The Indian Army’s Para (Special Forces) and the MARCOS of the Indian Navy conducted a high-altitude combat diving exercise in Sikkim last week.

Sources in the Indian defence ministry said the joint scuba and combat diving exercise had been held at an altitude of 17,000 feet from August 30 to September 5.

MARCOS, or the Marine Commando Force, is a special force unit of the Indian Navy.

“Training in these extreme conditions tests every aspect of a soldier’s endurance, skill and mental strength. It ensures that when called upon, our teams can operate effectively in any environment, no matter how harsh or demanding. This exercise reflects the spirit of companionship and the commitment of our elite forces to remain prepared for every challenge,” said an official of the defence forces.

Sources said that during the exercise, participants carried out open circuit air diving, which involves breathing the compressed gas from a cylinder, and exhaling it into the surroundings as bubbles, as well as the closed circuit pure oxygen diving.

“In case of a closed circuit, a rebreather is used to recycle the gas exhaled. The carbon dioxide is removed from it and oxygen is added for rebreathing,” said an expert.

The personnel of the PARA SF and MARCOS also dived up to a depth of 17 metres in extreme cold-water conditions, and conducted combat night diving. The combat night diving involves extensive training in low-visibility and complex navigation using
minimal tools.