Page 306 - SSB Interview: The Complete Guide, Second Edition

special forces unit that was raised by the Indian Navy in 1987 for direct
action, special reconnaissance, amphibious warfare and counter-

terrorism. In 1988, the MARCOS successfully rescued several hostages,

including the Maldives’ then Minister of Education, aboard a ship
hijacked by PLOTE mercenaries during Operation Cactus. The

MARCOS were deployed to prevent infiltration through the Jhelum and
Wular Lake and were also involved in covert counter-terrorism

operations in and around lakes and rivers in Jammu and Kashmir.

During the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the MARCOS were also involved in
the rescue mission of hostages captured by the terrorists in the Taj

Mahal Palace & Tower luxury hotel as part of a large terrorist attack in
Mumbai metropolis in November 2008.

Bases
67. In 2005, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Kadamba at Karwar,

100km from Goa. This is the third operational naval base after Mumbai

and Visakhapatnam and the first to be controlled exclusively by the
Navy. (The other bases share port facilities with civilian shipping, but

this one is purely for naval use.) Built under Phase I of the multi-billion

dollar Project Seabird, it is the largest naval base in the region. Asia’s
largest Naval Academy, INS Zamorin, was inaugurated at Ezhimala in

January 2009 by the Prime Minister of India.

68. Another naval base is being planned for the eastern shores, near

Visakhapatnam at a cost of $350 million. The base, which will be
located 50km south of Visakhapatnam in Rambilli Mandal, will have

comprehensive anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and amphibious capabilities.
This east coast base expansion programme is in direct response to the

Chinese PLA.

Navy activities in the region

69. The Indian Navy is setting up a naval station in Madagascar, to monitor

and patrol the coast of Mozambique as well as the Southern Indian