INDONESIAN FROGMAN

Kopaska (TNI-AL) is the premier frogman and underwater demolition unit of the Indonesian Navy.This unit motto is Tan Hana Wighna Tan Sirna, which means there is no obstacle that can not be defeated.
It was officially established on March 31 1962 by President Sukarno to help his campaign in Western New Guinea. This special operations force already existed far before March 31 1962. In 1954, the father of Kopaska is Captain (Navy) ISKAK from the Navy Frogman School at Naval Base Surabaya. Their main duty is underwater demolition, which consists of raiding enemy's ships and bases, destroying main underwater installations, reconnaissance, prisoner snatches, preparing beaches for larger naval amphibious operations, and counter-terrorism. In peace time the unit deploys a 7-man team to serve as security personnel for VIPs. Primary among these duties are the escort and personal security of the Indonesian president and vice president

History

KOPASKA was heavily influenced by the early U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) and modern Navy SEAL Teams. This foundation of Kopaska established, when early KOPASKA members (Captain-Navy Urip Santoso, Lieutenant-Navy Joko Suyatno, Sergeant EMP Joseph) were sent to the United States for training with the UDTs Russia to learn from Russian Navy Combat Diver. That trad,beside of those person Indonesian Navy has also sent personnel toition continues until now as each year a few men from the unit travel to Coronado, California and Norfolk, Virginia to participate in SEAL training. Back to Indonesia this batch’s duties were to recruit new personnel for Kopaska. Early recruitment was difficult since only few Navy members could pass the Kopaska qualifications process. This condition became harder, when President Sukarno announced the Trikora Campaign in Western New Guinea (the Netherlands New Guinea), since Kopaska needed to conduct beach reconnaissance, beach clearing, prisoner snatches, and humantorpedo missions. The last two missions were the most daring missions planned by Kopaska; the i ntended prisoner target was Rear Admiral Reeser, Commander in Chief of the Dutch Armed Forces in the Territory, and for the human torpedo their target was the Aircraft Carrier Karel Doorman. Due to lack of personnel Kopaska had to borrow personal from Army Special Force ( RPKAD - now Kopassus / Colonel Sarwo Edhie Wibowo and 21 of RPKAD) and 3 from Kodam Jaya/Army (three of them become Navy soldier/Kopaska after Trikora campaign and were seaman school in Naval Training Command/Kodikal, the names are Maksum, Alex Sunaryo, Budi Suroyo). The plans were canceled as part of the implementation of the cease-fire between Indonesia and the Netherlands. After Trikora campaign 18 of 21 RPKAD still want become a Navy soldier, they dream can not came true because Commander of RPKAD (Maj. Gen. Mung Pahardimulyo) dont agree with them. But he accommodate the ex-Kopaska members to make a new special unit in RPKAD and they're called RPKAD Frogman (now Paska Gultor, in batalyon SAT 81-2 Gultor Kopassus Cijantung). Until now, Kopassus always send the best members to been trained for three month in Frogman Navy Scholl/Sepaskal at Special Training Centre/Pusdiksus, Naval Training Command/Kodikal Moro Krembangan, Surabaya, east Java.

Recruitment

Recruitment process in Kopaska is almost similar to US Navy SEALs. The criteria consists of:

1. All personne l who wish to join the Kopaska unit should be members of the na vy corps, as the involvement in other corps is not allowed (this includes the marine corps)
2. All personnel must be younger than 30 years old
3. Recruitment process is held once a year at all naval base, so that all nav y personnel from all over Indonesia can join Kopaska. After fulfilling these criteria, the candidate will be brought to Kopaska Training Centre to conduct the selection process. From previous experience, out of 300-1500 candidates, only 15 to 20 actually succeeded in completing the initial selection process. Subsequent to this, those who passed will receive advanced training in Kopaska training centre according to www.specialoperations.com. Finally, after passing this training, a candidate then graduated to be a member of Kopaska unit and only 5-6 people will get to this stage.

Training

Training process length is nine months. These training divided into 4 continual training phases. First Phase is physical endurance or physical training, The second phase is Basic under water t raining, third phase is commando training, the fourth phase is parachute training

First phase

First phase training is physical training or endurance training. Therefore to cope with this phase each candidate every day will receive physical training program, such running,
marching, push-up, sit up, pull-up, swimming, etc. All of these training program are unscheduled, therefore it can happen any time the instructor want his candidates to do. The last week of this training each candidate should be able to show their strength already, such as cross strait swimming, rowing to Laki Island at night with little food and without enough sleep, etc. These training
usually exploit most of the candidate physical and psychology strength. The remaining training phases are almost similar receive by Indonesia special communities,
such as: combat swimming, infiltrate through submarine torpedo tube, Long range combat patrol, Close quarter battle (CQB or CQC), Infiltrate by using CRRC or RIB, Intelligence course, parachute training, consist of combat free-fall, static lime, HAHO, and HALo, Pathfinder, Survival, etc.

Weaponry and equipment

Since most of Kopaska duties are at salt and moist environment, therefore most of Kopaska weaponries and equipment reflect these conditions. The type of equipment and weaponries used by Kopaska is quite common in Indonesia and world special force societies, such as:

• Pistols: Berretta P92FS, Browning Hi-Power, FN Five-Seven^[1], Pindad made P1/P2, Sig Sauer P226, Glock 17, Glock 19, H&K USP
• Submachineguns: FN P90^[1], H&K MP5 variants, Micro Uzi, Daewoo K7
• Assault rifles: AK-47, AK-103 & AK-104, Norinco Type 56-2 & QBZ-95C, Colt M4A1 Carbines (with Aimpoint & Trijicon scopes), Colt M16A2 assault rifle (M16A2 is limited), Pindad SS1-V1,V2,V4, SIG SG 552, SIG SG 551 SwAT, IMI Galil ARM 7.62mm, Micro Galil, CZ-58, SAR 21 , HK416
• Sniper rifles: H&K G3SG sniper rifle, Sig 550 Sniper rifle, Steyr-Mannliche r SSG 69, Galatz Sniper Rifle, AWP, NTW
• Machineguns: Daewoo K3, FN Minimi, FN MAG, Ultimax 100

For equipment Kopaska basically uses commercial scuba diver equipment. All personnel are also equipped with lightweight PRO-TEC helmets. For aqualung equipment Kopaska uses close circuit and open circuit, for underwater mobility Kopaska use scooter, or sometime they use sub-skimmer craft, on the water they usually use Avon Sea Raider Rigid Inflatable Boat or Hull (But Sea Raider by deflating the hull also can be use as sub-skimmer craft).

Notable missions

Trikora campaign
In this campaign, they were ordered to be human torpedoes just like the Japanese 'kamikaze.' Their Kamikaze strick craft was a boat installed with one MiG-17 "Fresco" ejection seat, powered by a pair of Johnson 100pk and armed with two torpedoes warheads. Known as Project Y within KOPASKA circle, this project was supervised by Major (Navy) Urip Santoso, one of the founders of KOPASKA.
Currently, the unit strength is approximately 300 men, divided into two groups. One group is attached to the western fleet, based in Jakarta, and the other group is attached to the eastern fleet, based in Surabaya, East Java. When called for, they do support search and rescue duties, albeit to a limited extent. They have been deployed overseas as part of United Nations peace keeping missions.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Kopassus & Kopaska - Specijalne Postrojbe Republike Indonezije" (in Indonesian). Hrvatski Vojnik Magazine. http://www.hrvatski-vojnik.hr/hrvatski-vojnik/1612007/ind.asp. Retrieved 2009-10-18.