At COMSUBIN, one of the toughest and most selective training courses of the Italian Armed Forces is coming to an end: the training course of the Student Raiders. After a year of intense and highly specialized training, the Students are approaching the most awaited milestone: the ceremony for the awarding of the coveted green beret, a symbol of belonging to an internationally recognized operational elite.
The course, lasting a total of twelve months, is structured in four periods of about three months each, designed to train operators capable of acting in any environment and condition. A progressive path that integrates physical preparation, technical skills, and mental resilience, guiding the Students towards increasingly complex and realistic training scenarios.
A progressive and selective path
The first phase is dedicated to selection and consolidation of basic skills. The Students face rigorous physical tests, learn the use of weapons and equipment, study topography, and develop terrestrial tactical movement techniques. It is the period in which the foundations of the operator are laid, testing endurance, determination, and adaptability.
The second phase focuses on the aquatic environment, a distinctive element of the Navy Raiders. The program includes operational swimming and diving, both day and night, using the equipment provided. In this phase, confidence with water, stress management, and the ability to operate in low visibility conditions are developed, essential elements for underwater and clandestine operations.
Then follows the amphibious phase, focused on learning the tactics and techniques necessary for transitioning from sea to land and vice versa. The Students operate with weapons and explosives, refining infiltration and exfiltration procedures in coastal contexts, one of the most complex and delicate operational domains.
The last period of the course represents the synthesis of everything learned. The Students are called to integrate the skills acquired in the planning and conduct of complex special operations, in different operational environments. It is a phase that tests not only individual skills but also teamwork, leadership, and decision-making under pressure.
The final exams and access to the Incursori Operational Group
As the final exams approach, the Student Raiders have also faced high-operational-content individual professional competitions. Mixed courses of running, surface and underwater swimming, shooting with portable weapons, and overcoming rock walls characterized these tests, marked by continuous changes of terrestrial and maritime environments. Challenging evaluation tests, designed to measure the overall preparation before the final act of the course.
The final theoretical exams will determine who can access one of the most prestigious Navy Special Forces Units in the world: the Incursori Operational Group. A milestone that represents not only the culmination of a year of sacrifices but also the beginning of an operational path in the service of national security and the country's strategic interests.
Copyright Photo Italian Navy
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