Taifib

Taifib (Indonesian: Batalyon In tai Am fib i) is an elite recon unit within the Indonesian Marine Corps which is tasked for conducting Amphibious reconnaissance and Special reconnaissance. It is operationally similar to the Combat Reconnaissance Platoon (Indonesian: Peleton Intai Tempur, abbreviated "Tontaipur") from the Army's Kostrad corps. Taifib was previously known as "Kipam" (abbreviation from: "Komando Intai Para Amfibi") which literally means in English: the Para-Amphibious reconnaissance Commandos, it was formed on 1961.

They were officially formed on 13 March 1961 as marine commandos. Set at a regimental strength of two battalions, "Taifib" is formed basically as the elite amphibious reconnaissance unit of the Indonesian Marine Corps. It was first used for conflict management in Irian Jaya (Papua) in April 1962. Starting from November 1971 it was called "Batalyon Intai Amphibi" ("Yon Taifib") or Amphibious Recon Battalion. Today, two force recon battalions are deployed as part of the 1st (Surabaya) and 2nd (Jakarta) Marine Forces.

Yontaifib has the main duty of fostering and providing the amphibious elements for amphibious operations as well as becoming the reconnaissance operation unit for the Indonesian Navy task force which cooperates with the IMC. The nickname of the "Sea Ghost" (Indonesian: Hantu Laut) are given to Taifib unit due to their deadly capabilities within the sea/ocean. Taifib unit has individual abilities above the average of ordinary soldiers and is able to quickly adapt to every operational surrounding environment. Infiltration and en-filtration capabilities to enemy areas, free fall with HALO and HAHO, STABO / SPIE systems, swimming, diving, and underwater capabilities as combat swimmers through submarine torpedo launchers become the most lethal capabilities possessed by this unit. The best cadets of the unit are then recruited into the Detasemen Jala Mangkara (Denjaka), which is the elite special operation forces of the Indonesian Navy which one of its well known duties are to conduct Counter-terrorism operations.

Motto
Maya Netra Yamadipati, which originally comes from Sanskrit, is the motto of the Taifib, which means:
 * Mayanetra - Invisible
 * Yamadipati - Angel of Death

The overall motto means that every Taifib personnel always have the ability to move quickly, secretly and lethally in every battle.

History
At the time of the establishment of Indonesian Marine Corps, the marine corps lacks the capability of intelligence, as well as special forces trained and able to carry out special activities that can not be done by ordinary units in the framework of the success of a task. Answering the need of an intelligince gathering unit, on March 13, 1961, the Marine Corps High Command issued a decree (No.47/KP/KKO/1961) regarding the formation of the Para-Amphibious Reconnaissance Commando (Indonesian: Komando Intai Para-Amfibi) (KIPAM). The KIPAM unit first saw actions during Operation Trikora, in which the Indonesian government are trying to annexed Irian Jaya from the Dutch. On July 25, 1970, KIPAM was renamed into Yon lntai Para Amfibi. On November 17, 1971, Yon lntai Para Amfibi was again renamed into Satuan Intai Amfibi, eventually renamed again into Batalyon Intai Amphibi, abbreviated YonTaifib. The unit was placed under the Marine Corps Combat Regiment.

Along with the development of the Marine Corps and the inauguration of Pasukan Marinir I / "PASMAR I" (Marine Force I), on 12 March 2001, the Marine Corps High Command issued a decree (No. Skep/08/111/2001) in which Taifib are no longer placed under the Marine Corps Combat Regiment and are now under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Marine Force I. Looking at the scope of the assignment and its capabilities, Taifib was finally officially designated as a Special Forces of the Indonesian Navy. This was reinforced by a decree issued by the Armed Forces Supreme Command (Skep/1857/XI/2003) on 18 November 2013.

Characteristics

 * Each personnel is recruited through rigorous selection, coming from selected Marine soldiers who possess excellent physical abilities, as well as having a standard psychological level of special forces.
 * The ratio of Taifib personnel is always much smaller compared to regular troops, as they perform special tasks that require speed, high confidentiality, accuracy, tenacity and field discipline.
 * Each Taifib personnel are specially trained to follow a strict program with a high level of risk. This is reflected in the program of hard coaching, mental coaching with high stressing levels, coaching various special skills are conditioned as in the actual task. Such exercises include abilities in aspects to be performed, i.e., at sea, land and air.
 * Each Taifib personnel must have the ability to carry out tasks independently, from parent troops in the sense of being able to carry out team and individual survival, able to adapt to the surrounding environment and be able to overcome the mental stress in the area of assignment, infiltration and extraction capabilities to or from enemy areas, including free fall with HALO and HAHO, STABO / SPIE systems, swimming, diving, as well as one of the underwater capabilities or a combat swimmer through a submarine torpedo launcher.

Training
To obtain a certification of amphibious reconnaissance, a regular Marine has to first pass a tough selection and then pass the nine-month rigorous training program that contains the most difficult curriculum. Thus, this amphibious recon certificate is very similar to commando certificate in Kopassus.

Taifib personnel are selected from the Marine Corps through tight and hard selection. Recruitment of Taifib personnel is volunteer based on Marine Corps soldiers (all combat units: Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, Combat Aid and Base Defense) who already have basic combat training namely basic military education, marine soldier education, terrestrial training tactics, command education marines, educational shooting qualifications, amphibious surgery education including diving, and free rall. The selection of Taifib personnel candidates is very strict and hard including health selection with Stakes I, Swimming, Push Up, Sit Up, Pull Up within a certain time and pass the psychological tests of Special Forces as per Armed Force standards. The candidate of Taifib personnel must be 26 years old, both officers, NCO and enlisted of the Indonesian Navy.

To become a Taifib personnel, a candidate is selected from the Marine Corps who has already fulfilled the thorough mental and physical requirements, and who at least has actively served the corps for two years. The certification of amphibious reconnaissance is so difficult that the passing rate of these candidates in each class is only ten percent. One of the most challenging exercises in this certification program is to swim for three kilometres while the hands tied behind their backs and their feet bound together. Due to the hands and feet being tied the swimmer must learn to relax and move his legs and feet in a fluid motion similar to that of a dolphin. This type of training is designed to increase the candidates confidence in the water and also allow him to survive if he is caught by the enemy and must escape.

In addition, Taifib also practiced in the material recovery in water, sea aspect including underwater diving, underwater combat, underwater infiltration, underwater demolition, underwater sabotage, SAR diving, medium to long distance swimming and hydrographic surveillance. The training method of Taifib personnel candidates is divided into several stages covering Land, Sea, Air and Under Water. In each stage candidates will be selected naturally because the material faced increasingly heavy and demanding that candidates really master the science given in the previous stage. This is because the stages in education are actually a series of operations that Taifib actually does in carrying out tasks in combat or other operations later on.

Weaponry and Equipment

 * Handgun: SIG P226, Pindad P1, Pindad P2
 * Submachine Gun: IMI Uzi, Daewoo K7, Brügger & Thomet MP9
 * Assault Rifle: PT Pindad SS-1, Steyr AUG, AK-47, CZ-58
 * Sniper Rifle: Pindad SPR-1, HK SG-1, SIG SG-550 Sniper
 * Machine Gun: FN Minimi, Ultimax 100, Daewoo K3, Steyr AUG-HBAR