RTMC Reconnaissance Battalion

Reconnaissance Battalion
Royal Thai Marine Division
กองพันลาดตระเวน
กองพลนาวิกโยธิน
Reconnaissance Battalion insignia.
Active1942–1958 (Reconnaissance Patrol)
1958–1962 (Reconnaissance Company)
1962–1978 (Force Reconnaissance Battalion)
1980 (Similar to the founding day)-present
Country Thailand
Branch Royal Thai Marine Corps
TypeSpecial operations forces
SizeBattalion
Part ofRoyal Thai Marines Division
Garrison/HQSattahip, Chonburi
Nickname(s)RECON (รีคอน)
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander		Cmdr. Kweewat Kaengkarn (น.ท กวีวัฒน์ เก่งการ)

The Reconnaissance Battalion or RECON (Thai: กองพันลาดตระเวน กองพลนาวิกโยธิน) is an elite reconnaissance battalion in the Royal Thai Marine Corps, falling under the Royal Thai Marine Division. A special operations forces unit, it is capable of conducting land, maritime, and air operations.[1][2]

History

On February 24, 1942, the Navy established "Marine Regiment" is directly at the Sattahip Naval Station. The rate of organization consists of a division which consists of an artillery company, 2 infantry battalions, 1 and 2 marines with 2 battalions, 1 small artillery and a heavy machine gun. In addition, there is another support force. The company used reconnaissance horses. The Engineer Company Squadron was commissioned by the military commander, Kham Hiran (rank at that time) as the commander in 1955.

Recon Camp, Kingdom of Thailand

After the Indochina-France dispute was completed, the Navy improved and organized the Marine Corps. There is an affiliation unit The 2 infantry battalions are the 1st Marine Battalion and the 2nd Marine Battalion. There are 2 battalions of artillery, 1 heavy machine battalion, 1 artillery battalion, which is the 4th Marine Battalion with 1 artillery regiment. (Using mountain artillery) and 2 75 mm artillery battalion 40 calibers (Bofors like the army) are also available 1 combat vehicle squadron (equivalent to the battalion) divided into 4 companies using 20 mm and 37 mm anti-tank guns and 50 mm grenade launchers and 3 more units equivalent to the company Is the mechanic division, communication division and patrol division which is a direct unit to Marines

Recon Camp, Kingdom of Thailand

In 1965 the Royal Thai Marine Corps formed a reconnaissance company with the mission of conducting ground and amphibious reconnaissance and special operations. On 27 November 1978, the company was expanded into the Recon Battalion. The battalion currently consists of one headquarters company with an attached platoon of wardogs, one amphibious reconnaissance company, and two V-I50 patrol vehicle companies. The unit is headed by an RTMC lieutenant-colonel and is based at Sattahip.

A handful of Marine Recon members saw combat when sent to Laos as part ofvolunteer Bn. Cdo. 61g which fought on the Plain of Jars in 1972. As a unit, companies from the battalion are assigned to the RTMC regiments as needed.

Since 1975, Thai Marines have been assigned to Narathiwat as Force Reconnaissance Battalion. In 1977, they captured the communist camp at Krung-Ching in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, and remaining there until 1981. In December 1978, recon teams were sent to the Mekong River during skirmishes with the Pathet Lao, a communist political movement and organisation in Laos.[3]

Thai Marine Recon anti-terrorist team In 1988. One company was attached in 1989 to an RTMC Task Force at Chanthaburi for operations along the Thai-Cambodian border. Recon personnel are airborne-qualified at the RTMC parachute school at Sattahip; eight jumps are made, including one night and two water jumps. Recon personnel must also attend the three-month amphibious reconnaissance course at Sattahip covering land and sea tactics.

On February 13, 2013, the Battle of Bacho occurred when 50 RKK members attacked a 2nd Rifle Company, 32nd Task Force Narathiwat of the royal thai marine base. The royal thai marine base had already prepared due to receiving clues about the plans to attack the stronghold 2–3 days before. The marine commander has put in a defensive strategy with additional of the 11 members of Recon and 17 Thai Navy SEALs.[4] After clashing resulted in 16 deaths from attacker side with non fatality for both Recon and Navy SEALs member.[5][6]

Organization

  • Reconnaissance Battalion Headquarter
    • 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company
    • 2nd Amphibious Reconnaissance Company
    • Long-range Reconnaissance Patrol Company
    • Service Support Company


Mission and training

The mission of Reconnaissance Battalion is to provide task organized forces in order to conduct amphibious reconnaissance, ground reconnaissance, battlespace shaping operations, raids, and specialized insertion and extraction.[7][8]

Training

A Royal Thai Marine land ashore during an amphibious assault

The Recon program trains its students to lead amphibious assaults and operate far from ally support. Therefore, a higher degree of competency and leadership is required.

The Reconnaissance Battalion operators are trained to operate in the sea, on the ground, and in the air, hence the unusual nickname of '3D warrior'. The Recon training program is reputed to be among the most difficult of Thai military special operations forces. There is a common quote that "the SEALS have a Hell Week, but it's Hell EVERY Week in the RECON." (ซีลมีสัปดาห์นรก แต่รีคอนนรกทุกสัปดาห์)

Applicants to the program must be active members of the Navy (or other services or the Police, based on quota and invitation) with an age limit of 35.

A Navy helicopter prepares to insert Royal Thai marines on the beach
Jungle Survival Training

The course is 13 weeks long, divided into 5 weeks for base mission, 4 weeks of maritime mission (including paddling resistant rubber 15 nautical miles or 27 kilometers, carrying resistant rubber boats for about 10 kilometers without breaks and swim 5 nautical miles or 9.6 kilometers), and the last 4 weeks in jungle and mountain region.

The instructors will present tasks that must be solved by the students, further increasing the difficulty of the training program by adding mental elements to the already physically demanding training.

There is also a "Prisoner of War" situation which simulates capture by the enemy. The final mission is a 72-hour problem that Recon special combat students must perform without rest for 3 days and 3 nights.

Graduates of the Recon training program are entitled to wear the Recon badge, regardless of his/her branch. As stated, Recon is one of the most difficult special operations training courses available to Thai servicemembers, ranking above other badges such as the Queen's Musketeers, SEAL, or the Rangers. This makes Recon one of the most sought-after among the "wing hunters" (servicemembers purposefully aiming to complete multiple special operations training programs) around the country.

Equipment

RTMC Recon operator armed with an IWI Tavor X95
Name Origin Type Caliber Notes
Pistol
Browning Hi-Power  Belgium Semi-automatic pistol 9×19mm Parabellum Fabrique Nationale Browning High Power.[9]
Assault rifle
IWI X95  Israel Assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO [9]
G36C  Germany Assault rifle 5.56×45mm [9][10][11][12][13]
Sniper rifle
Sako Defence Tikka  Finland Sniper rifle 5.56×45mm
.338 Lapua		 [9]
Shotguns
Remington Model 1100  United States Shotgun 12 gauge [9]
Machine guns
M249  United States Light machine gun 5.56×45mm [9]
M60  United States General-purpose machine gun 7.62×51mm [9]
Grenade launcher
M203  United States Grenade launcher 40 mm [9]

Engagements

See also

Cited books

Wikimedia Commons has media related to RTMC Reconnaissance Battalion.
  • Bennett, Richard M. (2003). Elite Forces : The World's Most Formidable Secret Armies. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 9780753522813.
  • Conboy, Kenneth (1991). South-East Asian Special Forces. Elite series;no.32. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781855321069.

References

  1. ^ "หน่วยรบพิเศษ SPECIAL FORCE: กองพันลาดตระเวน (recon) รีคอน" (in Thai). Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  2. ^ "ด่านศุลกากรนครศรีธรรมราช – Nakhonsithammarat Customs House". nakhonsithammarat.customs.go.th (in Thai). Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  3. ^ Conboy 1991, p. 52.
  4. ^ Death zone awaited unsuspecting raiders
  5. ^ "เมื่อคนตาย เราควรฟังเสียงใคร? | ประชาไท". prachatai.com. Retrieved 2019-09-19.
  6. ^ "Thai marines kill 16 militants who attacked base | Oceania". Gulf News. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  7. ^ "ฝึกโหด โคตรภูมิใจ! เปิดใจนักรบรีคอน เรียนเกือบตาย ได้เอาไปใช้จริงไหม". 7 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  8. ^ "นักรบรีคอน ...ยอดคนแกร่ง นักรบเ". 8 April 2011. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h armedforce, thai (26 September 2019). "royal-thai-navy-ยุทโธปกรณ์ในกองทัพเรือ". thaiarmedforce.com. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  10. ^ "From the picture is Royal Thai navy Recon Force Duties for security in southern Thailand. Use Hk G36C with EoTech 552, An/peq15 and an/pvs7 night vision goggles". Archived from the original on 2014-04-27. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  11. ^ "Royal Thai special force หน่วยรบพิเศษของไทย [HD]". YouTube. 10 October 2012.
  12. ^ "DVIDS – Images – Multinational Recon Marines hone live-fire skills [Image 2 of 8]". DVIDS.
  13. ^ http://www.thaifighterclub.org/webboard/17291/หน่วยที่ทำหน้าที่ในการต่อต้านการก่อการร้าย.html
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