Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces

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Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces
NLMARSOF
Nederlandse Maritieme Special Operations Forces
Embleem NLMARSOF.svg
Emblem of NLMARSOF
Active2013-present
CountryFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Allegiance HM The King
Branch Marine vlag.svg Royal Netherlands Navy
Type Special forces
Role Counter-terrorism
Direct action
Military assistance
Special reconnaissance
Hostage rescue
Part of Netherlands Marine Corps
Garrison/HQ Doorn and Den Helder
Motto(s)Nec timide, nec tumide ("Without fear, without overconfidence")
Insignia
Frogman insignia and NLMARSOF-trident NLMARSOF drietand en kikvorsman insigne.jpg
AbbreviationNLMARSOF

The Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces (NLMARSOF, also simply referred to as MARSOF) is the special forces unit of the Marine Corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It is one of the three principal units tasked with special operations in the Netherlands (the other being the Korps Commandotroepen and 300SQN). The unit can be deployed worldwide to conduct special operations, including counter-terrorism both overseas and domestically, with a maritime focus. [1] Its operations are planned and coordinated by the Netherlands Special Operations Command (NLD SOCOM).

Contents

The unit was created in 2013 with the merger of the Unit Interventie Mariniers (UIM) and the Maritime Special Operations (MSO)-company. [2]

History

Until 2008, the Dutch maritime special forces capability consisted of three distinct units: the Dutch Frogmen Platoon, the Mountain Leader Reconnaissance Troop, and the Unit Interventie Mariniers. The Dutch Frogmen Platoon has historically had a strong connection with the UK Special Boat Service, and was informally often named "7th Troop SBS". The Mountain Leader Reconnaissance Troop (ML Recce Troop), was established in 1990 and modeled after the Brigade Patrol Troop of the UK Royal Marines. [3] The Unit Interventie Mariniers (UIM), named Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid (Special Support Unit) until 2006, was formed on 22 February 1973, in response to a rising threat of terrorist attacks in both Europe and domestically. The main goal of this unit is the countering of large scale and/or complex domestic terrorist attacks. [4]

Since 2006 the operational command of UIM is executed by the Dienst Speciale Interventies of the Dutch National Police. In 2008, the Dutch Frogmen Platoon and the ML Recce Troop merged into the Maritime Special Operations Company (MSO-Coy) and were tasked with all amphibious operations for the Royal Netherlands Navy. While commencing in an informal manner in 2009, since 2013 NLMARSOF was officially established as a new operational unit. The MSO-Coy was renamed Conventional-Squadron (C-Squadron), and is tasked with the full spectrum of special operations outside of the Netherlands. [3]

UIM was renamed Maritime-Squadron (M-Squadron), and is dedicated to national counter-terrorism missions under operational command of the DSI. Training-Squadron (T-Squadron) will support both M-Squadron and C-Squadron, and is responsible for all training and the recruitment of new operators. [3]

Structure

NLMARSOF currently consists of three operational squadrons, and one dedicated operational support group: [5]

Tasks

NLMARSOF carries out four main types of operations: [6]

Recruitment and training

All new personnel for NLMARSOF is recruited from within the Netherlands Marine Corps ranks, there is no possibility for civilians or military personnel from other branches to join NLMARSOF. [7]

The training starts with a three-week pre-selection course, the Aptitude. Recruits must endure this pre-selection to qualify for the twenty-week MSOF-course, which will transform the recruits into NLMARSOF-operators. After the MSOF-course, all recruits must complete the fourteen-week Nationale Interventie Opleiding (National Intervention Course), which focuses on domestic counter-terrorist scenarios. The operators that have completed both of these courses are then fully operational to serve in M-Squadron. Operators bound for C-Squadron will have to complete the Mountain Leader or the twelve-week Frogmen course to obtain operational status within C-Squadron. [8]

Units

Members of M-Squadron in 2020 M-Squadron NLMARSOF.jpg
Members of M-Squadron in 2020

M-Squadron

M-Squadron was founded as the Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid (BBE, Special Support Unit) in 1972 and was the first dedicated counter-terrorism unit in the Netherlands. Its establishment was deemed necessary after a rise of the terrorist threat level in Europe, such as the Munich Massacre, and domestically, such as the terrorist attacks committed by Moluccans. [9]

Domestic operations conducted by M-Squadron take place under the command of the Dienst Speciale Interventies (DSI) of the Dutch National Police since 2006. While the operational command resides with the DSI, M-Squadron continues to be an organisational unit of NLMARSOF and the Netherlands Marine Corps. [10]

C-Squadron

C-Squadron conducts operations outside of the Netherlands and consists of regular NLMARSOF-operators that have completed the MSOF- and NIO-training, and operators that have completed the additional Mountain Leader and/or Frogmen training. [11]

Operations

NLMARSOF operators in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan during their deployment as part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission. MARSOF Afghanistan-12.jpg
NLMARSOF operators in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan during their deployment as part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission.

Since its establishment M-Squadron, and its predecessors BBE and UIM, and C-Squadron, and its predecessor MSO-Company, have conducted various famous operations. An overview of some notable operations the units have been involved in:

Equipment

Weaponry

NLMARSOF operators have access to a wide variety of weapons. These include the following:

NameOriginTypeCartridgeImageDetails
Glock 17 Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Semi-automatic pistol 9×19mm Parabellum GLOCK 17 Gen 4 Pistol MOD 45160305.jpg Standard issue pistol within NLMARSOF. Fitted with a laser light module.
Mossberg 590 Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Pump-action shotgun 12 gauge PEO Mossberg 590A1.jpg Used with buckshot ammunition and fitted with a pistol grip, optimised for door breaching.
FN P90 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Personal defense weapon FN 5.7×28mm P90--.png Fitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module. Used by M-Squadron for domestic counter-terrorism operations. [22]
Heckler & Koch MP7 Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Personal defense weapon HK 4.6×30mm Heckler & Koch MP7A1.png Fitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module.
SIG MCX Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Assault rifle .300 AAC Blackout SIG-MCX-Rifle.jpeg Fitted with the SIG Sauer Suppressed Upper Receiver (SUR), an integral suppressor. In addition, it is fitted with a Magpul stock, SIG Sauer optics and a laser light module. [23]
Heckler & Koch HK416 Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO HK416N.png Standard-issue assault rifle within NLMARSOF. Fitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module. [24]
FN MINIMI Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Light machine gun 5.56×45mm NATO FN MINIMI Standard Right.jpg Used by C-Squadron during foreign deployments in high-risk environments.
Accuracy International AWM/AXMC Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Sniper rifle .300 Winchester Magnum
.338 Lapua Magnum 		G22 Bundeswehr Technik 02 (RaBoe) noBG.png Anti-personnel sniper rifle in use with NLMARSOF sniper team. AXMC rifles, successor to the AWM, have recently been acquired to replace the aging AWM rifles. [25]
Barrett M82 Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Sniper rifle .50 BMG Anti-materiel rifle in use with NLMARSOF sniper teams. [26] [27]
Heckler & Koch UGL Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Grenade launcher 40mm grenade HK AGCEGLM noBG.png Undersling grenade launcher that can be fitted to the HK416 assault rifle. [24]

Watercraft

Vehicles

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References

  1. 1 2 ten Voorde, Gerard (2016-02-12). "Specialiteit Marsof ligt op grens van water en land". Reformatorisch Dagblad.
  2. ↑ van Oosbree, Gerard (2013-12-01). "NLMARSOF: 'Het beste van drie werelden in een eenheid'". Dutch Defence Press.
  3. 1 2 3 Kraag, Andy (2012-06-01). Forging Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces. Monterrey, California: Naval Postgraduate School.
  4. ↑ van der Spek, Christiaan (October 2009). Een wapen tegen terreur: De geschiedenis van de Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid Krijgsmacht 1972-2006. Uitgeverij Boom. ISBN   9789085068242.
  5. ↑ "Kerngegevens Defensie: Feiten en cijfers" (PDF). Ministerie van Defensie (Netherlands Ministry of Defence).
  6. ↑ Margés, Joost (2016-05-23). "MARSOF niet voor niets op Malta: Trojan Footprint mixt oefening met ware wereld". Alle Hens.
  7. ↑ ten Voorde, Gerard (2015-12-18). "Elite-militair Marsof ziet een vogeltje op z'n loop". Reformatorisch Dagblad.
  8. ↑ Twigt, André (2018-12-09). "De lat ligt gewoon hoog". Alle Hens.
  9. ↑ van Oosbree, Gerard (2012-03-17). "Unit Interventie Mariniers". Dutch Defence Press.
  10. ↑ Timmer, Jaap (2018). "Krijgsmacht en politietaken" (PDF). Justitiële verkenningen: 79.
  11. ↑ van Nee, Jur (December 2015). "Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Force: Van toen naar nu en verder" (PDF). Marineblad. No. 125. KVMO.
  12. ↑ "Mountain Leader Troops MARSOF". www.youtube.com. Ministry of Defence (Netherlands).
  13. ↑ van Oosbree, Gerard (2016-02-29). "De kikkeropleiding, heimelijk leren opereren op de grens van land en water". Dutch Defence Press.
  14. 1 2 Schoonhoven, Silvan; van Joolen, Olof (November 2018). Liggen blijven! - Achter de schermen bij de mariniers van De Punt en de terreuracties van 1973-1978. Nieuw Amsterdam. ISBN   9789046824337.
  15. ↑ Meeus, Jan; Schoorl, John (2005-02-05). "Kom ons maar halen". De Volkskrant.
  16. 1 2 3 Dimitriu, G.R.; Tuinman, G.P.; van der Vorm, M. (2012). "Operationele ontwikkeling van de Nederlandse Special Operations Forces, 2005-2010" (PDF). Militaire Spectator. 108 (3).
  17. ↑ "Boardingteam Hr.Ms. Tromp ontzet bemanning gekaapt schip". Ministerie van Defensie (Netherlands Ministry of Defence). 30 April 2010.
  18. ↑ Daane Bolier, Klaas (2015-07-07). "Als ze denken dat je zwak bent, lopen ze over je heen: MARSOF in Mali". Alle Hens.
  19. ↑ "Militaire bijdrage Nederland in Irak". www.defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence (Netherlands). 20 October 2020.
  20. 1 2 van Beveren, Arthur (2019-09-10). "Trainen, adviseren én operaties ondersteunen: MARSOF helpt Afghaanse collega's". Alle Hens.
  21. ↑ van Unen, Bernie (2020-02-17). "Defensievakbond: 'Ook elite-eenheid van het Korps Mariniers gaat weg uit Doorn'". Algemeen Dagblad.
  22. ↑ Bode, Jessica (2017-06-16). "Skywave mariniers: Levensechte anti-terreuroefening op Schiphol". Defensiekrant (11).
  23. ↑ "Dutch MARSOF officially purchase .300 BLK SIG MCX Rifles". The Firearm Blog. 2016-12-09.
  24. 1 2 "HK416-aanvalsgeweer en HK417-scherpschuttersgeweer". www.defensie.nl. Ministerie van Defensie (Netherlands Ministry of Defence). 27 November 2020.
  25. ↑ "Accuracy-scherpschuttersgeweer (antipersoneel)". Ministerie van Defensie (Netherlands Ministry of Defence). 4 November 2013.
  26. ↑ "Barrett-scherpschuttersgeweer (antimaterieel)". www.defensie.nl. Ministerie van Defensie (Netherlands Ministry of Defence).
  27. ↑ "Mountain Leader Troops MARSOF". www.youtube.com. Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy).
  28. ↑ Oosthoek, Jack (2017-06-14). "'Controle behouden, dáár draait alles om': MARSOF-mariniers duiken op vanuit Caribische diepten". Alle Hens (6).
  29. ↑ "FRISC-motorboot". www.defensie.nl. Ministerie van Defensie (Netherlands Ministry of Defence). 4 November 2013.
  30. ↑ de Weger, Michiel (December 2011). "Steeds ergens anders: De organisatie en de operaties van de Nederlandse militaire speciale eenheden" (PDF). Faculteit Militaire Wetenschappen van de Nederlandse Defensie Academie: 33.
  31. ↑ "Vector-terreinwagen (SOF)". Ministerie van Defensie (Netherlands Ministry of Defence). 2 December 2019.
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