In a historic move, Indian Navy opens up special forces MARCOS for women to serve as commandos

The option of volunteering to become Marcos will be available to both female officers and sailors who will join the service as Agniveers next year.

NewsBharati 12-Dec-2022 15:09:36 PM

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New Delhi, Dec 12: In a historic development, the Indian Navy has decided to admit women into its elite special forces, allowing them to serve as commandos for the first time in any of the three defence services, according a Hindustan Times report.

Indian Navy opens up special forces MARCOS for women to serve as commandos

It is pertinent to mention that the army, navy, and air force special forces are made up of the strongest soldiers who go through rigorous training, are capable of staging a rapid and stealthy response in the prohibited territories, and have thus far been a male preserve.

"Women in the navy can now become marine commandos (Marcos) if they choose to and meet the criteria. It’s truly a watershed in India’s military history. But no one is directly assigned to special forces units. People have to volunteer for it," an unnamed senior naval official was reported saying by Hindustan Times.

According to a second official, the option of volunteering to become Marcos will be available to both female officers and sailors who will join the service as Agniveers next year.

The Marcos have been trained for a variety of tasks and can operate on land, sea, and air. These commandos carry out covert strikes on enemy warships, offshore installations, and other key assets, as well as specialised diving operations and observation and reconnaissance missions to support naval operations.

They can even fight terrorists in a maritime setting and have been used in counter-terrorism operations in Kashmir's Wular lake area.

Women have now been an integral part in all branches of the navy, from special operations to aviation to vessel duties. It has evolved into a completely gender-neutral force. There is no shortage of opportunity if a person has what it takes.

The opening of the navy's special forces wing to women comes as the force prepares to induct women into the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre for the first time. The marine defence has evolved over time to become a gender-neutral force.