Frogmen Choose Sunderbans to Train for Special Ops

KOLKATA: Two salt water crocodiles basking on a mud bank sensed the disturbance and slithered into the water. A herd of spotted deer grazing near the edge of a nearby island also rushed away. Those living in the Sunderbans are now getting acquainted with a new breed frequenting the mangroves – the ‘frogmen’ of the Indian Navy.

Marine commandos (Marcos) are now using the hostile terrain of the world’s largest mangroves for training. In the past, there were mere assault landings on the beaches. Now, the Navy’s Special Forces are setting up camps on uninhabited islands to hone survival skills and practise intervention techniques. Away from prying eyes, the Marcos disembark from naval landing ships closer to the Bay of Bengal and then use their Gemini boats to negotiate the narrow creeks to a pre-designated location. The exercise then starts in earnest with aggressor and defender teams trying to outfox each other. This involves staying underwater in the murky swamps even as the tide changes.

“Our Special Forces train in the sea and the serene Wular Lake in Kashmir. They also train on land and in the air on the lines of the US Navy Seals. At the same time, they receive additional training in extremely difficult terrain like the mangroves of the Sunderbans where life can be extremely difficult,” said a senior official.
“While camping there, the Marcos survive on whatever resources are available without causing any harm to flora or fauna in the delicate biosphere. Preserving the environment is also a part of their training. The most difficult part in an area like the Sunderbans is to remain underwater in zero visibility” added the official.
The Marcos come from the ranks of demolition and clearance divers trained to remain under water without assistance for long. During World War II, they were used for sabotage. Dropped into the sea from submarines or launches, they would sneak below enemy ships in anchor and attach demolition charges to their hulls.

Source: ToI