Georgian Special Operations Command

The Special Forces Brigade (Georgian: სპეციალური დანიშნულების ბრიგადა) is the elite Georgian Armed Forces component. It has been established for special operations, covert operations, counter intelligence, counter terrorism, counter insurgency and asymmetric warfare in and outside the Republic of Georgia.

Georgian Special Forces are subordinated under the MOD Special Operations Main Division to a brigade-level command structure. Each formation is split into several sub-divisions which are allocated on different Georgian regions, cities and strategically important areas. Most units are composed of veterans of past conflicts including the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, the wars in Georgia and the insurgency in Chechnya. Some soldiers served in former Soviet Army formations in Russia and the Ukraine.

History

The very first of such formations was founded during the War in Abkhazia in 1992 but many allready disbanded after several years of service. Since then various special formations occured under mixed supervision. Since 2001, Georgia has intensified the training of its elite forces in cooperation with American, French, British, Israeli and other countries' special services. Georgian commandos participated in the Iraq War from 2003 until the complete withdrawal of the Georgian contingent in 2008 due to an escalation of hostilities in South Ossetia. According to independent accounts, a number of Georgian operatives were also deployed prior in Afghanistan to aid US Special Forces in hunting down Taliban leaders. Georgian officials have stated that a group of servicemen were deployed in Afghanistan for medical purposes.

In the very first hours of the 2008 South Ossetia War, Georgian special forces backed by artillery successfully eliminated armed opposition around the city of Tskhinvali as a prerequisite for the full-scale ground assault which followed shortly after in the morning of August 8. The Georgian military then announced that more than 11 villages in South Ossetia were under control of government forces. However the Georgian military would ultimately be pushed back out of South Ossetia following Russian intervention in the conflict.

Following the reversal, the bulk of Georgian special forces assisted Interior Ministry units in the evacuation of ethnic Georgians and VIPs out of South Ossetia. Sergeant Kakhaber Tavgorashvili died in the morning of August 8 in the course of fighting, the only member of Georgia's special forces to be killed in action to date. Around 55 were reported with injuries of different degrees.. Special Forces followed the general withdrawal order but set up key points very close to Russian forces at towns like Igoeti and Gori.

Training

Very little is known about the disputet extensive exercise and preparation methods, while many Opposition leaders accused the military leadership to let instructors use harrasment and unhumane treatment on Special Forces personnel in inacceptable training conditions. The Special Forces Brigade and it's sub-fpormations activities during peacetime are effectively beeing shielded from the public, with a few exceptional revelations to foreign agencies and the nations incorporated to the country's defence scheme. For example, according to Russian agency report, one exposed battalion is specialised on any conventional and nonconventional internal and external activity during peace time, international crisis and times of war.

Basic daily exercises include the following:

• (1) Endurance Exercises
  • "morning walk" with up to 40 kilogram equipement to carry on mountains (vest, helmet, rifle, pistol, backpack, anti-tank weapon, radio etc), jogging, climbing and obstacle course.
  • rope obstacle course on mountains and appartments
  • parachute drops
  • physical and psychological durability test.

• (2) Advanced Close Combat Training
  • knife combat exercises
  • full contact training ( wrestling, judo and martial arts )
  • close range weapons training in buildings.
  • disarmament techniques

• (3) Shooting Range
  • Professional marksmanship training to everyone in units based and fireteam and seciton sized formations. Special requirements inlcude acceptable eyesight.
  • sniper training
  • Anti-Tank weapons training
  • Critical hit training on rope, while on the move and during other situations.

• (4) Education
  • history and military history analysis, lessons and tactics studies
  • vehicles study, engineering lessons and driving exercises.
  • Weapons study and effective handling exercises
  • Advanced insights into checmical and biological materials.

Commandos train for about 15 hours a day. There are usually two shifts, with one having it's main focus on physical and psychological stress, the other oriented on tactics and combat skills improvement. Both alternate throughout the day and at the end interact on all teams. During most outside enduracnce exercises the wearing of combat gear is a vital component to train for all kind of situations in all kind of environments on realistic terms. Most of the training schedule or specific training grounds are beeing kept secret and locked from the public.

Equipement

Georgian special forces units use various weapons and a number of vehicles for transport and combat support. The equipement is mainly of western and Israeli origin, combined with an amount of Russian small arms. The air sections of the GAF provide some air transport capacities with the Mi-24 gunship, while all the UH-1s are exclusively available for the Special Forces Brigade. Other vehicles in use are the US Humvee, Turkish Otokar Cobra, Nurol Ejder and the Georigan DELGA-1 fast attack vehicle, which is availabe with different variants.

Radio equipement and combat gear are mainly provided by the US and other NATO members. Helmets and combat gear, aswell as navigation systems, bullet proof vests, thermal and night vision devices. Other than infantry units which rely on material of commonly Georgian fabricate, the special operations forces are handed over special material gear of high quality and value from foreign suppliers.