The
Pasukan
Kh
as
Laut (''Naval Special Warfare Forces,''
Jawi: ), commonly abbreviated to PASKAL, is the principal
special operations force
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
of the
Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ms, Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia; TLDM; Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defense operations. RMN's area of o ...
.
PASKAL's task is to conduct small-unit maritime military operations that originate from, and return to a river, ocean, swamp, delta or coastline. PASKAL also performs
unconventional warfare
Unconventional warfare (UW) is broadly defined as "military and quasi-military operations other than conventional warfare" and may use covert forces, subversion, or guerrilla warfare. This is typically done to avoid escalation into conventional ...
,
guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or Irregular military, irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, Raid (military), raids ...
,
counter-guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics ...
,
jungle warfare
Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain.
It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for bo ...
,
counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...
,
close protection
A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, ...
, hostage rescue and
foreign internal defence.
Although PASKAL was created as a maritime counter-terrorism unit, it has become a multi-functional special operations unit with roles that include high-risk operations including
direct action
Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...
,
special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance (SR) or Recon Team is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organizations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detect ...
operations and other specialised missions.
PASKAL is an all-male force that was officially established on 1 October 1982, after a five-year setup period, with the purpose of enforcing Malaysia's
Exclusive Economic Zone maritime claims through sea, air and land operations.
PASKAL personnel routinely serve and train with allied SOFs including the Australian
SASR
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the Special Air Service, British SAS sharing the motto, "Who ...
, Indonesian
Kopassus
The Kopassus ( id, Komando Pasukan Khusus, Special Forces Command) is an Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) special forces group that conducts special operations missions for the Indonesian government, such as direct action, unconventional warfare, sa ...
and
Denjaka
Denjaka (abbreviation from ''Detasemen Jala Mangkara''; Jala Mangkara Detachment) is a counter-terrorism special operations force of the Indonesian Navy. It is a combined detachment formed from selected personnel of the Navy's frogmen unit ( KOP ...
, Singaporean
Naval Diving Unit, Thai
Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy, U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command, Naval Special Wa ...
,
US Green Beret and
US Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
.
History
![Paskal2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Paskal2.jpg)
The PASKAL was founded unofficially in 1977. It was originally known as the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Naval Commando Unit based in
Woodlands Woodlands may back refer to:
* Woodland, a low-density forest
Geography
Australia
* Woodlands, New South Wales
* Woodlands, Ashgrove, Queensland, a heritage-listed house associated with John Henry Pepper
* Woodlands, Marburg, Queensland, a her ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
; which was formerly known as HMS ''PELANDOK'' at Khatib Camp,
Sembawang
Sembawang is a planning area and residential town located in the North Region of Singapore. Sembawang planning area is bordered by Simpang to the east, Mandai to the south, Yishun to the southeast, Woodlands to the west and the Straits of Jo ...
, Singapore. This unit is under the RMN Security Regiment Organisation () which now known as the Navy Provos (; Protela).
PASKAL has its origins in a perceived need for a security regiment trained in modern maritime operations. The unit's main purpose was the protection of Malaysia's naval bases and national assets. (At that time, the Royal Malaysian Navy; RMN main base was known as KD Malaya ''(Kapal Diraja Malaya;'' ''His Majesty's Ship Malaya''), formerly known as ''HMS Malaya'' before independence, in Woodlands, Singapore, which was later transferred to the new naval base in
Lumut,
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
when it was completed in 1979.
The Security Regiment is largely composed of sailors responsible for the security of strategic sites such as bases and ammunition depots. When the main naval base at Lumut became available PASKAL headquarters was established there in 1981.
Initial training
![PASKALSpecOps](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/PASKALSpecOps.jpg)
Following the ratification of the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty, is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. , 167 c ...
(UNCLOS), Malaysia was among the first nations to claim the right to extend its maritime borders beyond the previous
12 (nautical) mile limit. The new unit originally it's received basic training at the
Special Warfare Training Centre, Sungai Udang,
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
by the
Grup Gerak Khas
The 21st Special Service Group (Abbr.: 21 SSG, ) is a command for Malaysian Army special forces, the '' Gerak Khas''. The 21 SSG and 10th Parachute Brigade are elite fighting formations of the Malaysian Army. Both units are independent units unde ...
.
In 1977, the first batch of trainees was split into two groups. The first group was sent to the
Indonesian Marine Corps
'' ("Glorious on the Land and Sea")
, colors =
, colors_label = Beret color
, march = Mars Korps Marinir
, mascot =
, equipment =
...
' Jungle Commando (; Kohut) Course at Combat Training Centre (), Selogiri,
Banyuwangi
Banyuwangi, previously known as Banjoewangi, is the administrative capital of Banyuwangi Regency at the far eastern end of the island of Java, Indonesia. It had a population of 106,000 at the 2010 Census and 117,558 at the 2020 Census.
The town ...
, Indonesia. While the second group consisting of 30 officers, led by Captain
Sutarji Kasmin (now Admiral, retired), was sent to the Marine Training Centre ( id, Pusat Pendidikan Marinir; Pusdikmar), Kota Pahlawan,
Surabaya
Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
, Indonesia to receive commando and jungle training delivered by Indonesian Navy
KOPASKA. On their return the cadre were referred to as Navy Commandos.
To enhance and diversify their skill sets, the unit also trained in Portsmouth,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
with
Royal Marines Commandos
3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces. It is composed of the Royal Marine Commandos, alongside commando qualified sailors, soldiers and airmen from ...
,
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...
,
Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...
and to California by
US Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
.
A few of the unit's members, including, Lieutenant Ismail Safaie, Lt Dya Masri Muhammad and PO Mohammad b Razak travelled on to
Coronado, California
Coronado (Spanish for "Crowned") is a resort city located in San Diego County, California, United States, across the San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego. It was founded in the 1880s and incorporated in 1890. Its population was 24,697 at the ...
and
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
to receive
Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Training by the US Navy SEALs.
Exclusive economic zone
In April 1980, Malaysia declared that its EEZ reached up to 200
nautical mile
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today ...
s from the coast as provided by the UNCLOS. This decision affected development plan as a naval fleet is directly responsible for controlling and protecting its national waters and has made Malaysia a maritime littoral nation of some 598,450 square kilometres (approximately 231,060 square miles) including some four and a half thousand kilometres of coastline and over a thousand islands.
On 1 October 1982, PASKAL was officially established as the instrument used to enforce the Malaysian EEZ. In an effort to strengthen its claim over the
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands ( fil, Kapuluan ng Kalayaan; zh, c=南沙群島/南沙群岛, s=, t=, p=Nánshā Qúndǎo; Malay, id, Kepulauan Spratly; vi, Quần đảo Trường Sa) are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. Composed o ...
Waters (subject to overlapping claims by multiple countries) the
National Security Council
A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
of Malaysia mandated PASKAL as Maritime Counter-Terrorism operatives in 1991.
Panglima Hitam
![60th Merdeka Day Picture 29](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/60th_Merdeka_Day_Picture_29.jpg)
On 15 April 2009, PASKAL Team Command (PTC) was officially named KD Panglima Hitam in a ceremony held at the Royal Malaysian Navy HQ in Lumut, Perak by the King of Malaysia, Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin
Al-Wathiqu Billah Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah ( Jawi: ; born 22 January 1962) is the 18th and current Sultan of Terengganu. He served as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutio ...
to honour PASKAL's service.
KD Panglima Hitam translates into English as ''HMS Black Knight,'' inspired by His Majesty Sultan of Selangor,
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al Haj ibni Al Marhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al Haj as an honorary Navy Captain. A total of 34 names of sultans and 56 common names have been proposed to the RMN and were chosen: ''KD Panglima Hitam, KD Halilintar and the KD Maharaja Lela''.
''Panglima Hitam'' is a traditional title awarded to proven warriors during the era of the various Malay Sultanates in
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
,
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
and
Johore
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime bor ...
referring to a warrior skilled in fighting tactics. The symbolism of Panglima Hitam's history and myth remains emblematic, representing strength, military prowess and strategic sense.
Examples
Taiping, Perak
During his passage with his seven brothers in Makassar, Sulawesi, Daeng Kuning settled in Kuala Larut while his brothers continued to other destinations in the Malay Archipelago. Throughout his life he wore black clothes and was more skilled in self-defense than his siblings.
Kuala Selangor, Selangor
He was bodyguard to Sultan Ibrahim, the second Sultan of Selangor and Sultan Muhammad, the third Sultan of Selangor. His body was buried beside the tombs of the kings at Malawati Hill. Before his death, he was strictly enjoined that he was buried outside the royal tomb.
Jugra, Selangor
A bodyguard during the reign of the late Sultan Abdul Samad, the fourth Sultan of Selangor. By oral stories from the elders, his true name is Daeng Ali and his tomb is located at Royal Mausoleum in Jugra.
Muar, Johore
His true name is Baginda Zahiruddin and he is from Padang Pariaman Minangkabau, Sumatera Island, Indonesia. He is the founder of Silat Lintau in Indonesia and came to Malaya in the 16th centuries. He worked with local people to eradicate and eliminate the piracy in the estuary of Sungai Muar.
Segamat, Johore
He was the military leader responsible for defeating rebel groups during the Jementah War, which occurred in the area of Segamat. His tomb is located at Jementah in Segamat, Johor.
National Special Operations Force
In 2016, the main counter-terrorism operators in Malaysia were formed into one special operations
task force. Few operators from PASKAL are selected to be part of the
National Special Operations Force.
Roles and responsibilities
![PASKAL ready to jumps over side boat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/PASKAL_ready_to_jumps_over_side_boat.jpg)
One of PASKAL's main roles is to launch offensive operations independently via sea, land and air in enemy-controlled areas. PASKAL operatives are trained to conduct maritime operations such as anti-piracy, ship and oil rig hijacking. The security of more than thirty offshore oil rigs in Malaysian waters are PASKAL's responsibility. The unit holds regular training exercises on each rig.
Other PASKAL roles include securing beachheads, deep penetration reconnaissance raids, structure and underwater demolition and sabotage. PASKAL also handles in-harbour underwater sabotage, ship-boarding assault, Counter-Terrorist missions (CT),
infiltration
Infiltration may refer to:
Science, medicine, and engineering
*Infiltration (hydrology), downward movement of water into soil
*Infiltration (HVAC), a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning term for air leakage into buildings
*Infiltration (me ...
behind enemy lines and mine-clearing.
Special joint training with army special units is conducted regularly on specialised skills like
HALO
Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to:
* Halo (optical phenomenon)
* Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head
HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Video games
* ''Halo'' (franch ...
and
HAHO
High-altitude military parachuting, or military free fall (MFF), is a method of delivering military personnel, military equipment, and other military supplies from a transport aircraft at a high altitude via free-fall parachute insertion. Two ...
overwater and overland parachute jumps.
PASKAL detachments are stationed on sensitive Malaysian offshore stations, particularly on the Layang-Layang atoll, while other detachments are permanently staged on RMN ships.
Selection and training
![SEACAT 2010 100623-N-7643B-139](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/SEACAT_2010_100623-N-7643B-139.jpg)
PASKAL personnel are required to be mentally and physically agile. Every new trainee undergoes three months of the Basic Commando Course at the RMN's Lumut Naval Base.
Applicants must be younger than 30 years old and healthy. They must complete and pass the Basic Commando Course before attending the
Special Warfare Training Centre (SWTC; PULPAK) in Sungai Udang, Malacca to undergo basic parachute training.
Next is the Advanced First Class training where they receive training in fields such as medic, communications, explosives and electrical–mechanical repair.
They must pass a physical test every three months.
Assignment to PASKAL is conditional on passing the PASKAL Physical Screening Test (PST). Prospective trainees are expected to exceed the minimums.
Among other activities the PST consists of:
* 7.8 km running in 24 minutes (below 24 years of age)
* 1.5 km swimming in not more than 25 minutes (in a swimming pool)
* 6.4 km swimming in open sea with full mission load – under 120 minutes
* Day–night skydiving at high elevation spots i.e. hills, buildings and on ocean surface
* Freestyle swimming for 1.5 km under 31 minutes
* Surviving in water with hands and feet fully tied up (drown-proofing)
* Diving without breathing apparatus for a minimum of 7 m in depth
Basic recruitment
* Pre-selection/warm-up
* Basic PASKAL commando
* Diving endurance
* Basic sky-diving
Career development
* First class enrolment
* Underwater combat manoeuvre
* Leading rate enrolment
* Petty officer enrolment
* Diving/underwater combat superior
Members of PASKAL conduct training with Allied nation counter-terrorism units such as the
Australian SAS
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the Special Air Service, British SAS sharing the motto, "Who ...
,
British SAS
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
,
US Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
,
US Navy EOD,
Australian Submarine Escape,
Australian Clearance Diver, US Marine Corps
Special Operations Training Group, etc.
On 26 August 1991, the
National Security Council
A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
declared PASKAL as Malaysia's main counter-terrorist tasked for
oil/gas rigs and
merchant ships
A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are us ...
security. It forms one of the elements in the
Quick Reaction Force
In military science nomenclature, a quick reaction force (QRF) is an armed military unit capable of rapidly responding to developing situations, typically to assist allied units in need of such assistance. They are to have equipment ready to res ...
(QRF).
Expertise–specialist course
![PASKAL rappelling ExPangkor10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/PASKAL_rappelling_ExPangkor10.jpg)
;Insertion Techniques
*
High-altitude military parachuting
High-altitude military parachuting, or military free fall (MFF), is a method of delivering military personnel, military equipment, and other military supplies from a transport aircraft at a high altitude via free-fall parachute insertion. Two ...
: Tactical, high altitude free-fall parachute insertion, employed in covert insertion into enemy territory.
*
Special patrol insertion/extraction
The Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction (SPIE) system was developed as a means to rapidly insert and/or extract a reconnaissance patrol from an area that does not permit a helicopter to land. SPIE has application for rough terrain as well as wa ...
: Ability to rapidly insert and/or extract a reconnaissance patrol or assault team from enemy terrain; conduct SPIE rig of personnel from combat zone.
;Combat Techniques
All PASKAL recruits receive special training and are operationally qualified to perform special operational duties. The training consists of:
* Combat tracking: Direct action missions in jungle terrain, employing guerilla tactics,
night combat
Night combat is combat that occurs during the hours of darkness. It is distinguished from daytime combat by lower visibility and its reversed relation to the circadian cycle. Typically, night combat is favorable to the attacker, with offensive ta ...
and dynamic
counter-insurgency
Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...
techniques.
* Pathfinding/Jungle survival: Ability to handle insertion to set up and operate drop zones, pick-up zones and helicopter landing sites for airborne operations, air resupply operations, or other air operations in support of the ground unit commander. Survival skills to handle emergencies, especially in tropical forest and beachheads.
*
Unarmed combat
Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Huns ...
: A mixture of Malay
Silat
is the collective term for a class of indigenous martial arts from the Nusantara and surrounding geocultural areas of Southeast Asia. It is traditionally practised in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Southern Philip ...
and Korean
Taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...
martial arts as the main hand-to-hand combat techniques to take down the enemy at very close range.
*
Close quarters combat
Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections officers ...
: Tactical direct action missions, as well as
visit, board, search and seizure
Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics. VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggli ...
(VBSS) operations or destruction of offshore gas, and oil platforms, employing close quarter battle combat and dynamic assault tactics and techniques.
*
Sniper
A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
/
Counter-sniper tactics
Counter-sniper tactics have evolved in sniper warfare to reduce the effectiveness of snipers.
Reducing the risk of damage
During the stalking phase of their attack, a sniper will, if time allows, try to identify high-value targets, such as senio ...
: Direct or counter sniper in urban warfare terrain, or reconnoiter jungle warfare, reduce the enemy's fighting ability by striking at high-value targets and pinning down and demoralising the enemy, as well as provide covering fire for Malaysian or designated friendly forces from enemy attacks, as well as enemy snipers.
*
Explosive ordnance disposal
Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the militar ...
: Ability to defuse or detonate explosive materials, such as time bombs, unexploded ordnance (UXO), naval mines, etc.
*
Combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.
A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refuelin ...
: Conduct search and rescue during war or peacekeeping missions that are within or near combat zones.
*
Military operations on urbanized terrain
Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and ...
: Conduct military operations in a built-up area.
*
Combat medic specialist: Specialised medic for providing first aid and front line trauma care.
*
Foreign language
A foreign language is a language that is not an official language of, nor typically spoken in, a given country, and that native speakers from that country must usually acquire through conscious learning - be this through language lessons at schoo ...
: Use of foreign languages to communicate with allied forces, etc.
;Intelligence Gathering
Besides combat and insertion skills, PASKAL units are able to gather intelligence to provide guidance to commanders in support of their decisions. Intelligence capabilities include:
*
Counterintelligence
Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...
: Tactical counter-intelligence to prevent hostile/enemy intelligence organisations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence.
*
Signals intelligence
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ( ...
– SIGINT: Tactical SIGINT, limited ground-based Electronic Warfare and communications security monitoring and analysis in direct support. This is accomplished by employing organic collection and direction finding equipment as well as through connectivity to national and theatre SIGINT/EW assets.
* C4-I (communications, command, control, co-ordination, intelligence) Systems Implementations: Tactical C4-I techniques to provide intelligence to command centre. The objective is a thorough understanding of mutual command and control procedures, capabilities, and limitations developed through continual participation in joint and combined exercises.
*
Special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance (SR) or Recon Team is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organizations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detect ...
: Reconnaissance behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy.
*
Long-range reconnaissance patrol
A long-range reconnaissance patrol, or LRRP (pronounced "lurp"), is a small, well-armed reconnaissance team that patrols deep in enemy-held territory.Ankony, Robert C., ''Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri,'' revised ...
: Use of four to six-man teams on reconnaissance and combat patrols, either obtaining intelligence, or performing raids and ambushes.
PASKAL tactics and organisation are heavily influenced by the British
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...
(SBS) and the
United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often referre ...
(SEAL Team Six – DEVGRU). PASKAL usually trains with GGK as well as
US Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
, Indonesian Navy
KOPASKA and the SBS.
Teams and structure
Naval Special Operations Unit
The manpower details of this unit are highly classified and it is believed to be a regiment divided into two operation regiments tasked to support PASKAL operations. Specialist tactical teams of PASKAL consist – KD PANGLIMA HITAM, PASKAL Unit Satu (PASKAL – Unit 1) based in the Lumut Naval Base in
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
on Peninsular Malaysia, and PASKAL Unit Dua (PASKAL – Unit 2) based at KD SRI SEMPORNA, a Naval Base in
Semporna
Semporna ( ms, Pekan Semporna) is the capital of the Semporna District in the Tawau Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 35,301 in 2010.
History
Semporna was founded soon after the British North Borneo Char ...
,
Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
. A company-strength (''detachment'') is based at Teluk Sepanggar Naval Base near
Kota Kinabalu
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = From top, left to right, bottom:Kota Kinabalu skyline, Wawasan intersection, Tun Mustapha Tower, Kota Kinabalu Coastal Highway, the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, the Wism ...
, Sabah with each naval base having a regiment sized unit to support PASKAL operations in jungle warfare, amphibious assaults, ship boarding (VBSS) and defending military ports.
Structure
PASKAL organises itself operationally into squadrons of at least four companies (or platoons) each. Each company is in turn organised roughly along the lines of the
US Green Berets' structure of Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta Squadron. The smallest PASKAL unit is the Boat Troop, with seven men. Each PASKAL company consists of:
;Alpha Squadron
:The Versatile Special Operations Force, mainly trained for Maritime Counter-terrorism and other rescue operations into cargo vessels and oil rigs as well as urban terrain. This platoon is equipped with individual covering systems for
close quarters combat
Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections officers ...
.
;Bravo Squadron
:An oxygen combat diving team and a special air operations team, both of which allow quiet infiltration of enemy territory. This squad is also trained to collect intelligence data to help the assault squad.
;Charlie Squadron
:An auxiliary team with the role of strengthening special operations capacity from behind enemy lines.
;Delta Squadron
:The conventional warfare team that dominated the amphibious warfare of PASKAL teams with special operation skills on the ground and sniping.
Each squadron contains a mixture of specialists that is adjusted for the specifics of the mission or area where it is tasked to operate. Each squadron normally carries a Combat Intelligence Team ( ms, Tim Risik Gempur, TRG), trained in maritime tactical intelligence, counter-intelligence and psychological operations.
Identities
;Reddish purple (magenta) coloured beret
:The magenta beret reflects PASKAL's identity and its close relationship with the
Indonesian Marine Corps
'' ("Glorious on the Land and Sea")
, colors =
, colors_label = Beret color
, march = Mars Korps Marinir
, mascot =
, equipment =
...
.
;Navy blue lanyard
:The navy blue lanyard reflects the Royal Malaysian Navy and possibly reflects their founding trainers, the British Royal Marines Commando.
;Camouflage
:The PASKAL camouflage uniform is identical to that worn by
US Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
. It reflects the close relationship with this
US Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army.
The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mis ...
unit from which PASKAL receives training.
;Trimedia
:The "Trimedia" is PASKAL's main emblem which is worn by every PASKAL operatives. The "Trimedia" term comes from the combination of the English word "''Tri''" which means "Three" and Malay word "''Media''" which means "Medium". In other words, Trimedia means the ability of operating in three mediums; Land, Air (Parachute) and Underwater.
:The various components symbolises:
:* Wing – the traditional symbol for airborne capability
:*
Jet Fin &
Diving Mask
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
Emblem – symbolises underwater infiltration capability
:*
Combat Dagger – symbolises
ground warfare
Land warfare or ground warfare is the process of military operations eventuating in combat that takes place predominantly on the battlespace land surface of the planet.
Land warfare is categorized by the use of large numbers of combat personne ...
capability
:* Anchor – the symbol for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).
;PASKAL shoulder tab
:PASKAL operatives wear shoulder tab embroidered with "PASKAL" on the right shoulder sleeve. The shoulder tabs are synonymous with elite forces in Malaysian Armed Force.
Equipment
![65th Merdeka Day 2022 Picture 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/65th_Merdeka_Day_2022_Picture_4.jpg)
The weaponry and equipment inventory is a confidential subject. PASKAL teams use equipment designed for a variety of specialist situations including
close quarters combat
Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections officers ...
(CQC), urban warfare, hostile maritime interdiction (
VBSS
Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics. VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggli ...
/GOPLATS), long range target interdiction, jungle warfare and special reconnaissance. Nevertheless, amid rumours of financing from the consortium of oil and shipping companies in addition to ample financing from the navy, PASKAL's inventory currently includes some of the world's most advanced and sophisticated equipment.
![HK G36C Special Patrol Carbine belonging to Navy PASKAL](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/HK_G36C_Special_Patrol_Carbine_belonging_to_Navy_PASKAL.JPG)
Voluntary contributions from the oil consortium and shipping companies ensures that PASKAL has sufficient means to procure specialised weapons and equipment including heavy body armour, ballistic shields, entry tools, tactical vehicles, advanced night vision optics, and motion detectors that are much more modern and sophisticated in comparison to the other special forces units in the Malaysian armed forces. All the weaponry and equipment was acquired under the Offensive Underwater Weapons program implemented under the
9th Malaysian Plan
The Ninth Malaysian Plan ( ms, Rancangan Malaysia ke-9), abbreviated as '9MP', is a comprehensive blueprint prepared by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department and the Finance Ministry of Malaysia with approval by the ...
s.
Uniforms
![Navy PASKAL sniper operator with HK417 7](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Navy_PASKAL_sniper_operator_with_HK417_7.62mm_Sniper_during_57th_NDP.JPG)
PASKAL personnel wear similar
utility uniforms to the tactical uniforms worn by the military. Many armed forces diverged from the original standard black or blue uniforms, and PASKAL uniforms now include
US Woodland
The U.S. Woodland is a camouflage pattern that was used as the default camouflage pattern issued to the United States Armed Forces from 1981, with the issue of the Battle Dress Uniform, until its replacement in the mid to late 2000s. It is a four ...
camouflage patterns identical to that worn by SEALs.
Originally PASKAL units were equipped with balaclavas and
M40 Field Protective Mask
The M40 field protective mask was one of various protective masks used by the United States Armed Forces and its allies to protect from field concentrations of chemical and biological agents, along with radiological fallout particles. It is not ...
, or even PRO-TEC fiberglass
baseball helmets. Modern PASKAL units commonly use the lightweight FAST helmets.
Fire retardant
A fire retardant is a substance that is used to slow down or stop the spread of fire or reduce its intensity. This is commonly accomplished by chemical reactions that reduce the flammability of fuels or delay their combustion. Fire retardants m ...
balaclavas are often used to protect the face, as well as to protect the identity of team members. Ballistic vests, sometimes including rigid plate inserts, are standard issue.
Helmets
Night-vision devices
Accessories
Thermal imaging common modules
Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation.
The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...
Various ground tactical
Weaponry
![H&K_weapons_of_PASKAL_on_display](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/H%26K_weapons_of_PASKAL_on_display.JPG)
PASKAL teams employ a variety of weapons, the most common weapons include shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, machineguns, sniper rifles and grenade launchers. Currently, they operates an American and German-made weaponry, but in the Langkawi Airshow (
LIMA
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
2015) maritime warfare, they used
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
weapons, including the HK UMP45 submachine gun, HK416, G36 and a lightweight XM8 assault rifle. Pictures taken during national day parades including RMN anniversaries as well as LIMA and from local defence magazines indicate the use of the following:
Bladed weapons
Sidearms
Shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
s
Submachine gun
A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...
s
Tactical rifles and
Carbine
A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The smaller size and lighter ...
s
Anti-materiel rifle
An anti-materiel rifle (AMR) is a rifle designed for use against military equipment, structures, and other hardware (materiel). Anti-materiel rifles are chambered in significantly larger calibers than conventional rifles and are employed to elimin ...
s
Designated marksman rifle
A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern telescopic sight, scoped high-Accuracy and precision, precision rifle used by infantrymen in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement effective range, range gap between ...
s
Sniper rifle
A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long-range rifle. Requirements include accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment and optics for anti-personnel, anti-materiel and surveillance uses of the military sniper. The modern sniper rifle is a por ...
s
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
s
Hand grenade
A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...
s
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially-designed large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, smoke or gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grenade cartridges. The mos ...
s
Others
Vehicles
PASKAL utilises specialised delivery craft – among others, PASKAL employs high speed inflatable/collapsible
subskimmers (also known as UDV – Underwater Delivery Vehicle or
Diver Propulsion Device - DPD), for infiltrations into hostile areas.
The acquisition of two submarines which are jointly being built by
DCNS,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
Navantia
Navantia is a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company, which offers its services to both military and civil sectors. It is the fifth-largest shipbuilder in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world with shipyards around the globe. The heir to t ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
(KD ''Tunku Abdul Rahman'' commissioning January 2009, KD ''Tun Razak'' commissioning October 2008) is expected to further add PASKAL's capabilities and range.
Commanding officers
Notable PASKAL members
*
Commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* Commodore (rank), a naval rank
** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom
** Commodore (United States)
** Commodore (Canada)
** Commodore (Finland)
** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore''
* Air commodore, a ...
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haji
Sutarji Kasmin (now Admiral, retired) — first commanding officer of PASKAL, considered godfather of PASKAL
*
Vice Admiral Dato' Haji Nasaruddin Bin Othman (retired) — second commanding officer of PASKAL, replacing First Admiral Dr. Haji Sutarji Kasmin
* First Admiral Dato'Hj Saifudin Bin Kamarudin
* FA Dato'Hj Jamaludin Bin Mohd Saman (Retired)
* Captain Hj Ismail Bin Safaii (late)
* Capt Hj Abd Malek Bin Hj Mohd Daud RMN
* First Admiral (Retired)
Anuar Alias — recipient of ''
Panglima Gagah Berani
The Star of the Commander of Valour ( ms, Panglima Gagah Berani) is a medal awarded by the Malaysian government. The award was established on 29 July 1960, and it was formally gazetted by an act of parliament on 11 August 1960. It is Malaysia's ...
'' medal
* Commander George Paul Thomas Rozario
*
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
Che Adnan Bin Mat Isa (Retired, now Maritime Captain of MMEA)
* Lieutenant Commander Fadzir bin Talib TLDM (late)
* Lieutenant Commander (Honorary) 806879 Ahmad Ramli Bin Kardi — recipient of
''Ahli Mangku Negara'' and
''Ahli Mahkota Perak'' medal. One of the first Malaysian to perform free-fall parachute jump at
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...
and
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...
.
* Lieutenant Commander Samrus Bin Che Dan (died 18 June 2012)
*
Master Chief Petty Officer
U.S. Coast Guardmaster chief petty officercollar device
U.S. Coast Guardmaster chief petty officersleeve rating insignia
United States Navymaster chief petty officer collar insignia
United States Navymaster chief petty officershoulderb ...
Mohd Room Bin Bahari (Retired)
* MCPO Mustapha bin Alwi
* Chief Petty Officer 814726 Mohd Idros bin Mohd Yusof
Operations and covert actions
PASKAL units has been deployed in the following operations:
Operation Dawn ''(Ops Fajar)''
PASKAL operatives were deployed subsequent to the hijacking by Somali pirates of two Malaysian merchant vessels, MISC-owned Bunga Melati 2 and Bunga Melati 5. The PASKAL detachment was tasked for intelligence-gathering and also to provide security to the Malaysian team negotiating the release of both ships and their crew. This operation, codenamed Ops Fajar (Operation Dawn) also involved Royal Malaysian Navy assets comprising
KD Lekiu
KD ''Lekiu'' is a guided missile frigate currently serving in the Royal Malaysian Navy and one of the major naval assets for Malaysia. Together with her sister ship KD Jebat (FFG29), ''Jebat'', ''Lekiu'' serves in the 23rd Frigate Squadron of t ...
,
KD Sri Inderapura
USS ''Spartanburg County'' (LST-1192) was the fourteenth of twenty s of the United States Navy (USN) which replaced the traditional Bow (ship), bow door-design tank landing ships (LSTs). Named after a Spartanburg County, South Carolina, county i ...
, as well as supported elements of Malaysian Army special forces,
Grup Gerak Khas
The 21st Special Service Group (Abbr.: 21 SSG, ) is a command for Malaysian Army special forces, the '' Gerak Khas''. The 21 SSG and 10th Parachute Brigade are elite fighting formations of the Malaysian Army. Both units are independent units unde ...
as well as some RMAF assets.
Rescue operations of Zhenhua 4
18 December 2008 – The Royal Malaysian Navy rescued a Chinese-registered ship, ''Zhenhua 4'' in the
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...
on Wednesday, the same day the United Nations Security Council decided to be more assertive against the Somali pirates. The Zhenhua 4 was attacked by nine armed pirates about noon on Wednesday while on its way from Djibouti to China.
Called on by the Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), the multinational coalition patrolling the pirate-infested gulf, the RMN's KD Sri Inderasakti dispatched a helicopter (including PASKAL naval commandos) to the scene. The helicopter fired two warning shots at the pirates' skiff, causing them to call off the attack on the heavy load carrier Zhenhua 4 and flee.
Rescue operation of MV Abul Kalam Azad
1 January 2009 – PASKAL operatives together with RMN
KD Sri Indera Sakti, commanded by Captain Mohamad Adib Abdul Samad experienced its first combat in the new year when its
Fennec helicopter drove off two pirate skiffs pursuing Indian-registered crude oil tanker MT Abul Kalam Azad in the Gulf of Aden. The 92,000-tonne vessel, with 40 crew members, was heading for the Suez Canal with a full load of crude oil, sailing in the gulf at 11.37am (Malaysian time) when it was attacked by pirates in two skiffs. One of the boats had seven men in it, all armed with
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
s and
machinegun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) ar ...
s. They unleashed a barrage of fire at the bridge and accommodation area of the ship. They also tried to board it, all the while keeping up the attack.
However, the ship began taking evasive measures and increased speed to the maximum. This was also when it issued a distress signal, which was picked up by Malaysian navy support ship KD Sri Indera Sakti about 15 nautical miles away. In rapid response, Captain Mohamad Adib dispatched the ship-borne Fennec helicopter gunship armed with twin general purpose machine guns and an elite Naval Special Forces PASKAL airborne sniper. The Malaysian helicopter was joined by a
Eurocopter AS 365 Dauphin helicopter of the
Royal Saudi Navy
The Royal Saudi Navy ( ar, البَحْريَّة الْمَلكيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة, Al-Quwwat al-Bahriyah al-Arabiyah as-Su'udiyah) or Royal Saudi Naval Forces ( ar, القُوَّات البَحْريَّة الْمَلك ...
, effectively scaring off the pirates.
The captain of the Abul Kalam Azad had initially requested to join the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation convoy, escorted by the Sri Indera Sakti, but later accepted the offer from a Saudi Arabian naval ship to escort it to its destination. International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre head Noel Choong said the crew of the Abul Kalam Azad reported seeing the pirates in military-style garb.
MALCON – ISAF
Special forces including PASKAL, Grup Gerak Khas, PASKAU and the 10th Paratrooper Brigade were deployed along other Malaysian contingent troops to participate in the administrative workload at the
International Security Assistance Force
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, comman ...
(ISAF) in Afghanistan. Teams were deployed to assist the
New Zealand Armed Forces
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF; mi, Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, "Line of Defence of New Zealand") are the armed forces of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and her realm, promoti ...
in the peacekeeping missions and
humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and ...
at Bamiyan District, Afghanistan.
Operation Dawn 8: Gulf of Aden
20 January 2011 – PASKAL maritime counter-terrorism assault teams successfully thwarted an attempted hijacking by Somali pirates on the Malaysian chemical tanker, ''MT Bunga Laurel'' in the Gulf of Aden. The tanker, laden with lubricating oil and ethylene dichloride was headed for Singapore when attacked by a pirate mothership with 18 armed pirates about 300 nautical miles (555 km) east of Oman at 11.40pm. Under the cover of darkness, seven pirates armed with AK-47 assault rifles, light machine guns and pistols suddenly emerged from a skiff boat and began boarding the tanker, firing at random. The crew of ''MT Bunga Laurel'' activated the alarm and MISC Emergency Reporting Centre (ERC) received a security emergency indication at about 11.37pm. With the issue of an order to rescue, the PASKALs in two boats, led by Lieutenant Commander Mohd Maznan Bin Mohd Said and Lieutenant Noor Asri Bin Roslan, were deployed at 1.20 am from
KA Bunga Mas Lima auxiliary ship, located 14 nautical miles (25.9 km) away, and provided with reconnaissance and aerial cover by a
Fennec attack helicopter piloted by Lieutenant Jason Solomon John.
The PASKALs boarded the tanker and subdued the pirates who engaged in a gunfight with the commandos, while the helicopter fired on the pirates' mother ship. At least three pirates were wounded in the shootout onboard the ''MT Bunga Laurel'' and further four captured, while 11 more pirates on the mothership decided to surrender. A cache of weapons and ammunition was seized. The 23 member ''Bunga Laurel'' crew consisting of Filipinos and Malaysians was successfully rescued with no casualties, and with no losses to the PASKALs in the battle. The swift action prevented the MISC from losing the cargo worth an estimated RM30 million. The KA Bunga Mas Lima had just completed the task of escorting the tanker and another MISC liquefied natural gas carrier, ''MT Seri Balhaf'', bound for Fujairah, to a safe zone called Easton 4 in the gulf. Malaysian Prime Minister
Najib Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malaysi ...
praised the team for their efficiency in dealing with the crisis; the captured pirates were eventually brought to Malaysia to be tried.
Lahad Datu conflict
PASKAL units were sent to Lahad Datu, Sabah as part of the Malaysian security forces team to secure the area. The units, alongside GGK, PASKAU, PGK and UNGERIN play main roles in tracking down and neutralising the Southern Filipino terrorist group.
''MT Orkim Harmony'' hijacking
On 11 June 2015, eight Indonesian pirates hijacked the ''MT Orkim Harmony'', a Malaysian tanker at 8:54 p.m.
MST
The Master of Studies or Master in Studies (M.St. or MSt; ) is a postgraduate degree at the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of St Andrews, the Australian National University, University of Dublin and the University of Ne ...
(
UTC+08:00) during its way from
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
to
Kuantan Port
Kuantan Port (Latitude 3°58'N, Longitude 103° 26'E) is a multipurpose port in the East Coast Region of Peninsular Malaysia, situated about 25 km to the north of Kuantan city and facing South China Sea.
Previously run by Kuantan Port Auth ...
in the waters of Tanjung Sedili,
Kota Tinggi
Kota Tinggi is a town and capital of Kota Tinggi District, Johor, Malaysia. Kota Tinggi is also the name of the district, Kota Tinggi District, where the town is situated.
Kuala Sedili or Tanjung Sedili, a small fishing town located 37 km ...
, Johor at .
During the hijacking, a crew of 22 was on board the tanker, including 16 Malaysians, five Indonesians and one Myanmar national.
The tanker was loaded with 6,000 metric tonnes of
petrol
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
worth around 21 million
ringgit
The Malaysian ringgit (; plural: ringgit; symbol: RM; currency code: MYR; Malay name: ''Ringgit Malaysia''; formerly the Malaysian dollar) is the currency of Malaysia. It is divided into 100 ''sen'' (formerly ''cents''). The ringgit is issued ...
(US$5.6 million).
All the eight hijackers were armed with pistols and
parangs.
On 17 June, an
Australian air force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
Lockheed AP-3C Orion
The Lockheed AP-3C Orion is a variant of the P-3 Orion used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for tasks such as naval fleet support, maritime surveillance, search and survivor supply and anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The 18 AP ...
reconnaissance plane, flying from
its base in Malaysia's northern Penang state, spotted the missing tanker in the
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in l ...
within the Cambodian-Vietnamese maritime border. According to them, the tanker had been repainted from blue to black and renamed ''Kim Harmon''.
Malaysian authorities co-operate with an authorities of
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
to track and intercept the tanker in Cambodian waters. In reaction to the Australian report, RMN and MMEA vessels, who were put on standby, and Navy counter-terrorism forces PASKAL were deployed to the area and, on 19 June, the tanker was spotted at .
[The reference is on the ]external links
An internal link is a type of hyperlink on a web page to another page or resource, such as an image or document, on the same website or domain.
Hyperlinks are considered either "external" or "internal" depending on their target or destination ...
. The pirates on board the tanker instructed them to retreat for about five nautical miles (9 kilometres) from the tanker located and threatened to kill the crew's families if the tanker's captain leaked the pirates plan to leave the tanker to the Malaysian authorities.
Some hours later, eight Indonesians who were suspected as the pirates were seen near
Thổ Chu Island
Thổ Chu Island ( vi, đảo Thổ Chu or ''đảo Thổ Châu'') is the largest island of Thổ Chu Islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Here lies the administrative center of Thổ Châu Commune, Phú Quốc District, Kiên Giang Province, Viet ...
and as they were approached by the
Vietnam Border Defense Force
, ) or Vietnam Border Defence Force is a branch of the Vietnam People's Army. It is responsible for management and protection of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, order and national boundaries on the mainland, islands, sea and at the ...
(VBDF) and VCG,
the Indonesians claimed they were from a fishing boat that sank.
In popular culture
Books, televisions and movie.
* 2018: "'", an action movie based on a true story about missions of
UNIVEM II and
Operations Dawn 8 in Gulf of Aden.
* 2019: "''PASKAL 24 Jam''", a TV reality show by Astro Gempak about the seven actors and social media celebrities joining the challenge to feel the real experience of training in the PASKAL camp non-stop for 24 hours with KD Panglima Hitam.
See also
*
Elite Forces of Malaysia
The Special Forces and Elite Forces include both a specially and higher trained unit and a small percentage of personnel from a specific Malaysian military branch, law enforcement or government agency. In Malaysia, the term 'Special Forces' is wid ...
**Malaysian Army
21st ''Grup Gerak Khas''
**Malaysian Army
10th Parachute Brigade
** Royal Malaysian Air Force
PASKAU
The (, Jawi: ڤاسوكن خاص تنترا اودارا) – it is better known as PASKAU – is the special operations force of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF; ). Its main functions are to carry out high-value target protection, ground ...
** Malaysia Coast Guard
Special Task and Rescue
The Special Task and Rescue ( ms, Pasukan Tindakan Khas dan Penyelamat APMM – PTK APMM, Jawi: ''ڤاسوكن تيندقن خاص دان ڤڽلامت ماريتيم'') or STAR is the maritime tactical unit of the Malaysian Maritime Enforceme ...
** Royal Malaysia Police ''
Pasukan Gerakan Khas
''Pasukan Gerakan Khas'' (Abbreviation: PGK; 'Special Operations Command — Police SOCOM', Jawi: ڤاسوكن ڬرقن خاص) is a special operations command of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The PGK has two distinct sub-units; the Specia ...
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Notes
References
External links
KD Panglima Hitam - PASUKAN KHAS LAUTRoyal Malaysian Navy websitePusmas - PENUBUHAN PASUKAN KHAS LAUT (PASKAL)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Malaysian Navy Paskal
Armed forces diving
Counterterrorism in Malaysia
Counterterrorist organizations
1982 establishments in Malaysia
Military units and formations established in 1982
Naval special forces units
PASKAL
The Pasukan Khas Laut (''Naval Special Warfare Forces,'' Jawi: ), commonly abbreviated to PASKAL, is the principal special operations force of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
PASKAL's task is to conduct small-unit maritime military operations that ...
Special forces of Malaysia