Like other Indonesian special forces, Kopaska is trained to be able to conduct operations in the sea, including underwater, on land and airborne.

Kopaska was officially established on 31 March 1962 by President Sukarno to help his campaign Operation Trikora in Western New Guinea.

Recruitment was difficult in the early years of Kopaska as only a few navy members could pass the qualification process.

Due to a lack of personnel, Kopaska had to borrow 21 troops from the army special forces, which at that time was still called RPKAD - Army Paracommando Regiment, including Colonel Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, the then-regimental commander, and three from the Greater Jakarta Military Region Command (Kodam Jaya, now known as Kodam Jayakarta).

Of the troops assigned to the Trikora campaign, the three Army personnel from Kodam Jaya (Maksum, Alex Sunaryo, and Budi Suroyo) attended Seaman School in the Naval Education and Training Command (Kodikal) and became regular members of Kopaska.

The criteria are: The initial recruitment process takes place annually at all Indonesian naval bases, so location is not a concern.

Candidates who fulfill the initial criteria are then brought to the Kopaska Training Center to participate in the selection process.

Each candidate receives a daily physical training program, such as: running, marching, push-ups, sit ups, pull-ups, swimming, etc.

The last week of this training each candidate must be able to demonstrate strength through trials such as cross-Strait swimming and rowing to Laki Island at night with little food or sleep.

An attack boat was equipped with a MiG-17 "Fresco" ejection seat, powered by a pair of Johnson 100pk and armed with two torpedo warheads.

On March 16, 2011, an Indonesian merchant ship, MV Sinar Kudus, carrying nickel ore from South Sulawesi to Rotterdam was hijacked by a group of Somali pirates at the coast of Somalia.

[11] After some negotiations, the ship owner eventually agreed to pay a ransom and the pirates freed the vessel and its crew.

After MV Sinar Kudus signalled "mayday", a group of Kopaska elite soldiers were deployed from KRI Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma to secure the ship.