Navy plans to get undersea chariots, made in India, for special operations

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What are Marine Commandos (MARCOS)?
• What are the chariots?
• News Summary: Navy plans to get undersea chariots, made in India, for special operations
• Key highlights: Features of the chariots

Why in news?

• The Indian Navy is planning to acquire indigenously-made swimmer delivery vehicles — also known as underwater chariots and midget submarines.
• This is part of efforts to modernise and strengthen the capabilities of its Marine Commandos (MARCOS) for special undersea operations.

Marine Commandos (MARCOS)

• About
  • It is a special operations force of the Indian Navy that conducts operations in air, water, and land.
  • MARCOS was founded in February 1987 and is also known as the Marine Commando Force (MCF).
    • MARCOS are modelled after the US Navy SEALs and the Royal Marines.
• Function
  • MARCOS are trained to conduct the following operations:
    • Maritime and amphibious warfare
    • Counter-terrorism
    • Unconventional warfare
    • Rescue missions
    • Reconnaissance
    • Raids
    • Swift and stealthy response in denied territories

The chariots

• About
  • The chariots are highly specialised platforms used by almost all advanced navies in the world.
  • These are self-propelled vehicles which can be launched from ships or submarines, depending on their size and the roles they are to perform.
  • In World War II, manned human torpedoes were referred to as chariots.
  • These chariots come in very handy if the Navy has to operate in shallow waters.
• Function
  • They can be used for a range of missions which include shallow-water surveillance, attacking the adversary’s coastal installations, and even their ships in harbour.
  • The chariots allow marine commandos to access areas close to the adversary’s harbour – which submarines are not able to reach due to shallow waters.
  • These chariots aid transportation of weapons and equipment to areas of operations.
• Use of chariots in India
  • Not much information is publicly available on the swimmer delivery vehicles currently used by the Navy.
  • Some sources point to the use of Italian-made chariots by the Navy for several years now.
  • Around 2012, the Ministry of Defence had asked Hindustan Shipyard Limited to build two of these submarines.

News Summary: Navy plans to get undersea chariots, made in India, for special operations

• These chariots will be able to carry a crew of at least six and will be powered by lithium-ion batteries.
• The size of these delivery vehicles will enable divers to carry bigger cylinders in the chariots.
  • This will let them stay underwater for longer hours. This, in turn, will enhance the overall operational range in shallow waters.
• The size of the chariots will also permit carriage of additional weapons for various operations.

Q1) What is a submarine?

A submarine is a watercraft that can operate independently underwater. Submarines are used by militaries and scientists to travel deep under the ocean. Militaries use submarines to patrol ocean waters and attack enemy ships during wartime.

Q2) What are US Navy SEALs?

The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land Teams (SEALs) are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force. They are trained to engage in direct raids or assaults on enemy targets, conduct reconnaissance missions, and take part in action against terrorist groups. They are also trained to operate in all environments.

Source: Navy plans to get undersea chariots, made in India, for special operations