KOPASKA - History

History

KOPASKA was heavily influenced by the early U.S. Navy Frogman Underwater Demolition Team (UDTs) and modern Navy SEAL Team.

Early KOPASKA members (Captain-Navy Urip Santoso, Lieutenant-Navy Joko Suyatno, and Sergeant EMP Joseph) trained with the UDTs in the United States. The Indonesian Navy also sent personnel to Russia to learn from Russian Navy Combat Divers and Demolition Team (BA). The tradition of overseas training has continued with a few men from the unit travelling each year to Coronado, California and Norfolk, Virginia to participate in SEAL training. Returning to Indonesia, these men then recruit new personnel for KOPASKA.

Recruitment was difficult in the early years of KOPASKA as only few Navy members could pass the qualifications process. Recruitment became even more difficult when President Sukarno announced the Trikora Campaign in Western New Guinea (the Netherlands New Guinea), as KOPASKA were required to conduct beach reconnaissance, beach clearing, prisoner snatches, and human torpedo missions. The latter two missions were the most daring planned by KOPASKA – the first planned to snatch Rear Admiral Reeser, Commander in Chief of the Dutch Armed Forces in the Territory, and the human torpedo was aimed at the Aircraft Carrier Karel Doorman. Due to lack of personnel KOPASKA had to borrow 21 troops from Army Special Forces ( RPKAD - now KOPASSUS), including Colonel Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, and three from the Army (KODAM JAYA). The plans were canceled when a cease-fire was implemented between Indonesia and the Netherlands.

Of the troops assigned to the Trikora campaign, the three Army troops (Maksum, Alex Sunaryo, and Budi Suroyo) attended Seaman School in the Naval Training Command (Kodikal) and became regular members of KOPASKA. 18 of 21 RPKAD wanted to stay with the Navy, but the Commander of RPKAD (Major General Mung Pahardimulyo) did not approve the transfer. Instead, he accommodated the ex-KOPASKA members by creating a new special unit in KOPASSUS SAT GULTOR 81-2 Batt.

Until now, Kopaska still trained their specialities to other Indonesian Special Forces unit :

1. RPKAD Army Special Forces called KOPASSUS Frogman CT-Team, (now known as Paska GULTOR in unit SAT-81 GULTOR KOPASSUS Cijantung.

2. Peleton Intai Tempur TONTAIPUR KOSTRAD (Army Startegic Command Recconaisance Platoon and CT-Team).

3. Detasemen Bravo DENBRAVO-90 ( AIR FORCE CT-Team ).

KOPASSUS SAT-81 GULTOR and DENBRAVO-90 continues to send its best members for three months of training in Kopaska Frogman Navy School (Sepaskal) at the Special Training Centre (Pusdiksus), Naval Warfare Centre (Pusdikopsla), Naval Training Command (Kodikal) Moro Krembangan in Surabaya, East Java.