List of military diving units
This is a list of notable military diving units and may contain combat units, salvage units, training units and diving research units which are present or past commands of any branch of the armed forces of any country.
- Argentina: Tactical Divers Group (Buzos Tácticos) is Argentina's combat frogman force.
- Austria: Austrian commando frogmen
- Australia: Clearance Diving Team (RAN) is Australia's combat frogman and underwater work force. The Australian SAS also undertakes water operations.
- Belgium: Special Forces Group (Belgium) has a specialized diving company for education and training of combat swimmers.
- Brazil: Brazilian commando frogmen (GRUMEC) is a combat diver group
- Britain:
- British commando frogmen for a list of their World War II operations.
- Special Boat Service
- Royal Engineers Specialist - Diver
- Naval Clearance Divers
- Clearance Diver
- Canada: Canadian armed forces divers
- Croatia: Croatian Special Operations Battalion (Croatia) (BSD)'s 3rd Company is specialized for seaborne operations and is responsible for training of combat swimmers and divers.
- Denmark: Danish Frogman Corps (Danish: Frømandskorpset) is an elite special forces frogman corps in the Royal Danish Navy
- Egypt: Combat frogmen: they played a major role on the War of attrition and the Crossing of the Suez Canal on 6 October 1973, by obstructing the oil pipes that would pump burning oil from Bar Lev Line to the canal.
- Eritrea: During Eritrea's war of independence against Ethiopia, the rebel forces had a combat frogman force. After the war, some of those frogmen were retrained as dive guides for the sport scuba diving tourism trade.
Finnish diver insignia
- Finland: The Finnish Navy has trained Finnish combat divers since 1954. Conscripts and career military are eligible to apply for the training. Annually, about 20 conscripts are trained for diving duties. Applying for combat diver training is voluntary, and the selection criteria are stringent.[1] The conscript divers are trained either for anti-mine or for commando operations, while career personnel may also be trained for deep-sea diving duty.[2] All conscript divers receive at least NCO training during their 12-month service period.
- France: French commando frogmen
- Germany:
- Greece:
- 1953: first Amphibious Reconnaissance Squad is founded.
- 1957-1968: Underwater Demolition Training School operates in Kannelopoulos training center.
- 1968: UDT Division established in Skaramanga.
- 1969: UDT Division renamed to Underwater Demolition Unit.
- 2002: Underwater Demolition Unit renamed to Underwater Demolition Command.[3]
- India: MARCOS (India): The MCU is the elite naval special operations unit of the Indian Navy that undertakes underwater combat.
- Indonesia: The TNI-AL/Indonesian Navy Underwater Combat Unit is called Kopaska.
Israeli frogmen transfer equipment using lifting-bags
- Ireland:
- Naval Service Diving Section
- Army Ranger Wing Combat Diving Section
- Israel: Shayetet 13 is the elite naval commando frogmen unit of the Israeli Navy. The unit is considered one of the primary Special Forces units of the Israel Defense Forces. The unit is one of the most secretive in the Israeli military. The details of many missions and identities of active operatives are kept highly classified.
- Italy: Decima Flottiglia MAS
- Italy: Italian commando frogmen
- Jordan: King Abdullah II of Jordan is a qualified frogman.
- Lebanon: Lebanese Navy SEALs Regiment
- Malaysia: The Royal Malaysian Navy has a navy special force his called Paskal and Royal Malaysia Police has a team of special elite force VAT 69 frogman able to run their operations. It includes frogmen.
- Mexico: Fuerzas Especiales
- Netherlands: The Dutch Amphibious Reconnaissance Platoon is part of the Special Forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps.
- New Zealand: The New Zealand Navy trains all NZ Army, NZ Police, and NZ Customs divers. The NZSAS's Amphibious Troop act as an elite Frogman Force. Military Dive Training support is also supplied to Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa.[4]
- Norway: Norway's commando frogmen corps is called Marinejegerkommandoen, "the naval ranger command", which is something like the British SBS. Norway has a clearance diver group called Minedykkerkommandoen, "the mine diver command".
- Pakistan: Pakistan's SSG has a naval unit modeled on the US Navy SEALs. The SSGN has headquarters in Karachi headed by a Pakistan Navy Commander. It has a strength of one company and is assigned to unconventional warfare operations in the coastal regions. During war, it is assigned to Midget submarines. All other training is similar to the Army SSG with specific marine orientation provided at its headquarters.
- Philippines: "Special Forces Combat Divers" - Naval Special Warfare Group
- Poland: Three Polish military units train and deploy frogmen in military operations. Most known are JW Formoza, JW Grom water operations detachment and JW Komandosów's frogmen company. Polish frogmen SF uses e.g. R.C.H OXY-NG2, Aqua Lung Amphora closed-circuit apparatus.
- Portugal: Sapper Divers Group (Agrupamento de Mergulhadores Sapadores)
- Russia: Russian commando frogmen
- Serbia: River Flotilla of the Serbian Armed Forces
- Singapore: Naval Diving Unit (Singapore)
- Sri Lanka: Special Boat Squadron (Sri Lanka)
- Tamil Eelam: The Sea Tigers (sea branch of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka) had frogmen for suicide runs. See also: Sea Tigers#Frogmen The Tamil Tigers ended in 2009.
- South Africa: Naval Diving Unit (South Africa)
- Spain: Spain has been training combat divers and swimmers since 1967. Two units in the Spanish Navy currently operate under a Naval Special Warfare mandate:
- UOE (Special Operations Unit) - All aspects of maritime special operations at sea, on land, and by air.
- UEBC (Specialist Combat Diver Unit) - Mainly hydrographic surveys and underwater demolitions.
- There are working plans to fuse the two units into a single "Naval Special Warfare Unit" (UGNE), while maintaining their functional distinctiveness.
- Sweden: Swedish Amphibious Corps:
- The Reconnaissance Platoon, also referred to colloquially as the Attack Divers (A-dyk). They conduct long-range reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines, sabotage, clearing beach obstacles, hydrographic surveys, and although combat is not their priority, they have a limited ability to conduct direct action missions such as ambushes. Between 6 and 10 are trained each year. The Reconnaissance Platoon is a commando unit, belonging to the amphibious battalion of the Swedish Amphibious Corps. They offer one of the hardest and most demanding training regimens in the Swedish armed forces.
- Navy EOD-divers (Röjdyk)
- Army divers (FArb-dykare) Underwater welding, obstacle clearance, underwater demolition and repairs. Belongs to the engineer troops.
- Pioneer divers (Pionjärdyk) of the amphibious battalion. Underwater obstacle clearance, repairs and EOD on land.
- Navy attack divers. (Flottan A-dyk) Underwater sabotage on enemy ships and harbours.
- Taiwan:
- Republic of China Marine Corps Command
- Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Group
- Underwater Demolition Team (U.D.T) was withdraw from the R.O.C Navy in 2005 and was adapted to the ROC Marines Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Group
- Republic of China Army General Headquarters
- Aviation and Special Forces Command
- 101st Reconnaissance Battalion (better known as Sea Dragon Frogman, has a company station in Kinmen, Matsu, 3 in Penghu, and other frontline islands)
- Thailand: Royal Thai Navy SEALs
- Turkey: Underwater search and Finding Commership is the unit that gives diving services in Turkey. It also gives deepwater diving and mine diving lessons to officers and petty officers. They become 1. Class Divers. Su Altı Taaruz commandos are high level divers.
- USA: Underwater Demolition Team
- USA: United States Navy SEALs
- USA: USA armed forces divers
- Vietnam: Naval Commando, part of Commando branch
- 5th Naval Commando Brigade
See also
References
- ↑ Finnish Navy: Sukeltajakurssi - valintakoelajit Retrieved 2/14/2007. In Finnish
- ↑ Finnish Navy: Sukeltajakurssi - tehtävä Retrieved 2/14/2007
- ↑ http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/dyk_history_en.asp
- ↑ RNZN - Navy Dive School
