The Operational Raider Group is a Special Operations Group in the Italian Naval Special Operations Command – COMSUBIN. The group consists of 150–200 frogmen and may be considered the force most closely associated with maritime special operations.
The Raiders have four specific assignments that they are expected to complete; including:
* Attacks on naval and merchant ships while in port or at sea using a multitude of different weapons systems.
* Attacks on port or coastal civilian and military installations and infrastructure up to 40 km from the coast.
* Counter-terrorism operations especially on ships and dedicated to the recovery of hostages.
* Infiltration and long-term stays in hostile territory for reconnaissance or long-range naval targeting missions.
COMSUBIN is the Italian Naval Special Operations Command.
Italy was the first nation to use frogmen and human torpedoes. The Italian Naval Assault Divisions are considered to be the precursors to modern Naval Special Forces. Their record can be traced back to World War I and the operation against the Austrian-Hungarian Battleship Viribus Unitis in Pula Harbour in 1918.
