Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces


The Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces 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 of the Royal Netherlands Army and the Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten. The unit can be deployed worldwide to conduct special operations, including counter-terrorism both overseas and domestically, with a maritime focus.
The unit was created in 2013 with the merger of the Unit Interventie Mariniers and the Maritime Special Operations -company.

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 UIM. 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, was established in 1990 and modeled after the Brigade Patrol Troop of the UK Royal Marines. The Unit Interventie Mariniers, named Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid 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.
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 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, and is tasked with the full spectrum of special operations outside of the Netherlands.
UIM was renamed Maritime-Squadron, and is dedicated to national counter-terrorism missions under operational command of the DSI. Training-Squadron will support both M-Squadron and C-Squadron, and is responsible for all training and the recruitment of new operators.

Structure

NLMARSOF currently consists of three operational squadrons, and one dedicated operational support group:
NLMARSOF carries out four main types of operations:
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.
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, 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.

Units

M-Squadron

M-Squadron was founded as the Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid 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.
Domestic operations conducted by M-Squadron take place under the command of the Dienst Speciale Interventies 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.

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.
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:

Weaponry

NLMARSOF operators have access to a wide variety of weapons. These include the following:
NameOriginTypeCartridgeImageDetails
Glock 17Semi-automatic pistol9×19mm ParabellumStandard issue pistol within NLMARSOF. Fitted with a laser light module.
Mossberg 590Pump-action shotgun12 gaugeUsed with buckshot ammunition and fitted with a pistol grip, optimised for door breaching.
FN P90Personal defense weaponFN 5.7×28mmFitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module. Used by M-Squadron for domestic counter-terrorism operations.
Heckler & Koch MP7Personal defense weaponHK 4.6×30mmFitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module.
SIG MCXAssault rifle.300 AAC BlackoutFitted with the SIG Sauer Suppressed Upper Receiver, an integral suppressor. In addition, it is fitted with a Magpul stock, SIG Sauer optics and a laser light module.
Heckler & Koch HK416Assault rifle5.56×45mm NATOStandard-issue assault rifle within NLMARSOF. Fitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module.
Heckler & Koch HK417Designated marksman rifle7.62×51mm NATOBoth the regular HK417 and the G28 variant are in use within NLMARSOF.
FN MINIMILight machine gun5.56×45mm NATOUsed by C-Squadron during foreign deployments in high-risk environments.
Accuracy International AWM/AXMCSniper rifle.300 Winchester Magnum
.338 Lapua Magnum		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.
Barrett M82Sniper rifle.50 BMGAnti-materiel rifle in use with NLMARSOF sniper teams.
Heckler & Koch UGLGrenade launcher40mm grenadeUndersling renade launcher that can be fitted to the HK416 assault rifle.

Watercraft