India's sea lions: Navy's marine commandos get a makeover and reveal a leaner and meaner new look
The Indian Navy's elite marine commandos, Marcos, have undergone a makeover. Members of a Marco stick - eightmember quick reaction teams of the force - were seen in the new gear while on ship-protection duty aboard the guided stealth frigate INS Sahyadri during its commissioning last week in Mumbai.
Navy sources said the new look of the marine commandos was part of a project finalised some years ago, to upgrade the combat clothing of the special forces in order to bring them on a par with international standards.
As part of the makeover, the Marcos have also absorbed new weapons, including the Tavor-21 assault rifle and Galil sniper rifle procured from Israel two years ago. The new get-up, seemingly inspired by that of the US Marines, was tried for a year before it was formally approved.
The navy had initiated the procurement of the advanced integrated combat system, including equipment such as light-weight helmets, vests and weapons, to strengthen the capabilities of the commandos.
The improved individual equipment is backed by an effective command and control structure assisted by high-speed communication.
The gear has been designed to allow a commando to perform his task without hindrance and offers special assistance in operations that may involve unexpected challenges.
Earlier, the marine commandos were equipped with AK- 47 rifles and MP-5 sub-machine guns. Members of ‘Marco stick’ (pictured below) are eight-member quick reaction teams of the commando force — were seen in the new gear aboard the INS Sahyadri last week
A Rs 50,000 crore plan to bolster naval arsenal
With the INS Sahyadri, the Indian Navy's state-of-the-art stealth frigate, successfully commissioned, the focus has now shifted to a Rs 50,000-crore project to build seven new warships that will be a class ahead of the Shivalik class, to which the Sahyadri belongs.
Defence minister A.K. Antony, who commissioned INS Sahyadri - one of the three 6,200-tonne Shivalik class frigates built at Mumbai's Mazgaon Dock Limited (MDL) - said ground work for Project 17A, under which the new warships are to be built, is underway, following which the proposal will be placed before the cabinet committee on security for the final nod.
The work to build the new warships, which officials say will have a range of weapons, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, will be split between MDL and Kolkata's Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
The INS Sahyadri, commissioned last week, is part of an Rs 8,100- crore project to build three Shivalik class stealth frigates
The MDL, having gained experience in building stealth frigates by completing work on the three Shivalik class ships - Shivalik, Satpura and Sahayadri – under a Rs 8,100-crore project to boost the navy's war-fighting capabilities, has undergone a transformation to reduce time for constructing new warships.
What sets the Shivalik class apart is the benchmark it has set in terms of introducing new technology and raising the bar for crew comfort in a warship. The ships have highly suppressed noises, spoiling the chances of enemy radars picking its signals from long distances.
The ship is not completely invisible though - as at the end of the day it will still be a huge moving mass of steel - but it has shorter ranges of detection.
Navy's marine commandos get a makeover and reveal a leaner and meaner new look | Mail Online
The Indian Navy's elite marine commandos, Marcos, have undergone a makeover. Members of a Marco stick - eightmember quick reaction teams of the force - were seen in the new gear while on ship-protection duty aboard the guided stealth frigate INS Sahyadri during its commissioning last week in Mumbai.
Navy sources said the new look of the marine commandos was part of a project finalised some years ago, to upgrade the combat clothing of the special forces in order to bring them on a par with international standards.
As part of the makeover, the Marcos have also absorbed new weapons, including the Tavor-21 assault rifle and Galil sniper rifle procured from Israel two years ago. The new get-up, seemingly inspired by that of the US Marines, was tried for a year before it was formally approved.
The navy had initiated the procurement of the advanced integrated combat system, including equipment such as light-weight helmets, vests and weapons, to strengthen the capabilities of the commandos.
The improved individual equipment is backed by an effective command and control structure assisted by high-speed communication.
The gear has been designed to allow a commando to perform his task without hindrance and offers special assistance in operations that may involve unexpected challenges.
Earlier, the marine commandos were equipped with AK- 47 rifles and MP-5 sub-machine guns. Members of ‘Marco stick’ (pictured below) are eight-member quick reaction teams of the commando force — were seen in the new gear aboard the INS Sahyadri last week
A Rs 50,000 crore plan to bolster naval arsenal
With the INS Sahyadri, the Indian Navy's state-of-the-art stealth frigate, successfully commissioned, the focus has now shifted to a Rs 50,000-crore project to build seven new warships that will be a class ahead of the Shivalik class, to which the Sahyadri belongs.
Defence minister A.K. Antony, who commissioned INS Sahyadri - one of the three 6,200-tonne Shivalik class frigates built at Mumbai's Mazgaon Dock Limited (MDL) - said ground work for Project 17A, under which the new warships are to be built, is underway, following which the proposal will be placed before the cabinet committee on security for the final nod.
The work to build the new warships, which officials say will have a range of weapons, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, will be split between MDL and Kolkata's Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
The INS Sahyadri, commissioned last week, is part of an Rs 8,100- crore project to build three Shivalik class stealth frigates
The MDL, having gained experience in building stealth frigates by completing work on the three Shivalik class ships - Shivalik, Satpura and Sahayadri – under a Rs 8,100-crore project to boost the navy's war-fighting capabilities, has undergone a transformation to reduce time for constructing new warships.
What sets the Shivalik class apart is the benchmark it has set in terms of introducing new technology and raising the bar for crew comfort in a warship. The ships have highly suppressed noises, spoiling the chances of enemy radars picking its signals from long distances.
The ship is not completely invisible though - as at the end of the day it will still be a huge moving mass of steel - but it has shorter ranges of detection.
Navy's marine commandos get a makeover and reveal a leaner and meaner new look | Mail Online
