distress. On reaching the target, they
can dismantle the boats and travel underwater to mount a surprise attack.
Such rescue missions can be mounted by the commandos deployed within an hour
unlike in the past, when commandos took up to 48 hours to reach the targets as
it involved travelling on-board ships and then being deployed on motorised
boats. The Marcos are also preparing for urban
warfare and have begun practicing on 3D virtual models of offshore installations
to ensure a swift response during a terrorist attack. The marine commandos
are undergoing regular training sessions in this computer-generated programme to
be well-prepared for a strike similar to the 26/11 attack. Reliance Industries
Limited has provided a virtual model of its facility in Krishna-Godavari basin
in the east, for the marine commandos at INS Kalinga, the training base for
Marcos in Visakhapatnam. MARCOS will carry out amphibious
operations at Frasersgunj in the Sunderbans as part of their routine
training. Frasersgunj, with its beach and proximity to the estuarine delta, is
an ideal location for such exercises, the source added. The Coast Guard is in
the process of setting up a base at Frasersgunj and station hovercraft
there. More importantly, the elite force will get a feel of the Sunderbans, which
is considered at risk from infiltrators and terrorists. There are so many
waterways running through the Sunderbans delta that it is not possible to
maintain physical vigil on all movement there. Security experts believe that the
threat from terrorists moving in from the sea still remains. With so many
vessels passing through the Sunderbans, it may be a route for terror outfits to
send in armed men to carry out an attack like that on Mumbai. In case of any
eventuality, the Macros are most likely to be called in as it is a marine
environment. A major part of their training is kept under wraps.
Frasersgunj will be an ideal location where secrecy can be maintained.
The Indian Navy initiated the process of procuring five midget submarines for
Marine Commandos. These vessels would have the capacity of carrying four to
six personnel on board. The submarines would have a diving depth of around 400
meters, and will strengthen the MARCOS ability to carry out special underwater
operations in high seas. The midgets will have the capability of carrying out
both manned and unmanned operations and will be equipped with a number of
weapons including torpedoes. In 2009, the navy initiated the process of
procuring these vessels and issued a Request for Proposal to Indian shipyards
including Hindustan Shipyards Limited, ABG and Pipavav shipyards. Due to their
faster speed and smaller size, midgets are able to escape the enemy Sound
Navigation and Ranging probes making them useful in carrying out covert
operations,and help troops to penetrate into hostile territory without getting
noticed by enemies. In 2013 other noteworthy development, Vizag-based
Hindustan Shipyards Ltd won the contract for building four 500-tonne
mini-submarines, which were designed back in the previous decade by Larsen &
Toubro. The mini-submarines, to be delivered in the latter half of this
decade, will be used exclusively by the Indian Navy’s MARCOS. The combat
management systems have been designed and built by TATA Power SED, while Riva
Calzoni will be supplying the periscopes and other masts that will host a SATCOM
communications systems and LPI navigation radar. The sonar suite is
likely to be supplied by ATLAS Elektronik.
The average MARCOS training drop-out rate is more than 90%. The force has its
own training facility, first as an adjunct of the operational company at
INS Abhimanyu, in Bombay, later as the Naval Special Warfare Tactical Training
Centre. For combat diving training, the commandos are sent to the Naval Diving
School, Kochi. There are plans to move the Naval Special Warfare Tactical
Training Centre to the erstwhile Naval Academy facility in Goa where it will be
set up with focus on jungle warfare as well as counter insurgency operations.
The new facility will be modelled on the lines of CIJWS of the Indian Army in
Mizoram. Future Developments
To strengthen its capabilities to carry out special operations, the Navy is
planning to procure advanced Integrated Combat System for the MARCOS. The Navy
wants the ICS for effective command, control and information sharing to
maximise capabilities of individuals and groups of the MARCOS while engaging
enemies. The ICS will provide enhanced
capabilities such as tactical awareness, ability to fight in hostile environment
and can enable Group Commanders to remotely monitor and control operations.
It would help in integrating an individual sailor's capability of day
and night surveillance, ballistic protection, communication and firepower
through an integrated network at individual and group level. Initiating
the procurement process through a Request for Information, Navy's
Directorate of Special Operations and Diving has sought details from global
vendors about the ICS, which should have gear for both individual and group uses.
The individual equipment required by the Navy in the ICS includes light weight
helmets, head-mounted displays, tactical and soft ballistic vests along with
communication equipment. The group-level gear requirements include command and
control and surveillance systems along with high speed communication equipment.
The devices would have sight for the sniper, laser range finder and long
range thermal imager and near IR laser pointer for a combat group to undertake
surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting. The ICS would be compatible
with the assault rifles and close-quarter combat weapons. The Navy
has recently started inducting the Israeli IMI Tavor TAR-21 for the MARCOS.
Bases The MCF currently operates out of the
naval bases at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Goa, Kochi and Port Blair. There are
plans to shift the current training facility at the Naval Special Warfare
Training and Tactical Centre to a new facility to be set up at the erstwhile
Naval Academy in Goa. Equipment
= Small Arms= Pistol Auto 9mm 1A Semi-automatic pistol
Glock 17 9mm Semi-automatic pistol SIG P226 9mm Semi-automatic pistol
SAF Carbine 2A1 9mm Sub-machine gun Uzi 9mm Sub-machine gun
HK MP5 9mm Sub-machine gun AK-103 7.62×39mm Assault Rifle
M4A1 5.56 Assault Rifle, used by MARCOS units attached to Paracommando units
TAR-21 Tavor 5.56 mm NATO Assault rifle APS amphibious rifle Underwater assault
rifle Galil SA- semi- auto Sniper rifle
Heckler & Koch MSG90 Semi-automatic sniper rifle
OSV-96, Sniper and anti-material rifle = Support Weapons=
IMI Negev Light machine gun PKM General purpose machine gun
FN MAG 7.62 mm General purpose machine gun
GP-25 40mm Grenade Launcher M203 40mm Grenade launcher
AGS-30 Automatic grenade launchers RCL Mk III 84mm Recoilless rifle
Shipon Anti-tank weapon 9K38 Igla MANPADS
= Transport= HAL Dhruv utility helicopter
6 Westland WS-61 Sea King transport helicopter
Chetak helicopters Cosmos CE-2F X100 two-man submarines
All Terrain Vehicles Indian Navy Swimmer Delivery Vehicle
See also Special Forces of India
United States Navy SEALs Special Boat Service
Commandos Marine References
"Naval marine commandos bag gallantry awards for operations against ultras",
Indian Express, 10 March 2000 External links
Image, Bharat Rakshak Image, Bharat Rakshak
Image, Bharat Rakshak MARCOS – Training, YouTube
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