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The Bharatiya Nau Sena employs three types of naval infantry units in different roles.

Naval Constables

Small groups of Naval Constables are stationed aboard most warships and auxiliaries, and in larger units ashore at depots and bases. These units are responsible for the security of the vessel or base, such as guarding the entry points and key installations or parts of a ship. They also have a policing role, ranging from ticketing improperly parked automobiles to crowd control. Typically, Naval Constables are equipped with pistols, batons, and short-swords; in war-time conditions, they may be issued rifles, carbines, and/or submachine guns.

There are several battalions and companies, plus numerous platoons and squads of naval constables, lumped into one of two regiments (Shipborne or Shorebound) for administrative purposes.

Naval Garrisons

Naval Garrison units are employed in the military defence of remote BNS naval bases. The size of the units will vary with the scale and importance of the base in question; the depot at Gan, for example, warrants a demi-battalion consisting of an infantry company, an artillery company, and a pioneer platoon. The base at Diego Garcia has a regiment, including a battalion each of infantry and artillery, a pioneer platoon, and a headquarters company.

Naval Commandoes

The lack of a dedicated naval amphibious assault capability was observed but generally overlooked during Indian operations at Port Blair (1916) and As Salif (1920). Modest steps were taken following during Indian involvement in the so-called, "War on SALSA" in the mid-twenties as both the navy and the army attached observers to the Filipino marine units involved in landings and raids against rebel groups in the southern Philippines.

The army took more interest in following up from this experience, as the navy was very much fixated on its first capital ship construction program. The Second Battalion of the Imperial Commando Corps began training in landing and small boat operations. In 1929, the battalion was deployed to the Philippines to assist the government in suppressing the revolution there. The battalion undertook several raids - some successful, some not - in conjunction with smaller naval vessels.

The inability of India to participate in the first wave of the landings in western Luzon in 1929 finally tipped the scales in favor of developing a dedicated amphibious assault capability. The army and navy alike were embarrassed by the fact that, despite being the largest contributor of ground troops to the Western Luzon campaign, they had to rely on the much smaller Filipino and Japanese contingents to establish beachheads.

Post-revolution, it was decided that the 2nd Battalion would be transferred to BNS control as the nucleus of a regiment to be formed at the same time that the BNS procured its "Experimental Amphibious Squadron". The Naval Commando Regiment was established in February 1930, and currently consists of two Commando battalions, a training battalion, and headquarters elements. Plans to establish an amphibious armor battalion have not yet come to fruition.

A commando battalion's missions are limited in scope; they are to conduct coastal raids, or seize and hold beachheads, against urban or fortified locations. To this end, the commandos are equipped with a greater proportion of sub-machine guns and demolition equipment (satchel charges, Bangalore torpedoes) than the average army battalion. This has come at the expense of some heavy weapons capability, but is thought to be weighed out by the shorter ranges of expected combat and the likely presence of naval fire support.

A naval commando battalion consists of:

1 x HQ Company (command, signals, naval artillery observation, and liaison/"traffic direction" platoons)

4 x Assault Companies (3 platoons with rifles, SMGs, LMGs)

1 x Support Company (2 pioneer platoons with obstacle demolition equipment; 1 heavy weapons platoon with anti-tank rifles and light mortars)

The Naval Brigade.

With the increase of the amphibious capabilities of the Bharatiya Nau Sena during the first half of the decade it was decided to create a more central command for the expected enlarged force, made official with the creation of the Naval Brigade on April 1935.

With the completation of the General Bindra class of transports by early 1933 it was now possible for the Commando Regiment to easily carry their full combat complement in only two of the already in service ships, making possible an increase in the number of combat units attached to the Regiment. After close to a year of studies of a possible expansion it was decided to increase the size of the Regiment by including a light artillery battalion, an infantry battalion and a tank battalion.

The artillery battalion was composed of 12 Cossipore 75mm light mountain guns with their crews included in the order of battle. The infantry battalion, at difference from the other two battalions in the Brigade, were not Commandos but what could be considered as regular infantry. This battalion plus the artillery were expected to by reinforcements after initial landing sites have being secured by the Commando units. The infantry unit was composed of three infantry companies, a heavy weapons company with four 81mm mortars, eight Bhandara 1911 machine guns, four Bhandahar 1931 ATRs and two 35mm AT guns plus a headquarters element. The manpower of the infantry battalion was around 600 men and the one of the artillery a little more than 200 men.

In late 1934 the Army transferred all available Karna tanks, their crews and maintenance personnel to the BNS, the first armored vehicles in service in this branch of service. Light enough to being carried in the just completed amphibious vehicle transports, these vehicles gave a new option to the staff of at the time Commando Regiment. The 48 Karna tanks form the largest concentration of tanks in one unit on all of India. The manpower of the unit was of around 400 men including the crews, maintenance and support elements.

Kachhuaa (1936-1941)
15mm X 110 MG (turret)
40km/hr maximum speed
2 men crew
3.3 tons weight
9mm effective hull front
3mm effective hull sides
3mm effective hull rear
9mm effective turret front
3mm effective turret sides
3mm effective turret rear

Designed in 1935 at the Avati vehicle works per a request of the BNS, the Kachhuaa was a complete new design for the Avati works but it was based in the examination of British Carden Lloyd M1931 tankettes. The tank was powered by a standard armored car engine and was cheap to produce. Buoyancy was achieved by the large-volume hull and large fenders. In water, the vehicle was propelled by small three-bladed propeller mounted at the rear.

The tanks were intended for use for reconnaissance and infantry support. As a scout tank the Kachhuaa had the advantages of very low silhouette and good mobility, due to its ability to swim. After test during 1935 an order was sent to Avati to start production, with an initial order of 48 being put forward early in 1936. However, the thin armor and single machinegun armament made the tank of only limited use in combat while the lack of radios in most Kachhuaa was a serious limitation in a recon vehicle. The Kachhuaa limitations were recognized, and it was replaced by the Menduk by the end of the decade.

Around 250 Kachhuaas were built, illustrating the importance of amphibious tanks to the BNS but in reality the majority of the vehicles saw service with the Imperial Army. Some were later up-gunned with a 25mm Jabalpur 25J cannon for additional fire support.

Menduk (1939-1945 )
25mm J1928J Cannon (turret)
44km/hr maximum speed
2 men crew
6.8 tons weight
15mm effective hull front
8mm effective hull sides
8mm effective hull rear
15mm effective turret front
8mm effective turret sides
8mm effective turret rear

The Menduk was an improvement over the Kachhuaa in several respects. The coil-spring suspension of the Kachhuaa was replaced by a modern torsion-bar suspension with four pairs of road wheels. The boat-shaped hull was entirely welded, in contrast to the riveted hulls of the Kachhuaa. The welded, conical turret shape improved protection, although the armor was still thin. Armament was a 25mm cannon, a much more potent weapon than the 15mm machine gun mounted on the Kachhuaa.

Water propulsion was via a small propeller mounted at the rear of the hull. The propeller was set into an indent in the hull rear, and was thus better protected than the exposed propeller of the Kachhuaa. Buoyancy was provided by the large boat-shaped hull.