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:[3]
Operation Pawan, in 1987, where the IMSF (Indian marine special force, as the MARCOS was then known) helped in capturing the harbours of Jaffna and Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force.[1][2][4]
Operation Cactus, in 1988, where the MARCOS defended the democratic government of president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives from a coup as part of the Indian Navy contingent. 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.[4]
Operation Rakshak: Counter-insurgency (COIN) operations in Jammu and Kashmir, in the Jhelum River, and Wular Lake, a 65 square kilometre freshwater lake. Some MARCOS personnel are also attached with the Army special forces units conducting counter-terrorism operations in the area.[4] MARCOS use tactics similar to the Israeli undercover special warfare units called Mista'arvim, sporting beards and wearing the 'pheren' (Kashmiri suit), thus making them indistinguishable from the locals.[5]
Operation Muffet: in Somalia[3][6]
Operation Leech, which resulted 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.[1]
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.
Kargil War: Covert operations behind enemy lines which remain classified.
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 26 November 2008 during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks,[7] terrorist were killed in action at the Taj.
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 11 November 2008.[8]
In 2003, MARCOS participated in joint training exercises called Exercise Balance Iroquois 03-1/Vajra Prahar with US Special Operations Forces in Mizoram.[9]
September 2005 again witnessed joint Indo-US naval exercises called Malabar 05, which had significant special operations content.
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.[10]
On 12 August, the Indian Navy spotted an Iranian Cargo Ship Nafis-1 off course in the Arabian Sea. Surveillance continued on the ship until 14 August, when a MARCOS unit of 9 servicemen was deployed to intercept the ship via helicopter along with support from the INS Mysore. The commandos dropped onto the ship and detained the hijackers, which had reportedly sailed from Chah Bahar in Iran to an undisclosed location. Navy Intelligence reports revealed that the ship was being used to smuggle weapons and contraband. A store of automatic assault weapons was confiscated on board as well.[11]
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.
courtesy-wikipedia
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