Marinejegerkommandoen

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Marinejegerkommandoen (MJK)

Active Froskemenn: 1953 - 1968

MJK: 1968- current
Country Norway
Branch Royal Norwegian Navy
Type Naval Special Forces
Role Special Reconnaissance (SR)
Direct Action (DA)
Military assistance (MA)
Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR)
Collateral Activities (CA)
Size Classified
Garrison/HQ Haakonsvern Naval Base and Ramsund Naval Base
Engagements Vietnam war (rumoured)
Kosovo war
Congo
The Troubles (rumoured)
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Anaconda
Decorations
Navy and Marine P.U.C.
Navy Presidential Unit Citation
MJK specialises in maritime and coastal operations
MJK specialises in maritime and coastal operations

Marinejegerkommandoen (MJK, The Marine Ranger Command) is a Norwegian maritime special forces unit formally established in 1951. It is divided into two operative units, one of which is located in Ramsund in the northern part of Norway and the other at the Haakonsvern Navy base in Bergen. MJK is employed many kind of operations, such as unconventional warfare, guerilla warfare, special reconnaissance, recovery or protection of ships and oil installations, various counter-terrorism missions, hostage rescue and direct action (which includes sabotage, raids, kidnapping and specific enemy assassinations).

As is expected from any special forces, the training to become an MJK operative is long and arduous, taking two years and then further augmented by courses taken during the following four-year contract period, such as field medical training and sniper training and forward air control (FAC) training. The candidates are put through extremely demanding tests, on one of the field-tests which is known to the public, each of the candidates (which at this point of the selection consists of about 6-12 men) must carry 60 kg rucksacks (which translates into roughly 130 pounds) while being hunted by "enemies" which consists of professional Home Guard-soldiers and policemen. At some point of the test, they will be caught and sent to 36 hours of rough interrogation. This is just one of the many tests the candidates will be put through before becoming an MJK operative.

As of recently, all MJK personnel are assigned as officers and are put through the required courses to qualify. This is to maintain a level of authority and operational independence in relation to other, non-special-forces, units. Despite being less "famous" than e.g. the British SAS or United States Navy SEALs, they are by many military experts considered to be one of the world's foremost special forces units.

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[edit] Marinejegerkommandoen's role in domestic and international security

"Operatives are tasked to accomplish missions where conventional forces are unusable. MJK operatives are highly mobile, with stamina and forceful firepower in terms of their operative size. MJK operatives are specialists in maritime operations. They are trained and equipped to solve missions while under extreme climatic and environmental stresses."[1]

MJK is an integral part of the special operations command mesh that serves to protect Norway’s interests, both domestic and internationally. As this unit is to be used with maximum efficiency internationally, it is modelled after the NATO Special Forces definition.

Four Marinejegerkommandoen frogmen in the water
Four Marinejegerkommandoen frogmen in the water

[edit] Domestic security

MJK’s role in a domestic defence situation is multifaceted, augmenting those of the Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK), Hærens Jegerkommando (HJK), HV-016, and Kystjegerkommandoen (KJK), while also supported by the Marine EOD command: Minedykkerkommandoen (MDK), Taktisk båtskvadron (TBS).

[edit] International operations

MJK has participated in a number of international operations, most notably and most recently twice in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, in 2002 and in 2003, MJK’s contribution has largely been kept secret, but from what is available, its missions have included DA (Direct Action), Forward Air Control (FAC) and SR (Special Surveillance and Reconnaissance), assisting US troops in the fight against the Taliban.

Their participation in Afghanistan has been rewarded by the Navy Presidential Unit Citation on 8th February 2005 on grounds of their efforts. The Presidential Unit Citation is the highest unit award given by the US.

MJK is believed to have been the only unit among the other Coalition special forces which has not been air lifted out of areas due to dehydration in the extreme conditions in Afghanistan. MJK is also the unit with the highest number of operations among the other special forces of the Coalition in the area.

There are also several rumours of what kind of missions MJK has participated in, some American generals have told that soldiers from MJK were part of the insertion of US troops during the Vietnam War most likely in 1961 and onwards, when John F. Kennedy decided to send troops to Vietnam [2]. Other rumours tell that they during the 1980s were sent to pick up Norwegian and American submarine-personnel who were having problems outside the Russian coast, and that they, together with Forsvarets Spesialkommando and the Special Air Service used sniper teams to assassinate several Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) members in Northern Ireland. Neither of these rumours have been confirmed by the Norwegian government.

[edit] Weapons

[edit] See also

[edit] External links