The elite Underwater Offense (SAT) unit of the Turkish military holds the excellence of being the primary and solely naval commandos of the nation that search to bolster its defenses within the nation’s “Blue Homeland.” From the Aegean to the Black Sea, the unit stays on fixed standby for operations requiring their excessive expertise.
Although smaller than different items of the navy, they’re the one ones executing “particular operations,” together with the Special Forces Command, which requires stealth, precision and pace.
Established in 1963, the unit always up to date its coaching and armory. Eleven years after their institution, they made a reputation within the nation as the primary navy unit to make the touchdown in Cyprus, as a part of the Cyprus Peace Operation that ensured the safety of Turkish Cypriots going through Greek oppression. Since then, they performed important roles in operations requiring their help, from the rescue of sailors kidnapped by pirates off Somalia to landlocked areas of war-torn Syria the place they aided fellow troops in Operation Euphrates Defend.
Members of the elite unit are chosen among the many most agile and mentally resilient troopers. The SAT Personal Specialty Course, whose conception precedes the institution of the unit by one yr, present their coaching. Chosen amongst volunteering members of the Turkish Naval Forces Command, trainees bear a 52-week intense program that includes psychological and bodily coaching.
All through this system, they’re taught diving, capturing, demolition, parachute leaping, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering amongst different topics. Their coaching continues at common intervals even after they’re chosen for inclusion within the unit.
Together with fight missions, they help within the evacuation of noncombatants in navy operations, and in search and rescue work for civilians in want. In cooperation with air drive items, they help in laser tagging of targets and reconnaissance work, which got here in helpful in Operation Euphrates Defend and Operation Olive Department for the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in Syria. As the one airborne commando unit of the naval forces, they participate in navy missions requiring their providers. The SAT additionally stands out as the one unit of the Turkish military able to utilizing aerial automobiles for the aim of deployment of inflatable boats.
Their coaching additionally includes excessive altitude low opening (HALO) and excessive altitude excessive opening (HAHO) in the course of the day and night time.
SAT commandos may also have interaction in targets as much as a distance of two,500 meters (8,200 ft) because of their sniper coaching. Their coaching allows them to method and neutralize targets with out leaving any hint by deployment via any surroundings – from land, air, underwater or by sea. ATAK and SAT boats unique to the unit enable for his or her swift deployment.
A daily coaching day for the commandos begins with exercises, together with multiple hour of cardio workout routines. Coaching continues with capturing apply, touchdown apply and simulation of raids in residential areas, in addition to leaping from plane into the ocean by parachutes and underwater deployment.
