Country Cambodia Branch Khmer Naval Forces Size 90 men (at height) | Allegiance Khmer Republic Type Special Forces | |
Active September 1973 - 17 April 1975 | ||
The Cambodian Navy SEALs were the main elite Maritime Special Operations Force of the Khmer National Navy (French: Marine National Khmère – MNK) during the 1970-75 Cambodian Civil War.
Contents
Origins
In mid-1973 the Khmer National Navy raised its own special warfare unit, the Cambodian SEALs. An initial group of recruits was drawn from an existing Combat Swimmer Unit (French: Nageurs de Combat) and sent to the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, at San Diego, California in the United States and to Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines for basic training.
Parachute courses were conducted at the Pochentong Airborne Training Centre, while the Olympic pool at the Cércle Sportif complex in Phnom Penh was used for diving courses.
Structure and organization
Headquartered at the Chrui Chhangwar Naval Base opposite Phnom Penh, the unit fielded by mid-1974 a total of 90 ‘Commandos’ divided according to the US Navy SEALs practice into three teams led by Chief Petty Officer (French: Premier Maître) Set Chan. They were structured as follows:
Operations
The Cambodian SEALs provided valuable intelligence for the MNK while acting as reconnaissance teams along the banks of the Mekong and as shock troops on amphibious assault operations.
They defended the Chrui Chhangwar Naval Base until the final days of the war.
Weapons and equipment
The weaponry and equipment employed by the Cambodian Navy SEALs was basically FANK standard issue, being mostly of US origin supplemented by captured Soviet or Chinese weapons drawn from enemy stocks seized in the course of their operations.