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Special forces

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For the .38 Special album, see Special Forces (album) and for the Alice Cooper album, see Special Forces (Alice Cooper album)

Special Forces is a term used to describe relatively small military units raised and trained for special operations missions such as Special Reconnaissance (SR), Unconventional Warfare (UW), Direct Action (DA), Counter-Terrorism (CT), and Foreign Internal Defense (FID). These highly-trained, often self-sufficient units rely on stealth, speed, close teamwork, and specialized equipment.

Candidates who hope to join the ranks of a special operations force are volunteers for extremely rigorous selection processes. Often, basic training exceeds two years, and certain missions may necessitate additional training.

The work of special operations forces is usually classified, and hence candidates are put through extensive trials prior to acceptance. These trials have an extremely high "washout" rate. Candidates must also have at least a Secret clearance. Not infrequently, there are ties between intelligence agencies and special operations forces units, acting rapidly on current intelligence.

Special forces soldiers may also be used to train foreign local forces when military aid is given to other countries, thus much of their specialized training includes language and cultural skills. Because of the secrecy surrounding much of their training, and the typically covert nature of their work, special operations forces have an aura of mystery surrounding them and are frequently the topic of military fiction. Coincidentially, those in a special operations unit often refer to themselves as "Quiet Professionals".

History of Special Forces

Special operations forces have played an important role throughout the history of warfare when the aim has been to achieve disruption by "hit and run" and sabotage, rather than more traditional face to face combat. Other significant roles lay in reconnaissance, providing essential intelligence from close to or among the enemy, and increasingly in combating terrorists, their infrastructure and activities.

During the Napoleonic wars, rifle and sapper units existed who were not committed to the formal lines that made up most battles of the day. They instead held more specialized roles in reconnaissance and skirmishing. The formation of the Bushveldt Carbineers in the Second Boer War may also be seen as an early manifestation of a unit for unconventional warfare.

World War I

During World War I Colonel Bassi of the Italian Army formed "Reparti d'assalto" (Assault Units) called Arditi. They were assigned the tactical role of shock troops, breaching enemy defences in order to prepare the way for a broad infantry advance. The Reparti d'assalto were successful in bringing a degree of movement to what had previously been a war of entrenched positions. The Arditi were not considered infantry troops, but were seen and organized as a separate combat arm. Thus they are some of the modern world's first true Special Forces.

World War II

During World War II in 1940 the British Commandos were formed following Winston Churchill's call for "specially trained troops of the hunter class, who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast." The Commandos were selected from volunteers among existing servicemen and went on to spawn a number of other specialist units including the Long Range Desert Group, the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service and the Small Scale Raiding Force of the Special Operations Executive. In the Burma Campaign, the Chindits, whose long range penetration groups were trained to operate from bases deep behind Japanese lines, contained commandos (King's Regiment (Liverpool), 142 Commando Company) and Gurkhas. Their jungle expertise, which would play an important part in many British special forces operations post war, was learnt, at a great cost in lives, in the jungles of Burma fighting the Japanese.

File:SkorzenyBW.jpg
Otto Skorzeny

In mid-1942, the United States formed the Rangers who were based on and trained by the Commandos. The US and Canada also formed a sabotage ski brigade for operations in Norway who became known as the Devil's Brigade during their eventual service in Italy. Merrill's Marauders were modelled on the Chindits and took part in similar operations in Burma.

The German army had the Brandenburger Regiment who became a special armored force used by Rommel in the North Africa campaign for long range reconnaissance as well as raids behind enemy lines. A unit within the Waffen SS commanded by Otto Skorzeny also conducted many special operations.

In Italy, the Decima Flottiglia MAS were responsible for the sinking and damage of considerable Allied tonnage in the Mediterranean. After the division of Italy in 1943, those fighting with Germany retained the original name and those fighting with the Allies retitled as the Mariassalto.

Late 20th and early 21st century

Throughout the later half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, special forces have come to higher prominence, as governments have found objectives can sometimes be better achieved by a small team of anonymous specialists than a larger and much more politically controversial conventional deployment. In both Kosovo and Afghanistan, special forces were used to coordinate activities between local guerrilla fighters and air power. Typically, guerrilla fighters would engage enemy soldiers and tanks causing them to move, where they could be seen and attacked from the air.

Invariably, special forces were used in key military operations such as the Falklands War, Northern Ireland, the first and second Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, the Iranian Embassy siege (London) and the Moscow Theatre siege.

Among the several types of Special Forces

Also see: List of special forces units

Australia

Austria

Belgium

  • Para-Commandos- Belgium's equivalent to the US Army Rangers
  • GVP/ESR (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols)
  • SIE ( Speciaal Interventie Eskadron - Belgian Police Counter Terrorism unit

Canada

  • Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2) a small, secretive, SAS-type, strategic-level, military unit whose mission is to provide expert "armed assistance in the resolution of an incident that is affecting, or has the potential to affect, the national interest." The primary focus is counter-terrorism (CT) tasks in Canada in support of civil authorities. However, the unit can expect to be employed on other high value strategic tasks, including the overseas missions of the Canadian Forces.

CZECH REPUBLIK

a small, secretive, SAS-type, strategic-level, military unit whose mission is to provide expert. Function:


Counter-Terrorism Operations at home and abroad . Intelligence gathering missions behind enemy lines. Close quarter protection and bodyguarding .

Egypt

Germany

  • KSK (Kommando Spezialkräfte) of the German Army
  • Grenzschutzgruppe 9 of the German Federal Border Police (counter terrorist unit)
  • Fallschirmjäger (Parachutists)
  • Fernspäh Kompanies (SAS-type/LRRPS)
  • Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Warfare troops)

Guatemala

France

Israel

Italy

Indonesia

Macedonia

Malta

Mexico

Netherlands

  • 108th Korps Commandotroepen
  • BBE (Bijzondere Bijstands Eenheid; Counter-Terrorism)
  • 7NL Special Boat Squadron
  • 104 Observation and Recon Co. (Reserve unit LRRPs)
  • BSB (Brigade Speciale Beveilingsopdrachten)

New Zealand

Norway

Poland

  • GROM: Poland's equivalent of Delta Force and the SAS (Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Mobilnego)
  • 1st Special (Commando) Regiment (1 PKSZ - 1 Pułk Komandosów Specjalnego Przeznaczenia)
  • Navy Combat Diver's Group "Formoza" (GSP - Grupa Specjalna Płetwonurków)
  • Pododdziały Antyterrorystyczne: Polish Police Counter-Terrorism Unit (Zarzad Operacji Antyterrorystycznych ZOA KGP)
  • 6 Brygada Desantowo-Szturmowa im. Gen. Sosabowskiego
  • 4101st Paratroop Battalion (LRRPS'S)

Russia

  • Alfa Group aka Group A, Russia's prime counter-terrorist unit (subordinated to the FSB).
  • Vympel (Pennant) aka Group V, counter-terrorist and covert action unit (subordinated to the FSB)
  • Spetsnaz (SPETSialnoje NAZnachenie): general term for all special purpose units, regardless of service
    • Spetsnaz GRU : Military intelligence service Special Operation units, classified (units not identified).
  • Naval infantry Spetsnaz: Russian Navy Naval infantry (aka black berets) SpecOps,
  • VDV (airborne troops):
    • 103th, 104th and 105th Airborne Guard Divisions (VDV)
    • Independent Assault Brigades
    • 45th Distinct Reconaissance Regiment (might be a Spetsnaz GRU unit)
  • MVD (Interior Ministry Troops)
    • MVD OSNAZ teams ("Rus", "Vitiaz", "Grom"...), similar to the French GIGN
    • ODON of MVD: Separate Operational Purpose Division (Counter-terrorism and Drug enforcement)
    • OMON: Paramilitary police units, similar to the French Gendarmerie Nationale
    • OMSN: special police units

Singapore

South Africa

Sweden

UK

The definition of special forces used in the UK is more limited than that used by the USA and this article. See United Kingdom Special Forces for the current composition of the UK special forces group of the Ministry of Defence.

Using the USA definition of special forces, the following units are likely to qualify:

US

  • US Army Rangers Specialize in quick direct action raids, originally wore a Black Beret, now wear a Tan Beret.
  • US Army Special Forces known by civilians as the "Green Berets" specialize in Foreign Internal Defense (FID) – e.g. training foreign troops; many of the "military advisors" in South Vietnam in the 1960s were Special Forces soldiers. It is worth noting that most Green Berets prefer to call themselves "Special Forces soldiers".
  • US Navy SEALs specialize in Maritime assault as well as Special Forces Missions (underwater demolition, maritime search & secure, hostage rescue, etc.).
  • US Marine Corps Force Recon specialize in advanced reconnaissance leading the way for major Marine amphibious invasions.
  • Delta Force specializes in counter-terrorist operations. Modelled on the British SAS.

See also

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