Naval Special Warfare Command (Thailand) Explained

Unit Name:Naval Special Warfare Command
Royal Thai Navy SEALs
Native Name:Thai: หน่วยบัญชาการสงครามพิเศษทางเรือ
Dates:Naval Special Warfare Command (2008–present)
Naval Special Warfare Group (1991–2008)
1956 – present
Country: Thailand
Type:Naval Special operations forces
Size:2 regiments
Command Structure:Royal Thai Fleet
Counter Terrorist Operations Center Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters
Battles:
Website:http://www2.fleet.navy.mi.th/nswc/index.php/main/index

The Naval Special Warfare Command (Thai: หน่วยบัญชาการสงครามพิเศษทางเรือ), commonly known as the Royal Thai Navy SEALs[1] (an acronym for SEa–Air–Land),[2] is the special operations force of the Royal Thai Navy.

The unit was set up in the name of Underwater Demolition Assault Unit in 1956 with the assistance of the U.S. Government.[3] A small element within the Navy SEALs has been trained to conduct maritime counter-terrorism missions.[4] The unit has close ties with the United States Navy SEALs and conducts regular training exercises.[5]

History

In 1952, the Thai Ministry of Defence considered forming a diving unit. At a meeting with the Royal Thai Army and Royal Thai Police it was agreed that the Royal Thai Navy would be responsible for establishing the unit. Representatives of the Thai Navy met with officers from the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) to discuss possible training. On 13 June 1952, the Thai Navy approved the training program for the diving unit that included Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) training. Unfortunately at the time there were not enough instructors from the United States to make the project happen and so it was temporarily put on hold.In 1953, the Overseas Southeast Asia Supply Company (SEA Supply), a CIA front company, that provided assistance to the Thai Police, offered to provide the initial diving training to the Thai Navy and also to the Thai Police, which had received parachute training. The Thai Navy approved a contingent of seven personnel and the Thai Police approved a contingent of eight personnel to receive training at Saipan island in the United States. At Saipan island, the Thai Navy and Thai Police received eleven weeks training. The Thai Navy contingent requested further training and the establishment of a Thai Navy Underwater Demolition Team on 24 November 1953 under the command of a Lieutenant.

In 1956, the Royal Thai Navy formed a small combat diver unit. In 1965, the unit was expanded and reorganised with US Navy assistance. Three years later, it was again reorganised with US Navy assistance, dividing the unit between an underwater demolitions team and a SEAL team. The UDT was tasked with salvage operations, obstacle clearance, and underwater demolitions. The SEAL team was tasked with reconnaissance and intelligence missions.In the 1991 book South-East Asian Special Forces by Kenneth Conboy, the author wrote that the Navy SEALs were organised into two units, SEAL Teams One and Two, with a strength of 144 personnel with each SEAL Team divided into four platoons. On 18 March 1991, the Navy SEALs were re-designated as the Naval Special Warfare Group, Royal Thai Fleet and were to report directly to the Royal Thai Fleet.[2] [6] The unit was expanded and organised into three divisions: special combat, special warfare school, and support.[2]

On 7 August 2008, the Naval Special Warfare Group was re-designated as the Naval Special Warfare Command, Royal Thai Fleet, in order to increase the unit size and its capability for dealing with any future threats.[2] [7]

Mission

Organization

Training Course

Training on an assault course takes about 7–8 months. It is considered the longest military training course in Thailand, divided into 5 periods as are following;

Badge

Upon completion of the course, students will receive a badge of competence which was designed by Admiral Pan Rukkaew. The components of the badge have the following meaning

Operational deployments

Most of the operations of the Navy SEALs are highly sensitive and are rarely divulged to the public. Navy SEALs have been used to gather intelligence along the Thai border during times of heightened tension.

Navy SEALs have participated in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Thailand. They have also participated in salvage and rescue operations, and have supported Royal Thai Marine Corps training exercises.

Thai Navy SEALs have deployed on Royal Thai Navy warships for anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia as part of Combined Task Force 151.[8] [4] The CTF 151 was established on 12 January 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in Somalia.[9] The task eventually were succeed as a piracy events in the region have been reduced.[10]

On February 13, 2013, the Battle of Bacho occurred when 50 RKK members attacked a 2nd Rifle Company, 32nd Task Force Narathiwat of the Royal Thai marine base. The royal thai marine base had already prepared due to receiving clues about the plans to attack the stronghold 2–3 days before. The marine commander has put in a defensive strategy with additional of the 11 members of Recon and 17 Thai Navy SEALs.[11] After clashing resulted in 16 deaths from attacker side with non fatality for both Recon and Navy SEALs members.[12] [13] In June 2018, Navy SEALs responded to a request for assistance to search for a junior football team in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system.[14] The Navy SEALs coordinated a rescue of the football team from the flooded cave system with assistance from international cave and support divers.

Totally 127 current and former Navy SEALs participated in the rescue.[15] While delivering supplies for the rescue, former Navy SEAL Petty Officer 1st class Saman Kunan died after losing consciousness underwater and could not be resuscitated.[16] A year after the rescue, another Navy SEAL, petty officer 1st class Beirut Pakbara died following a blood infection he contracted in the caves.[17]

However, all junior football team members including 12 junior football players together with their assistant coach were safely rescued.[18]

Equipment

Small arms

NameOriginTypeCaliberNotes
Pistol
Germany[19]
Austria[20]
P7M8
Assault rifle
G36KV
SCAR-H and SCAR-L.
Carbon-15
Grenade launcher
Milkor M32
Submachine gun
MP-5KA4/MP-5SD3
Submachine gunUMP-9
General-purpose machine gun
General-purpose machine gunU.S. Ordnance M60E4
Anti-materiel rifle and Sniper Rifle

Special Operations Crafts

ClassOriginTypeNotes
Special Operations Craft
Special Operations Craft4 x Marsun M18 FAB
3 x Seafox Mk.IV SWCL
ZodiacCombat Rubber Raiding CraftZodiac Rigid-Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB)

Engagements

In popular culture

See also

Notes

Citations

References

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: th:ตรวจเยี่ยมกองอำนวยการฝึกนักเรียนนักทำลายใต้น้ำจู่โจม รุ่นที่ 45 . http://www.sealthailand.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=724:2011-05-05-06-07-29&catid=35:2010-11-14-03-41-57&Itemid=41 . Navy SEAL Thailand . Royal Thai Navy . 27 July 2018 . Thai . 2018-07-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180727074839/http://www.sealthailand.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=724:2011-05-05-06-07-29&catid=35:2010-11-14-03-41-57&Itemid=41 . dead .
  2. Web site: th:หน่วยบัญชาการสงครามพิเศษทางเรือ กองเรือยุทธการ: ประวัติความเป็นมา. http://www.sealthailand.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=27. th. Naval Special Warfare Command, Royal Thai Fleet - History. Navy SEAL Thailand. Royal Thai Navy. 14 November 2010. 27 July 2018. 5 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180705180011/http://www.sealthailand.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=27. dead.
  3. Web site: การปรับตัวของไทยในยุคสงครามเย็น.
  4. News: Panrak . Patcharapol . Thai navy returns to Somalia for 2nd anti-piracy tour . 22 July 2018 . Pattaya Mail . 8 July 2011.
  5. Web site: th:ประวัติหน่วย. http://www.navy.mi.th/naswu/ . หน่วยสงครามพิเศษทางเรือ กองเรือยุทธการ. title:History;website:Naval Special Warfare Unit, Royal Thai Fleet. Royal Thai Navy . https://web.archive.org/web/20070816045521/http://www.navy.mi.th/naswu/ . 16 August 2007 . Thai.
  6. Web site: Naval Academy . English-Thai Naval Dictionary . Royal Thai Navy . https://web.archive.org/web/20151016003900/http://www.navy.mi.th/newwww/code/special/terminology/terminology.php?id=3 . 16 October 2015 . 2002 . 15 April 2020 . live .
  7. News: th:ร่วมงานวันคล้ายวันสถาปนาหน่วยบัญชาการสงครามพิเศษทางเรือ . Celebrate the launch of the Naval Special Warfare Command. http://www.artillery-marines.mi.th/artillery/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=803:2016-05-24-01-50-08&catid=118:-2559&Itemid=53 . 23 July 2018 . Artillery Regiment Marine Corps . April 2009 . Thai.
  8. Royal Thai Navy Anti-Piracy Fleet . 22 July 2018 . Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore . 15 July 2011.
  9. Web site: CTF-151: Counter-piracy . 17 September 2010 . Combined Maritime Forces . 4 December 2013.
  10. Web site: New Counter-Piracy Task Force Established. 22 January 2014.
  11. https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/335785/death-zone-awaited-unsuspecting-raiders Death zone awaited unsuspecting raiders
  12. Web site: เมื่อคนตาย เราควรฟังเสียงใคร? | ประชาไท. prachatai.com. 2019-09-19.
  13. Web site: Thai marines kill 16 militants who attacked base | Oceania. Gulf News. 13 February 2013 . 2019-10-03.
  14. News: Timeline of young footballers, coach being trapped in Mae Sai cave, Chiang Rai . 19 July 2018 . Thai PBS . 25 June 2018.
  15. News: Navy chief praises Thai Navy SEALs in special citation . 25 July 2018 . Thai PBS . 22 July 2018.
  16. News: Thai navy Seals pay tribute to diver who died in cave rescue. Busby. Mattha. 2018-07-06. the Guardian. en. 2018-07-07.
  17. Web site: 2019-12-29 . Thai navy SEAL who rescued a team from a cave has died - Thailand Bangkok . 2022-03-28 . en-US.
  18. Web site: Thai cave rescue: water pumps failed just after last boy escaped. Michael. Safi. 11 July 2018. the Guardian. 12 July 2018.
  19. Web site: Royal Thai Navy ยุทโธปกรณ์ในกองทัพเรือไทย – thaiarmedforce. 2 May 2019 .
  20. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: ผบ.ทร. โชว์ยิงอาวุธปืนประจำกายทหาร นย.ไทย . YouTube.
  21. http://daranews.info/the-crown-princess/ The Crown Princess To Air Soon On Thai TV3
  22. News: อ่านเรื่องย่อละคร ลิขิตรัก เรื่องย่อละคร นิยายไทยรัฐ. www.thairath.co.th. th.
  23. News: Against The Elements . Channel News Asia . Johnson . Dean . 8 August 2018 . 9 August 2022 .
  24. Web site: Thai Cave Rescue . . 14 November 2018 .
  25. News: A sneak peek at the first Thai cave rescue film . Cheung . Helier . 25 December 2018 . BBC News . 26 December 2018 . en-GB.
  26. Web site: Frater . Patrick . 2022-07-27 . Netflix 'Thai Cave Rescue' Series Sets September Release, Claims Maximum Authenticity Amid Similar Projects . 2022-08-06 . Variety . en-US.
  27. Hear From the Boys Themselves in 'The Trapped 13: How We Survived the Thai Cave' Documentary. Netflix Media Center. September 9, 2022. September 10, 2022.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Naval Special Warfare Command (Thailand)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.