MARCOS

MARCOS (previously named as Marine Commando Force (MCF)) is an elite special operations unit of the Indian Navy. "MARCOS" is short for "Marine Commandos".
The force started off as the Indian Marine Special Force, the first batch qualifying in February 1987. It was later renamed as the Marine Commando Force (MCF) in 1991. The force has gradually acquired experience and a reputation for professionalism over the two decades it has been in existence. It is one of India's highest trained and best equipped forces.
The force was initially trained by the other special forces of the country, including those under the Home Ministry, the Army, Air Force, Police and paramilitary units. This was later supplemented by foreign training facilities, notably the SEALS of the U.S. Navy. Over the years, the force set up its own training facility, first as an adjunct of the operational company at Mumbai, later as the Naval Special Warfare Tactical Training Centre. Wide exposure to different forms of warfare have been obtained through field operations in counter insurgency and anti terrorist operations within the country, and joint exercises with more than a dozen countries across the world.

Strength and operations

The MCF presently has approximately 2000 personnel,though actual strength remains classified.
Operations undertaken by MARCOS usually remains classified but some of the known Operations are:
 

• Operation Pawan (Hindi for Wind): Part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in 1988.   Operation Cactus: Part of the Indian Navy contingent defending the democratic government of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives from a coup. The force played a supporting role in India's successful military aid in helping foil the attempted coup by Sri Lankan militants from the PLOTE and ENDLF. A group of 47 mercenaries attempted to escape by sea with 23 hostages, on a hijacked vessel, MV Progress Light. The MCF was pressed into service along with INS Godavari, a multi role frigate carrying Seaking helicopters, Alize aircraft operating from the Navy's base at Kochi. INS Godavari trailed the hijacked vessel for a couple of days, firing intermittently with her guns on the vessel's superstructure. An Alize anti-submarine aircraft dropped two depth charges near the vessel, causing the motley collection of militants to come up on the upper decks and surrender. A contingent of the Marcos operating from Ratmalana Airfield on the outskirts of Colombo, with some help from the Sri Lankan Army in terms of specialised equipment, thereafter boarded the ship and accepted the surrender of the militants and took them into custody.    Operation Leech, which resulting in the slaying of a number of Burmese rebels at Narcondum Island in the North Andaman group of Islands. A small contingent of marcos was reputed to have been involved in the murky operation, which has found intermittent mention in various media.
• Operation Tasha, which was instituted after Operation Pawan wound up, and was more a coastal security operation on the Tamil Nadu coast to thwart operations of the LTTE there, than something belonging to the realm of special operations.
• Operation Swan, which was a similar exercise on the Gujarat and Maharashtra coasts, after the December 92 blasts in Mumbai, wherein the MARCOS were used for patrolling.
• The MARCOS are presently deployed at the Wular Lake in Kashmir, one of Asia's largest fresh-water lakes, where they have achieved significant success in counter insurgency operations against Kashmiri terrorists and Pakistani militants. They have earned notoriety among the terrorists who have given the MARCOS the nickname gharial(Alligator).
• Protecting offshore oil rigs and platforms. The MARCOS maintain a quick reaction team at Mumbai, to deal with threats to the offshore oil assets at Bombay High.
• Operation Black Tornado: MARCOS stormed the Trident and Taj Hotels at Mumbai during the recent terrorist attacks on 27 November, 2008 during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks , wounding one terrorist at the Taj, and sustaining two injuries. The second team deployed at the Trident Hotel at Nariman Point (the erstwhile Oberoi Towers) curiously failed to make contact with the militants there, later known to have holed up on the 18th floor, despite having spent hours in the hotel. The marcos were subsequently replaced by men from the National Security Guard on their arrival from Delhi later in the day, and withdrew to a supporting role.
• In its first ever action in the Gulf of Aden, MARCOS thwarted an attempt by pirates to capture the Indian merchant vessel MV Jag Arnav on November 11, 2008.
• On 13 December 2008 MARCOS units operating from the Indian Naval warship INS Mysore foiled a pirate hijack attempt of Ethiopian vessel MV Gibe off the Somali coast. In the process twenty three pirates were arrested

Training

Training includes the following:-
·    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 terrorist operations.
·    Operations from submarines.
·    Skydiving.
·    Various special skills such as language training, insertion methods, etc.
·    Explosive ordnance disposal techniques.