Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Flotilla

The Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Flotilla (ROKNSWF, SWF; Hangul : 대한민국 해군 특수전전단; Hanja : 大韓民國海軍特殊戰戰團) is a special warfare unit of Republic of Korea Navy. The flotilla is also known as ROKN UDT/SEALs, because the UDT/SEAL is the most publicly known branch of the flotilla. ROKNSWF are heavily influenced by the United States Navy SEALs, which initially provided funding and expertise in the unit's creation, and still maintain a strong relationship by regularly undertaking joint cross training (JCET) several times a year, utilizing American helicopter and submarine assets, and enrolling students each year in U.S. Naval Special Warfare programs such as BUD/S and EOD school.

Units

 * 1st Battalion
 * Underwater Demolition Team (UDT)
 * SEAL Unit (SEAL)
 * Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EOD)
 * Counter Terror Unit (CT)
 * 3rd Battalion
 * 5th Battalion

Applicants and selection
The SWF teams take applicants among conscripts, petty officers, and officers. Most petty officers and all conscripts now apply before basic training while officers apply after commissioning (NA, ROTC, or OCS), completion of Surface Warfare Officer School (SWOS), and after they have been assigned to a ship. The BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School) selection process is almost identical to the US Navy program, consisting of extreme physical and mental challenges such as Hell Week. The completion rate has been known to dip under 10% and usually hovers between 30-40%, leading to manpower problems as the unit continues to expand and has an increasing number of foreign commitments. Since 2010, most washouts have been retained as support personnel and equipment maintenance staff. Those who survive the first ten weeks are trained in open and closed circuit diving, demolition, land warfare and tactics before receiving the special warfare pin.

History


The ROKNSWF (also known in popular culture as the ROKN UDT/SEALs) were involved in reconnaissance missions in North Korea until 1980 when a number of operators were broken away to form the UDU intelligence unit. In 1993 the SWF were tasked with standing up a maritime counter-terrorism unit which later became the Special Missions Bn. In the late 1990s the main focus was on defense of the coast from frequent attempts by the North to infiltrate agents into the South using midget submarines. SWF were involved in the 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident caused by North Korean agents, and in 1998 the unit was involved in the recovery and search of a North Korean Yono-class submarine that had been accidentally snared in fishing nets near Sokcho, Gangwon Province. Since 2009 the SWF have formed the core of the Cheonghae anti-piracy task group deployed to the coast of Somalia. In the early morning of January 22, 2011, as part of Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden, 15 SWF operators boarded the 11,000-ton chemical freighter Samho Jewelry which was taken by 13 pirates 6 days prior; 21 sailors had been held hostages. ROKS Choi-Young, a 4600-ton destroyer, dispatched its SWF team at 4:58AM along with a Lynx helicopter which then circled the ship and fired machine guns to distract the pirates. The boarding party of 15 SWF killed 8 pirates and captured 5 without taking any casualties after 3 hours of intense firefighting. All 21 hostages were secured, with one hostage suffering a non-fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Equipment


The SWF is one of the very first to be issued new high-tech equipment (along with the Army's 707th SMB), such as armor-vests and weapons.

Weapons
The weapons and equipment of the ROKNSWF are a mixture of indigenous and foreign manufacture. The Korean K1 carbine, K201 grenade launcher, K3 SAW, K5 pistol, and K7 suppressed submachine gun are all widely used in addition to the Heckler & Koch MP5A5 and MP5SD6 submachine guns for VBSS and CT, the HK416 assault rifle, Beretta 92FS, SIG Sauer P226 Navy, and versions of the Arctic Warfare. Some newer K2Cs, shortened K2s with added Picatinny rails, have been added to their arsenal.