''Marinejegerkommandoen'' (MJK) ( en, Naval Special Operations Command) is the maritime/naval special warfare unit of the

Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces ( no, Forsvaret, , The Defence) is the military organization responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Coast Guard, the Royal ...

and was established in 1953. The MJK is under the command of the Norwegian Special Operations Command (NORSOCOM) together with the ''

Forsvarets Spesialkommando ) , type = Special forces , role = , size = Classified , command_structure = , current_commander = Colonel Brage Andreas Larssen , garrison = Rena leir , ceremonial_chief = , colonel_of_the_regiment = , nickname = , patron = , mo ...

'' (FSK), with the MJK being the older of the two units. The unit is headquartered on the Ramsund naval base in northern Norway, with other MJK operators stationed on the Haakonsvern naval base in southwestern Norway.

Selection

As with any modern special operations forces, the training to become an MJK operator is long and arduous, both physically and mentally taxing. To become a fully qualified MJK operator takes a minimum of two years and is further augmented by specialized courses during the following contract period, such as

combat medic A combat medic, or healthcare specialist, is responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at a point of wounding in a combat or training environment, as well as primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injur ...

training,

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 ...

training and

forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

(FAC) training. In 2008 a news-team from

NRK NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...

filmed their selection process. Showing recruits being strip searched and doing water exercises in a secret abandoned naval base somewhere along the Norwegian coast.

History

In the autumn of 1940, two Norwegian military units were set up in the United Kingdom. Their mission was to carry out special operations against Nazi forces in occupied Norway. The two units were ''Shetlandsgjengen'' (

Shetland Bus The Shetland Bus ( Norwegian Bokmål: ''Shetlandsbussene'', def. pl.) was the nickname of a clandestine special operations group that made a permanent link between Mainland Shetland in Scotland and German-occupied Norway from 1941 until the s ...

), who used fishing vessels to transport people and materials to and from Norway, and '' Kompani Linge'' (Norwegian Independent Company 1), initially under the command of Lieutenant Martin Linge. Both units were under the command of the British

Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its p ...

. In 1953 the Royal Norwegian Navy formed a

frogman A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, com ...

-unit. This unit was under the command of Ove Lund, and is the origin of the modern ''Marinejegerkommandoen'' and ''Minedykkerkommandoen''. The mission of the frogmen was to conduct recon and sabotage against enemy targets above and below water. The frogmen were also tasked with disarming all water-borne explosive devices. The missions gradually become more comprehensive and different frogman specialities emerged. This led to members of the unit being divided into a clearance diver team and two

combat swimmer A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, comb ...

teams, in 1968. Of the combat swimmer groups, one was based at Ramsund Naval Station in northern Norway, and one was based at Karljohansvern Naval Station in southern Norway. The two combat swimmer teams were eventually fused into one and based in Ramsund. They later changed names to the current ''Marinejegerkommandoen''. Today the unit has its main base in Bergen, with training facilities in Ramsund.

Role

''Marinejegerkommandoen'' plays an integral part in modern warfare operations. The unit carries out missions that require thorough planning, quick reaction, high precision, covert implementation, daring, courage and the ability to work independently. As with all SOF missions, they target objectives of high or critical strategic value.

Domestic security

''Marinejegerkommandoen'' is on national counter-terrorism standby to assist the Norwegian Police if required (alongside ''

''), and is also on continuous standby for international operations.

International operations

The ''Marinejegerkommandoen'' have participated in a number of international operations. The unit conducted operations in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

in 2002 (

Task Force K-Bar Task Force K-Bar, originally the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-South (CJSOTF-South), was led by the United States and composed of special operations forces from seven nations. It undertook the first major ground deployment in the ...

), in 2003 and in 2005–2006, as part of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 a ...

. The unit was also involved in the training of the Afghan National Police Crisis Response Unit around

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...

in 2008–2009, relieving ''Forsvarets Spesialkommando'' for a short period. The unit provided operators for Military Observer Teams (MOT's), as part of the Norwegian Armed Forces contribution in

Faryab Province Faryab (Dari: ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, which is located in the north of the country bordering neighboring Turkmenistan. It has a population of about 1,109,223, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a tribal society. The pr ...

in northern Afghanistan. It was during a MOT patrol on 27 June 2010 that Lieutenant Commander Trond Andrè Bolle was killed, along with three members of the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command, when the Iveco LMV they were travelling in was struck by an IED. Lt Cmdr Bolle was later awarded the Norwegian War Cross with Sword for his actions commanding the Norwegian Special Operations Force Task Group II in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan's Helmand province from October 2005 to February 2006. MJK’s contribution in Afghanistan has largely been kept secret, but from what little information is available, it's missions have included DA (direct action), Forward Air Control (FAC) and SR (Special Surveillance and Reconnaissance), and cooperating with other coalition forces in the fight against the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

and

Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...

. Following Afghanistan, MJK has deployed twice aboard Royal Norwegian Navy frigate

HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F310) HNoMS ''Fridtjof Nansen'' is a frigate of the Royal Norwegian Navy. Launched on 5 April 2006, she is the lead ship of the ''Fridtjof Nansen'' class of warships. Counter-piracy On 26 February 2009, the Norwegian government decided to deploy HN ...

off the coast of Somalia, conducting anti-piracy operations as part of Operation Atalanta (2009) and

Operation Ocean Shield Operation Ocean Shield was NATO's contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA), an anti-piracy initiative in the Indian Ocean, Guardafui Channel, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. It follows the earlier Operation Al ...

(2013). In January 2013, medical specialists from MJK, amongst other units, were sent on a Norwegian Air Force Super Hercules to

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

in connection with the In Amenas hostage crisis in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Recognition

''Marinejegerkommandoen's'' participation in

earned the unit the

Navy Presidential Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

on 8 February 2005. The Presidential Unit Citation is the highest unit award given by the United States to allied units and was awarded to all members of

. William H. McRaven, a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

who previously served as the commander of

Joint Special Operations Command The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equi ...

(JSOC), said in an interview with a Norwegian newspaper in 2007 that he regarded the Special Operations Forces of Norway to be among the top special operations forces in the world. A member of the MJK was in August 2020 awarded the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. W ...

of the United States for extraordinary allied efforts during a mission in Afghanistan.

Commanding officers

* Tom Robertsen (-2014) * Petter Hellesen (2014-2018) * Trond Gimmingsrud (2018-2020) * Kåre Karlsen (2020-)

Vessels

* 10 Goldfish 36 RIB ( special version of the 36 model ) by Goldfish Boats AS * Safeguard ship for specialforces - ''Petter B Salen''. Dockstavarvet AB type IC20M Interceptor

Weaponry in use

*Assault and battle rifles ** Automatgevær 3F2 –

Battle Rifle A battle rifle is a service rifle chambered to fire a fully powered cartridge. The term "battle rifle" is a retronym created largely out of a need to better differentiate the intermediate-powered assault rifles (e.g. the StG-44, AK-47, M16, ...

** Heckler & Koch HK416 – Assault Rifle ** Colt Canada C8 SFW – Assault Rifle *Sniper rifles ** Heckler & Koch MSG90 –

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 port ...

** Accuracy International L115A1 –

*Anti-material rifles **

Barrett M82A1 The Barrett M82 (standardized by the U.S. military as the M107) is a recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle developed by the American company Barrett Firearms Manufacturing. Also called the Light Fifty (due to its chambering of ...

–

Anti-Material 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 ...

* Submachine guns/personal defense weapons **

Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...

–

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 ...

Heckler & Koch MP7 The Heckler & Koch MP7 (German: ''Maschinenpistole 7'') is a personal defense weapon chambered for the HK 4.6×30mm armor-piercing cartridge designed by German defence manufacturer Heckler & Koch. It was designed (together with the new cartr ...

–

Personal Defense Weapon Personal defense weapons (PDWs) are a class of firearms intended for self-defense and security rather than warfare and infantry. Most PDWs fire a small-caliber (less than ), centerfire bottleneck cartridge resembling a scaled-down intermedia ...

*Machine guns **

Browning M2 The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, ...

– HMG **

Rheinmetall MG 3 The MG 3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The weapon's design is derived from the World War II era MG 42 ''Einheitsmaschinengewehr'' (Universal machine gun) that fired the 7.92×57mm Mauser rou ...

–

GPMG A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-change barrel design calibered for ...

** FN Minimi – LMG *Pistols **

Heckler & Koch USP The USP (''Universelle Selbstladepistole'' or "universal self-loading pistol") is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns. History Design work on a new family of p ...

–

Pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, a ...

Glock 17 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...

– Designated “P80” by the Norwegian armed forces –

*Grenade launchers **

AG-C The AG-C/EGLM is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to assault rifles of various types. It is manufactured by Heckler and Koch and is derived from the AG36. EGLM stands for "Enhanced Grenade Launching Module". A stand-alone vari ...

–

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 mo ...

** M320 –

** Heckler & Koch GMG –

*Anti-tank ** Talley Defense Systems M72 LAW –

Anti-Tank Launcher Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first de ...

Carl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle The Carl Gustaf 8.4 cm recoilless rifle (, named after '' Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori'' which initially produced it) is a Swedish developed caliber man-portable shoulder-fired recoilless rifle, initially developed by the Royal Swedish ...

– Anti Tank Rifle

References

External links

Forsvaret.no: Marinejegerkommandoen
Marinejegerkommandoen's Official Site (in Norwegian)
YouTube Video
Marinejegerkommandoen in the Gulf of Aden
YouTube Video
Recruitment video for MJK
YouTube Video
Video from the annual MJK candidate selection course
Marinejegerkommandoen gallery
Photos of the Marinejegerkommandoen during exercise Cold Response on www.dutchdefencepress.com {{Authority control Counterterrorist organizations Military units and formations established in 1953 Naval special forces units Special forces of Norway Recipients of the Presidential Unit Citation (United States)