COMANF
Batalhão de Operações Especiais de Fuzileiros Navais, or COMANF, the acronym for Comandos Anfíbios (Portuguese for Amphibious Commandos), is the Brazilian Marine Corps special operations battalion commando force.
Role
COMANF members undertake training in several regions of Brazil aimed at improving their combat skills and training to operate in different environments and climates. The training involves parachuting, mountaineering, operations in the scrub, littoral combat, jungle warfare, tactical diving, and sabotage. It may take two years, or more, to complete the training and become part of COMANF.
Structure
The battalion is currently organized as follows: a Command and Services Company and three Special Operations Companies:
- 1st Special Operations Company specializes in Reconnaissance Actions
- 2nd Special Operations Company, in Commandos Actions
- 3rd Special Operations Company, constituting the Rescue and Retaking Special Group, specializes in CT actions.
Some members are assigned abroad for training, specializing in courses such as the (Royal Marines) "All Arms Commando Course", (Marina / Spain)"Special Operations Command", (U.S. Army) Ranger School and the (U.S. Marine Corps) "Amphibious Reconnaissance Course".
Curiosity
There is a phrase in the Brazilian Navy to define the "COMANF" soldiers: "Um Comanf é imbatível, dois são inseparáveis e três fazem guerra" (Portuguese for "One Comanf is unbeatable, two are unseparable and three make a war").
Weapons
As every special force of Brazilian Armed Forces, the COMANF soldier are trained to use every type of weapon, they train with various guns of various countries. The most common guns are:
Name | Origin | Type |
---|---|---|
Glock 19 | Austria | Pistol |
Heckler & Koch USP | Germany | Pistol |
Heckler & Koch MP5 | Germany | Submachine gun |
Heckler & Koch G36C | Germany | Assault rifle |
Colt M4 | United States | Assault rifle |
Franchi SPAS-15 | Italy | Shotgun |
Benelli | Italy | Shotgun |
FN Minimi | Belgium | Machine gun |
Barrett | United States | Sniper rifle |
Heckler & Koch PSG1 | Germany | Sniper rifle |
Taurus PT92 | Brazil | Pistol |
M24 Sniper Weapon System | United States | Sniper rifle |
FN-FAL | Brazil | Assault rifle |