These massacres have become commonplace. A new way of warfare by the United States, which does not take place on the battlefield, but mercilessly kills suspected militants. America's most secretive unit has become a global manhunting machine.
They plotted their deadly missions from secret bases in the wastelands of Somalia. In Afghanistan, they got involved in such close battles that they came out of them in blood - someone else's. In secret raids under the cover of night, their weapons ranged from custom-fitted carbines to ancient tomahawks.
Around the world, they set up spy stations disguised as commercial ships, pretended to be civilian employees of one-day firms, and worked in embassies in male and female pairs, keeping track of those whom the US wanted to kill or capture.
These operations are part of the secret history of the US Navy SEAL Team 6, one of the nation's most mythologized, secretive, and least scrutinized military organizations. Previously, it was only a small group dedicated to specialized but rare tasks. However, within ten years, Team 6, best known for the assassination of Osama bin Laden, has become a global manhunting machine.
This squad role reflects America's new way of waging war, in which conflict is defined not by victories and defeats on the battlefield, but by the merciless killing of suspected militants.
Almost everything about SEAL Team 6 (hereinafter referred to as "Navy SEALs" - ed.), a secret special forces unit, is shrouded in mystery - the Pentagon does not even publicly recognize this name, although some of their deeds in recent years have been mentioned, for the most part in enthusiastic messages. But if you study the evolution of the Sixth Division through dozens of interviews with current and former members and other military personnel, as well as reviews of government documents, you can see a much more complex and provocative story.
While fighting the heaviest wars of attrition in Afghanistan and Iraq, Team 6 has undertaken missions elsewhere that blur the traditional line between soldier and spy. The sniper unit of the detachment was reorganized to carry out covert intelligence operations, and the Navy SEALs cooperated with CIA employees as part of the Omega Program initiative, which gives greater freedom of action in the pursuit of opponents.
Team 6 has successfully carried out thousands of dangerous raids that military leaders say have weakened the militants' infrastructure, but their operations have also been the subject of repeated scandals involving excessive killings and deaths of civilians.
Afghan villagers and a British commander accused the SEALs of indiscriminately killing people in one of the settlements. In 2009, the detachment, in cooperation with the CIA and the Afghan militias, carried out a raid in which several young people were killed, which led to tensions between NATO and Afghanistan. Even a hostage released in a tense rescue operation wondered why the SEALs killed absolutely all of his captors.
When violations were suspected, external oversight was still limited. The Joint Special Operations Center, which oversees SEAL 6 missions, conducted its own investigations of more than half a dozen cases, but rarely shared the results with Navy investigators.
“Investigations in the SCSO are being carried out by the SCSO, this is one of the sides of the problem,” says a former senior officer with experience in special operations
Even civilian observers in the armed forces do not conduct regular checks on the unit's operations.
"This is an area that Congress, to everyone's outrage, doesn't want to know too much about," said Harold Koch, a former State Department senior legal adviser who advised the Obama administration on covert warfare.
Since 2001, the SEALs were bombarded with money, which allowed them to significantly expand their ranks - their number reached about 300 assault fighters (operatives) and 1,500 support personnel. But some members of the squad wonder if the high number of operations has eroded the unit's elite culture and forced them to waste on low-value combat missions. Team 6 operatives were sent to Afghanistan to hunt down al-Qaeda leaders, but instead spent years in close conflict with mid- and low-level Taliban fighters. The former operative described the role of the squad members as "armed players on the sidelines."
The price of change was high: over the past 14 years, more soldiers of the detachment have died than in its entire previous history. Constant assaults, parachute jumps, rock climbing and shell explosions - many were traumatized physically and mentally.
“War is not a beautiful act, as they have come to think in the US,” says Britt Slabinski, a retired Team 6 soldier and veteran of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. “When one person is forced to kill another for a long time, emotions cannot be avoided. You have to show your worst and best qualities.”
Team 6 and its Army counterpart, Delta Force, have carried out many operations fearlessly, and have been trusted by the last two presidents with missions in more and more hotspots around the world. Among them are Syria and Iraq, which are now under threat from ISIS (the organization is banned in the Russian Federation - ed. note), as well as Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen, which are mired in protracted chaos.
Like the CIA's drone campaign, sting operations offer politicians an alternative to costly wars of occupation. But because the Sixth Detachment cloaks itself in secrecy, it is not possible to fully appreciate the course and consequences of their operations, including civilian casualties and the deep hostility of the inhabitants of the countries where they are carried out. These operations became part of the American war effort with little or no public discussion or debate.
Former Senator Bob Kerry, a Democrat from Nebraska and a Navy SEAL during the Vietnam War, warns of the overuse of 6th Division and other special forces.
But such a state of affairs is inevitable, he continues, when American leaders find themselves "in situations of choice between terrible consequences and bad consequences, when there is no choice."
While declining to comment specifically on the SEALs, US Special Operations Command said that since the 9/11 attacks, its forces have "been involved in tens of thousands of missions and operations in various locations and have consistently maintained the highest standards of military US forces."
The command said that the operatives are trained to operate in complex and constantly changing situations, and they are free to determine how to behave, depending on the state of affairs.
“All allegations of violation of discipline are considered. Such cases, if there is evidence, are further investigated by the military or law enforcement agencies.
Supporters of the detachment do not doubt the significance of such "invisible warriors".
“If you want a detachment to sometimes engage in activities that violate international law, you definitely don't want publicity,” says James Stavridis, a retired Admiral and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
James is referring to the invasion of areas in which war has not been declared. Also, Team 6, according to Stavridis, "it is worth continuing to operate in secret."
But others warn of the consequences of keeping an endless string of special operations secret from the public.
“If you are not on the battlefield,” said William Banks, an expert on national security laws at Syracuse University, “then you are not responsible.”
War at close range
During a chaotic battle in March 2002 on Mount Thakur Ghar near the border with Pakistan, Petty Officer First Class Neil Roberts, a weapons specialist in Team 6, fell from a helicopter into al-Qaeda-controlled territory. The militants killed and mutilated his body before American troops could get there.
It was the first major SEAL battle in Afghanistan, and Nile was the first to die. Roberst's murder sent a shudder through the members of a very tight-knit team. America's "new war" will be ugly and fought at a very short distance. At times, the operatives also showed excessive cruelty: they cut off fingers or small pieces of skin for DNA analysis of militants they had just killed.
After the March 2002 campaign, most of Osama bin Laden's fighters fled to Pakistan, after which Team 6 will hardly participate in such a constant fight against the terrorist network in Afghanistan. The enemy they were sent to destroy has all but disappeared.
At the time, the team was prohibited from hunting the Taliban or chasing al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan as it could draw condemnation from the Pakistani government. For the most part limited to the air base at Bagram outside of Kabul, the SEALs were disappointed. There were no such restrictions on the CIA, so Team 6 members began working with the spy organization, using its expanded combat powers, says a former military and intelligence official.
These missions, as part of the Omega program, allowed the SEALs to conduct "controversial operations" against the Taliban and other militants in Pakistan. Omega was created in the aftermath of the Phoenix program (which existed during the "Vietnam era"), in which CIA officers and special forces conducted interrogations and assassinations in order to destroy the Viet Cong guerrilla network in South Vietnam.
But the increasing number of killings during operations in Pakistan poses too much risk, authorities said, and the Omega program should focus mostly on using Afghan Pashtuns to conduct spy missions in Pakistan and work with CIA-trained Afghan fighters during night raids. in Afghanistan. A CIA spokesman declined to comment on the statement.
The escalation of the conflict in Iraq attracted almost all the attention of the Pentagon and required a constant build-up of troops, including SEAL operatives. With America's waning military influence in Afghanistan, the Taliban began to regroup. An alarmed Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the Joint Special Operations Center, in 2006 assigned the SEALs and other troops a larger task: defeat the Taliban again.
This assignment led to years of night raids and battles carried out by Team 6. The squad was assigned to lead Special Forces in some of the most brutal periods of what has come to be called America's longest war. The secret squad, which was created to carry out the most risky operations, instead participates in dangerous but routine battles.
Operations picked up over the summer as Team 6 and Army Rangers began hunting down "mid-level" fighters to hunt down Taliban leaders in Kandahar province, the Taliban's heartland. The SEALs have used techniques developed with Delta Force in kill-and-capture operations conducted inside Iraq. The logic was this: Information obtained from the militants' hideout, coupled with data collected by the CIA and the National Security Agency, could lead to a bomb-making workshop and ultimately to the door of the rebel commander.
It seemed that the special forces would always be lucky. There is no publicly available data on the number of night raids that Team 6 conducted in Afghanistan, or on their losses. Warlords claim that most of the raids took place without a shot being fired. But between 2006 and 2008, one operative says, there were busy periods when their team killed 10 to 15 people a night, and sometimes the number even reached 25.
The fast pace "made the guys violent," claims a former Team 6 officer.
"These massacres have become commonplace"
According to special operations commanders, the night raids helped unravel the Taliban's network. But some members of Team 6 began to doubt that they had really changed anything.
“We had so many goals that it was just another name. Whether they were go-betweens, Taliban commanders, officers, financiers, it doesn't matter,” said a former senior member of the SEALs, in response to demands for information about one of the missions.
Another former member of the group, an officer, was even more dismissive about some of the operations.
“In 2010, the guys were chasing a street gang. The most trained squad in the world was chasing street thugs"
The squad has made its operations faster, quieter and deadlier, and has benefited from continuous budget increases and technology improvements since 2001. Team 6's other name, Special Rapid Deployment Maritime Combat Team, alludes to its official mission to develop new equipment and strategies for the SEAL organization as a whole, which includes nine other non-covert teams.
The SEAL gunsmiths have prepared a new German-made rifle and equipped almost all weapons with silencers that suppress the sound of shots and gunshot flashes. Laser sights, which help SEALs shoot more accurately, have become standard, as have thermal optics to detect human body heat. The group received a new generation of thermobaric grenades, which are especially effective for destroying buildings. They are increasingly operating in larger groups. The more lethal weapons the SEALs carry, the fewer enemies get out alive.
“To protect yourself and your brothers, you will use anything, regardless of whether it is a blade or a machine gun,” says Mr. Raso, who, along with Mr. Winkler, worked on the creation of melee weapons.
Many SEAL operatives stated that they did not use tomahawks - they say they are too bulky weapons that, compared to firearms, are not as effective - acknowledging that the situation on the battlefield was at times very, very chaotic .
“This is a dirty business. I can shoot them like I was told, or I can poke or slash them with a knife, what difference does it make?” says one former Team 6 member.
culture
The SEALs' isolated headquarters at the Dam Neck branch at Oceana Naval Air Station, south of Virginia Beach, serves as a home for a troop within a troop. Far from the spotlight, the base is home not only to three hundred operatives (they despise the word "commandos"), their officers and commanders, but also pilots, barge builders, sappers, engineers, medics and a reconnaissance squad equipped with the most modern surveillance systems. and surveillance around the world.
The Navy SEAL - which stands for "Sea, Air, Land" - has its origins in World War II diving squads. Team 6 emerged several decades later, after a failed attempt in 1980 to rescue 53 American hostages captured during the takeover of the American embassy in Tehran. Poor planning and bad weather forced the command to abort the operation, and eight soldiers were killed when two planes crashed in the Iranian desert.
The Navy then turned to Commander Richard Marcinko, a tough Vietnam veteran, to create a SEAL unit that could quickly respond to terrorist threats. The name itself was an attempt at disinformation in the Cold War: at that time there were only two SEAL teams, but Commander Marcinko called the squad SEAL Team 6 in the hope that Soviet analysts would overestimate their strength.
He spit on the rules and created an extremely extraordinary squad. (Several years after he left his command, Marcinko was accused of fraudulent military contracts.) In his autobiography, The Rogue Warrior, Commander Marcinko describes drinking together as an important part of Team 6's cohesion; for the most part, his recruitment resulted in drunken bar sessions.
Initially, Team 6 consisted of two assault groups - Blue and Gold, named after the colors of the fleet. The Blue group adopted the Jolly Roger as a symbol and quickly earned themselves the nickname "Bad Boys in Blue" for repeated accusations of drunk driving, drug use, and crashing workout cars with impunity.
Sometimes young officers were kicked out of Team 6, who tried to deal with what they considered a frivolous attitude. Admiral William McRaven, who led the Special Operations Command and oversaw the attack on bin Laden during the Marcinko era, was removed from Team 6 and assigned to another SEAL team after complaining about the difficulty in maintaining order among the fighters.
Ryan Zinke, a former Team 6 member now serving as a Republican congressman in Montana, recalled an episode from the team's exercise on a cruise ship in preparation for a possible hostage situation at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Zinke escorted the admiral to the bar on the lower deck. “When we opened the door, what I saw reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean,” says Zinke, recalling how the admiral was amazed by the long hair, beards and earrings in the ears of the fighters.
“Is this my fleet?” the admiral asked him. - "These guys are my fleet?"
It was the start of what Zinke called the "great bloodletting" when the Navy thinned out the commanding staff of Team 6 to bring it up to the level of professionals. Former and current Team 6 operatives state that the culture back then was different. Now the members of the squad have become more educated, more prepared, older and wiser - although some still go too far.
"I was kicked out of the Boy Scouts," says one former officer, adding that most of the SEALs "were just like him."
Known for their strict adherence to established rules, Delta Force members often start out as rank and file infantry, then move up to reconnaissance and special forces before joining Delta. But SEAL 6 is more isolated from the rest of the fleet, and many of its members come to the squad's harsh training machine from outside the military.
After several years of service in regular SEAL units - the even-numbered ones are in Virginia Beach, the odd-numbered ones in San Diego, and another operating mini-submarines in Hawaii - the fighters can try to join to the sixth division. Many want to be on the most elite SEAL team, but about half of them drop out.
The officers in the Sixth Division are constantly changing, and although officers sometimes return for several tours of duty, NCOs usually stay in the squad for much longer, which makes their influence noticeably inflated.
“Many soldiers think that they are really in charge of everything. It's part of the Marcinko style," says one former SEAL officer.
And they are prone to bravado - critics and defenders of the detachment agree on this. While other SEAL units (known as "white" or "standard" SEALs in the military) perform similar tasks, the Sixth Squad deals with high-value targets and hostage rescue in war zones. He also cooperates more with the CIA and performs more covert assignments outside of conflict zones. Only the fighters of the sixth detachment are taught how to return nuclear weapons that fell into the wrong hands.
Because of the participation of the Sixth Division in the raid on bin Laden in 2011, all and sundry rushed to publish books and documentaries about them, which made the silent Delta fighters just roll their eyes. Members of the Sixth Squad are expected to remain silent about their assignments, and many current and former fighters are angry that two of their comrades themselves spoke about their role in the death of the al-Qaeda leader. The two are Matt Bissonnet, author of two best-selling books about his time in the 6th SEAL, and Robert O'Neill, who claimed on TV that he killed bin Laden. The Criminal Investigation Service of the Marine Fleet is conducting proceedings against them on charges of disclosing classified information.
Others were silently expelled from the squad for drug use, or they themselves quit due to conflicts of interest involving military customers or working on the side. Navy officials in 2012 punished 11 current and former members of the Navy for revealing the tactics of the Sixth Division or passing on secret training films to promote the computer game Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
Given the many combat missions over the past 13 years, few members of the squad remained unscathed. About 35 operatives and members of the support staff died in combat missions, according to a former squad officer. They include 15 members of the Golden Company and two demolition specialists killed in 2011 when a helicopter called Extortion 17 was shot down in Afghanistan. It was the most terrible day in the history of the sixth detachment.
Explosions of charges used to break through fortifications during raids, constant assaults and exhausting riding in high-speed boats during sea rescue operations or training took their toll. Some received head injuries.
“Your body is just broken,” says a recently retired fighter. "And the brain is broken too."
"Navy SEALs are a lot like National League football players: they never say, 'I don't want to be on the first team,'" says Dr. John Hart, medical director at the University of Texas at Dallas Brain Health Center, which has treated many of the Navy SEAL patients. . “If guys who already have the effects of a concussion are sent on a mission, this will only increase the already existing brain damage. The brain needs enough time to recover.”
License to Kill
Early in the war in Afghanistan, the SEALs were assigned to guard an Afghan politician named Hamid Karzai; one of the Americans almost received a bullet in the head during the assassination attempt on the future president. But later on, Karzai repeatedly criticized the operations of the US special forces, arguing that civilians were constantly killed during their raids. He viewed the actions of Team 6 and other units as a blessing for Taliban recruiters and subsequently attempted to completely stop the night raids.
Most quests didn't end in death. Some members of Team 6 say they rounded up women and children and pushed the men out of the way with a kick or rifle butt to search their homes. Sometimes they took captives; according to one of the representatives of the department, after the attempts of the SEAL fighters to capture people, some prisoners turned out to have broken noses.
Team 6 members usually work under the close supervision of their superiors - officers in the overseas operations coordination center and at Dam Neck, who monitor the progress of the raids with drones hovering in the sky - but they get away with a lot. While other SWAT teams are subject to the same engagement rules as other military personnel in Afghanistan, Team 6 typically conducts their operations at night, deciding life and death in dark rooms without witnesses or cameras.
Operatives use silenced weapons to silently kill sleeping opponents; in their opinion, this is no different from the bombardment of enemy barracks.
“I snuck into people’s houses while they were sleeping,” writes Matt Bissonnette in his book Not a Hero. - "If I caught them with weapons, I killed them, like all the guys in the squad."
And they don't question their decisions. Clarifying that the operatives shoot to kill, the former sergeant added that they fire "control shots" to make sure their opponents are dead. (According to a pathologist's report, in 2011, on a yacht stolen off the African coast, a member of Team 6 delivered 91 blows to a pirate who, along with an accomplice, killed four American hostages. According to a former SEAL fighter, operatives are trained to open every major artery in the human body.)
The retired officer claims the rules boil down to one thing:
“If you feel threatened even for a second, then you will kill someone.”
He described how, while serving in Afghanistan, a SEAL sniper killed three unarmed people, including a little girl, and told his superiors that he felt they were a threat. Formally, this was enough. But in Team 6, according to the officer, "this doesn't work." He added that the sniper was expelled from the detachment.
Six former fighters and officers who were interviewed admitted that they knew about the civilians killed by Team 6 fighters. Slabinski, a SEAL private, witnessed Team 6 operatives mistakenly kill civilians "four or five times" during his service.
Some officers say they routinely questioned Team 6 members when unlicensed killings were suspected, but usually found no evidence of wrongdoing.
"There was no reason for us to dig deeper," says the former special forces officer.
“Do I think something bad happened?” asks another officer. “Do I think there were more murders than needed? Naturally. I think the natural response to a threat was to eliminate it; and only then did you wonder: “Did I overestimate her?” Do I think that the guys deliberately killed those who did not deserve it? No, it's kind of hard for me to believe that."
Civilian deaths are an integral part of every war, some experts in military law have argued, but in conflicts with blurred front lines, where enemy fighters are often indistinguishable from civilians, the usual rules of war become obsolete, so new clauses need to be added to the Geneva Convention. But other experts are indignant, arguing that long-term and clear rules should stand above the realities of the battle.
"It's especially important to emphasize boundaries and rules when you're fighting a ruthless and dishonorable enemy," explains Jeffrey Korn, a former General Staff expert from the military bar and current faculty at South Texas Law College. “It is then that the desire for revenge is strongest. And war is not meant for revenge."
Towards the end of Team 6 Blue Company's stay in Afghanistan in early 2008, the elders complained to the British general whose forces controlled Helmand province. He immediately contacted Captain Scott Moore, commander of the SEALs, and informed him of the complaint of two elders that SEALs had killed several people in the village.
Captain Moore opposed those who led the mission to capture or kill a member of the Taliban, codenamed "Operation Panther".
When Captain Moore asked what had happened, the unit's commander, Peter Weisley, denied all accusations that the operatives were killing civilians. According to a former Team 6 member and military official, he said his men killed all the men because they had guns. Captain Weisley, who now oversees Team 6 teams on the East Coast, declined to comment.
Captain Moore asked the United States Special Operations Center to look into the incident. By that time, the command had already been reported that there were dozens of witnesses to the mass execution arranged by American soldiers in the village.
Another ex-Team 6 member later insisted that Blue Company Captain Slabinski ordered every man in the village to be killed before the operation began. Slabinski denied this, arguing that there was no order to kill all men.
“We didn’t even discuss it with the guys,” he said in an interview.
He said that during the raid, he was greatly disturbed by the sight of one of the young operatives cutting the throat of a dead Taliban fighter. “It was like he was mutilating a corpse,” Slabinski said, adding that he shouted, “Stop it!”
The Naval Attorney's Office later concluded that the operative may have removed the equipment from the dead man's chest. But the commanders of Team 6 were worried that some of the fighters might get out of hand, so that operative was sent back to the States. Suspecting that his fighters were not completely obeying the rules for starting a clash, Slabinski gathered them all and issued an "extremely stern speech."
“If any of you seek retribution, this issue must be resolved through me,” he recalls his words. “No one can solve this except me”
As he himself claims, the speech was to make the fighters understand that this permission will never be, since such a thing was unacceptable. But he admits that some fighters may have misunderstood him.
According to two former members of Team 6, the Joint Operations Center has cleared the company's name of all charges related to Operation Panther. It remains unclear how many Afghans died during the raid, or the exact location where they died, although one officer believed it was south of Lashkar Gan, the provincial capital of Helmand.
But the murders have spurred a discussion in high places about how, in a country where many people carry guns, Team 6 could ensure that it hunts “only the really bad guys.”
In other cases, which were usually handled by the Center and not by the naval prosecutor's office, no charges were brought against anyone. Usually, in case of problems, the fighters were sent home; for example, three fighters who went overboard during interrogation and some team members who were linked to questionable murders.
More than a year later, another operation caused strong indignation among the Afghans. By midnight on December 27, 2009, several dozen US and Afghan fighters landed in helicopters a few miles from the village of Ghazi Khan in Kunar province and headed for the village under the cover of darkness. By the time they left, ten residents had been killed.
It is still unknown what exactly happened that night. The objective of that mission was to capture or kill a senior Taliban operative, but it quickly became clear that no Taliban commanders were present. This was due to disinformation, a problem that still plagued the US after years in Afghanistan. The former governor of the province investigated and accused the Americans of killing unarmed schoolchildren.
The US embassy in Afghanistan released statements saying that the ensuing investigation showed that "eight of the ten killed attended local schools."
Representatives of the American army said that the dead were members of an underground cell that made improvised explosive devices. They subsequently retracted these words, but some military officials still insist that all the teenagers carried weapons and were associated with the Taliban. One NATO statement says the raiders were "intrinsically non-military", apparently alluding to the CIA in charge of the operation.
But Team 6 fighters also participated in this mission. As part of the secret Omega Program, they joined a strike force that included CIA operatives and intelligence-trained Afghan fighters.
By that time, the program that had begun at the dawn of the war in Afghanistan had changed. The raids on Pakistan were canceled because it was difficult to work there due to the increased activity of Pakistani spies and soldiers, so the missions were mainly carried out on the Afghan side of the border.
Over time, General McChrystal, who became the commander-in-chief of US forces in Afghanistan, responded to President Karzai's complaints by tightening the rules and slowing down the pace of special operations.
Having practiced stealth penetration behind enemy lines for many years, Team 6 fighters were often forced to “warn” before attacking like a sheriff shouting into a loudmouth: “Come out with your hands up!”
Slabinski argues that most of the civilian deaths were during "precautionary" operations, which were supposed to reduce precisely such losses. According to him, enemy fighters sometimes sent family members forward and fired from behind them, or handed out flashlights to civilians and ordered them to highlight American positions.
Former commando O'Neill agrees that the rules could be infuriating.
“Then we realized something: the more opportunities we were given to cause indirect damage, the more effective we were - not because we used it, but because we knew that there would be no doubt. As the number of rules increased, things got more complicated.”
rescue missions
Long before the night raids in Afghanistan and the landings on the battlefield, members of the SEALs were constantly trained to rescue hostages - until 2001 they did not perform these difficult and dangerous tasks. Since then, the squad has made 10 rescue attempts, which are both among its greatest successes and bitterest failures.
During extractions - which are considered "no margin for error" missions - operatives say they must move faster and take more risk than in any other type of operation, as they need to keep hostages safe. Usually, the operatives killed almost all the people involved in the capture.
The first high-profile rescue mission came in 2003, when SEAL operatives helped bring home Professor Jessica Lynch, who had been wounded, captured, and held in hospital during the early days of the Iraq War.
Six years later, members of Team 6 parachuted from cargo planes into the Indian Ocean, along with their special boats, to rescue Richard Phillips, the captain of the Maersk Alabama, a container ship hijacked by Somali pirates. In a video taken by Mr. O'Neill, the operatives are seen parachuting with fins strapped to their boots, before four boats are ejected from the plane - small, fast, with stealth technology to bypass radar - each with several parachutes. As a result, SEAL snipers killed three pirates.
In 2012, airborne operatives landed in Somalia to free Jessica Buchanan, an American aid worker, and her Danish colleague Paul Hagen Thisted. The joint special operations center (JSOC, Joint Special Operations Center) believes that everything was standard within the framework of that mission. The SEALs landed using a technique called HAHO, high altitude-high opening. This means that the operatives jump from a great height and glide for a long time on the air currents, thus secretly crossing the border. This maneuver is so dangerous that during the preparation for it, several people died during the entire years of the detachment's existence.
Ms. Bochanan recalled that four of the abductors were about 4.5 meters away from her when the members of Team 6 approached under the cover of darkness. During the operation, they killed all nine kidnappers. “Until they appeared, I did not know that we could be saved at all,” Miss Bochanan said in an interview.
In October 2010, a member of Team 6 made a mistake while trying to rescue Linda Norgrove, a 36-year-old British aid worker who had been captured by the Taliban. It all happened in the first two minutes, after the operatives disembarked from helicopters in Kunar province and drove 27 meters down a braided cord onto a steep slope, two high-ranking military officers later said.
As they made their way to the Taliban base in the dark, the new member of the squad "got confused," as he later told investigators. His weapon jammed. "With a complete mess in my head," he threw a grenade into the trench, where, as he thought, two militants were hiding.
But after a shootout, during which several Taliban were killed, the "seals" found the hostage's body - in dark clothes and a scarf - lying in this very trench. First, the operative who threw the grenade and another member of the squad reported that Miss Norgrove had died due to the explosion of a suicide belt. Their version did not last long. Surveillance footage shows that she almost instantly died from shrapnel wounds to her head and back caused by a grenade explosion, according to the investigators' report.
As a result of a joint US-British investigation, it turned out that the operative who threw the grenade grossly violated the procedure for releasing the hostages. He was expelled from Team 6, although he was allowed to remain in another SEAL unit.
Two years later, an American doctor was successfully rescued, but at a great cost. One December night in 2012, a group of Team 6 operatives wearing night vision goggles broke into an Afghan field camp where the Taliban were holding a humanitarian aid doctor, Dilip Joseph. The first operative to enter was knocked down by a headshot, to which the other Americans responded with brutal efficiency—all five of the kidnappers were killed.
However, Dr. Joseph and the military provided very different versions of what happened. A 19-year-old militant named Vallaka survived the attack, the doctor said. Dilip Joseph recalled how the one, captured by SEAL operatives, was sitting on the ground with his head bowed and his hands tied under his knees. The Doctor believes that Vallaka was among those who killed one of Team 6.
A few minutes later, as he was waiting to board the helicopter, one of the SEALs who had rescued the doctor took him back to the building. There, before his eyes, the dead Vallaka appeared, lying in a pool of blood and illuminated by moonlight.
“I remember it clearly as day,” said the doctor
The military, under the cover of "top secret" status, said that all the kidnappers were killed shortly after the "seals" entered the camp, and no one ever captured Wallach. Also, according to them, then Dr. Joseph was disoriented and did not go back into the building at all. They also asked: how could the doctor clearly see what was happening in the darkness of the night?
Two years later, Dr. Joseph is unfailingly grateful for his rescue and appreciates the sacrifice of Petty Officer Nicholas Cescu, a member of the squad who was killed during the operation. But at the same time, he is haunted by the fate of Wallack.
“For weeks I could not come to terms with how effectively they acted. The precision was surgical,” recalls Dr. Joseph.
global spy group
From a defensive line along the Afghan border, Team 6 regularly dispatches locals to collect information in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The group turned the large, brightly colored jingle trucks popular in the region into mobile spy stations by hiding sophisticated listening equipment in the back of the truck, and with the help of the Pashtuns (an Iranian people who inhabit mainly the southeast, south and southwest of Afghanistan). and northwest Pakistan - approx. Newochem) overtakes them across the border.
Outside of the Pakistani mountains, the squad also conducts risky missions in the southwest Pakistani desert, particularly in the windy region of Balochistan. One such mission nearly ended in disaster when gunmen fired a rocket-propelled grenade right out of a doorway, causing the roof of the camp to collapse and a Team 6 sniper sitting on it toppling over a small group of gunmen. According to one former operative, another American sniper, who was nearby, quickly killed them.
Between the conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, members of the Black Company, which is part of Team 6, were scattered around the world on spy missions. It was originally a sniper squad that, after the 9/11 attacks, was converted to conduct "specially difficult operations," which in military jargon means intelligence gathering and other clandestine activities in preparation for special missions.
At the Pentagon, this idea was especially popular when Donald Rumsfeld was Secretary of Defense. In the middle of the last decade, General McChrystal ordered Team 6 to be more involved in global intelligence gathering missions, and Black Company operatives were deployed to American embassies from Africa and Latin America to the Middle East.
A former member of the group said that the SEALs used diplomatic pouches, regular deliveries of classified documents and other materials to American diplomatic posts to smuggle weapons to Black Company operatives abroad. In Afghanistan, Black Company fighters wore local clothing and infiltrated villages to set up cameras and listening devices and interview local residents days and even weeks before night raids, some former members of the organization say.
The team creates front companies to provide Black Company operatives with cover in the Middle East and uses floating spy stations disguised as commercial vessels off the coast of Somalia and Yemen. Members of the Black Company, stationed at the US embassy in Sana'a, Yemen's capital, played a central role in the hunt for Anawar al-Awlaki, a radical cleric and American citizen who had become involved with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He was killed in 2011 by a CIA drone.
One of the former members of the Black Company said that in Somalia and Yemen, operatives were allowed to shoot only at targets of special importance.
“Outside of Iraq and Afghanistan, we didn't work at random. It was completely different there."
The Black Company has something that the rest of the SEAL team doesn't have: female operatives. Women from the Navy join the Black Company and go abroad to gather intelligence, most often working in embassies with male partners. A former SEAL officer said that in the Black Company, men and women often work in pairs, which is called "softening." Pairs arouse less suspicion among enemy intelligence or armed groups.
At the moment, more than a hundred people work in the Black Company. The organization is expanding due to the growing threat around the world. It also has to do with changes in American politics. Fearful of using "shadow soldiers" after the defeat in the "Battle of Mogadishu" in Somalia in 1993, government officials now prefer to send units like "Navy SEALs" to resolve conflicts, regardless of whether the US wants to advertise its presence. or not.
“When I was in business, we were always looking for wars,” says Mr. Zinke, a congressman and former member of Team 6, “and these guys found them.”
Mark Mazzetti, Nicholas Kulish, Christopher Drew, Serge F. Kovalevski, Sean D. Naylor, John Ismay
A study of the experience of recent military conflicts involving the United States shows that the army of this country is increasingly using a completely new tactics of warfare: seizing air supremacy with subsequent suppression of enemy military targets by aircraft and tactical missiles. Analysts have already called such tactics "war of the sixth generation", when there is no clearly defined front line, and the ground army units are mainly guarding and blocking functions. At the same time, operations on enemy territory are most often assigned to special forces units that can perform a variety of tasks, from the destruction of key military installations to the capture or elimination of political and military leaders.
It is very interesting to consider the structure of the special forces of the United States as the country that was the first to use the tactics of "sixth generation warfare." Back in 1987, the United States Special Operations Command (US SOCOM - United States Special Operations Command) was created in the structure of the US armed forces, to which the special operations commands of the army, air force and navy, as well as the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC - Joint Special Operations Command) were subordinated, which, presumably, is entrusted with the organization and conduct of anti-terrorist actions and control over weapons of mass destruction. In the same 1987, the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflicts was also established. The Special Operations Command is entrusted with the management of special forces units in the United States, as well as the solution of all financial and organizational issues. If a special forces detachment operates outside the territory of the United States, it is transferred to the command of the "zone of responsibility" commander or, in the case of hostilities, to the commander of the theater of operations. Such an organization of leadership avoids most of the problems with the coordination of the actions of the detachments and the distribution of powers.
SEAL - special forces of the US Navy (US Navy), designed to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations from the sea. Literally translated, "seal" (also "fur seal") is an abbreviation for Sea - Air - Land (Sea - Air - Earth). Photo and video under the cut
The Seals trace their history back to the Civil War in 1861, when Northerners used combat swimmers to find and clear mines.
The current body of "seals" was formed in 1962, President Kennedy is also considered their "godfather". "Seals" took an active part in the war in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
For individual special forces units, the United States has chosen an extensive path of development - to grow in breadth. In addition to several large divisions, a large number of small, highly specialized ones have been created. For example, even the Department of Energy has its own special forces - Special Rapid Response Teams (SRT - Special Response Teams), involved in the protection of nuclear materials. Such a development strategy allows you to create units that specialize in performing very specific tasks.
SEa, Air, Land (SEAL) - Sea, Air, Land
SEAL - this is the name of the special forces of the US Navy (US Navy), designed to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations from the sea. In the press, this unit is often referred to as "seals" or "fur seals". The abbreviation SEAL is consonant with the English word "seal" - a seal.
The history of the unit began with the creation in 1942 as part of the Navy of special submarine demolition teams (UDT - Underwater Demolition Team), designed to clear coastal waters and the coastline at landing sites. During the Second World War, these teams did without scuba gear - they were just well-trained and trained swimmers. By 1948, four such teams remained in the US Navy and began teaching the use of diving equipment. Even the famous Jacques Yves Cousteau was indirectly involved in this work, from whom in 1949 a batch of scuba gear and breathing apparatus was purchased. And by July 1950, the training and equipment of UDT combat swimmers were sufficient to use them in the war with Korea. They were entrusted with reconnaissance and cleaning of coastal waters from mines. A little later, UDT groups began to be used for sabotage on enemy territory. The actions of the UDT fighters in Korea were so successful that by 1952 it was decided to create another, fifth group of combat swimmers. And ten years later, on January 1, 1962, US President John F. Kennedy signed an order to create the SEAL naval special forces.
Initially, SEAL consisted of two squads: SEAL Team 1 in the Pacific Fleet and SEAL Team 2 in the Atlantic. But by 1963, the unification of all reconnaissance and sabotage units of the fleet into two naval operations support groups (NOSG - Naval Operation Support Group) began, which included the SEAL, UDT groups, as well as auxiliary units such as a detachment of boats. In the same 1963, the first units from the SEAL fighters.
NOSG went to Vietnam. And in 1966, SEAL fighters also arrived there. The territory of Vietnam is replete with rivers, along which SEAL fighters on light boats went to the place of the proposed operation. During the entire Vietnam campaign, SEAL units lost only one fighter. The losses of their opponents were much higher.
By 1983, after the end of the operation in Grenada, the UDT groups were transferred to the SEAL, and in 1988 the Special Operations Command of the Naval Forces was created subordinate to the Special Operations Command. All special forces of the Navy, including SEALs, were directly subordinate to him.
Today SEAL consists of seven squads. The 1st, 3rd and 5th detachments are part of the 1st Special Forces Group with headquarters in Coronado (the group is intended for special operations as part of the Pacific Fleet). The 2nd, 4th and 8th detachments are part of the 2nd Special Forces Group with headquarters in Little Creek (intended for special operations as part of the Atlantic Fleet). As part of the 1st and 2nd special forces groups, in addition to SEAL detachments, there is a detachment of special transportation vehicles (SDVU - SEAL Delivery Vehicle Unit), designed for covert transportation and evacuation of divers, and a squadron of special purpose boats (SBS - Special Boat Squadron) - for operations in the coastal and river zones.
The 4th (Norfolk) and 5th (Point Mugu) Special Forces Helicopter Squadrons may be requested for air support. In addition, Coronado has a Recruit Training Center and Little Creek has a research and development team responsible for SEAL technical support. Finally, there is also the 6th SEAL detachment (SEAL Team 6), seconded to the Joint Special Operations Command and responsible for conducting anti-terrorist operations at sea. Only the President or Secretary of Defense of the United States can order the use of the 6th SEAL. It should also be noted that the legendary Richard Marsisco, one of the best anti-terrorist specialists in the United States, stood at the origins of the 6th SEAL detachment.
A SEAL squad usually consists of its own headquarters, ten combat platoons, and one maintenance platoon. Each combat platoon has 16 people in two squads. The departments are divided into groups of four people, who, if necessary, can disperse into pairs. The service platoon consists of 20 people. A SEAL squad consists of 200-210 people, with the exception of the 6th squad, which consists of five platoons, divided into four groups of eight fighters. The total number of SEALs, together with additional units, is, according to various estimates, from 2000 to 2900 people.
Any volunteer in the rank of sailor to lieutenant under the age of 28 with at least 28 months of experience in the Navy can become a SEAL candidate. Particular attention in the selection of candidates is drawn to the track record, recommendations from commanders, as well as the results of interviews with a commission of psychologists and an instructor.
The entrance physical fitness test is easy enough: swim 400 meters in 690 seconds, run a mile and a half in the same time, pull up on the bar eight times and push up from the floor at least 42 times in 120 seconds. However, the ease of the physical fitness test is redeemed by the complexity of the physical exercises in training. The training program that recruits go through in Coronado consists of three main stages.
The first stage, called "Basic Conditioning" (basic re-examination), lasts nine weeks. The first five weeks continue testing the physical and volitional qualities of recruits. Simply put, they are taken "to starve". The training day lasts at least 15 hours, during which, with the help of various tests, the physical condition and endurance of beginners are checked. Every day the missions get more difficult - as they say in SEAL, "the only easy day was yesterday." In addition to physical condition, they also test the desire of a recruit to serve in the SEAL, constantly provoking him to show dissatisfaction with training methods or commanders. For example, for this, incorrect or unreasonable orders are often given, which, nevertheless, the fighter must carry out. Training and tests are interrupted only to give the recruits a short lecture or give them food.
Special attention deserves the sixth week of preparation, called "hellish". According to tradition, it begins at night, with explosions of warheads right in the barracks, lasts about five days, during which recruits are unlikely to be able to sleep more than 4-6 hours, and ends with the most difficult training for landing at night under difficult weather conditions and under dense fire of the "enemy". During the "hellish" week, the candidates are subjected to powerful psychological pressure, they are subjected to constant physical exercises with short breaks. No wonder most applicants are weeded out within the first six weeks...
The last three weeks of the first phase, in addition to ongoing physical training, are used to train candidates in the basics of hydrographic surveying, depth-gauging and mapping techniques.
The second stage of training, called "Diving" (diving, immersion), lasts seven weeks. Candidates learn how to use diving equipment and perform various tasks with it. This stage is characterized by rapidly increasing requirements for fighters. If during the first week mainly short descents are carried out using the simplest equipment, then the cycle ends with swims for several kilometers under the most difficult weather conditions (storm, cold water, etc.).
The third stage of training - "Land Warfare" (methods of ground warfare) - lasts nine weeks. Soldiers learn to conduct reconnaissance, sabotage and combat operations, study weapons and auxiliary equipment, practice actions in groups.
The third stage is followed by an "examination" in the form of tests in physical and tactical training. After that, all recruits who successfully passed the exam are sent for three weeks to Fort Benning, where they undergo parachute training.
To improve the skills of fighters, they are sent to SEAL groups, where they undergo a six-month internship. And only at the end of the internship, more than a year after the application is submitted, the candidate signs a contract and is a member of one of the SEAL groups. However, for another three years, he is required to undergo an inspection by a special commission every six months, and in the SEAL unit he will not be allowed to serious operations, using only on the sidelines. And only after the signing of the second contract, the recruit becomes a full-fledged SEAL fighter.
The 6th SEAL detachment also goes through all the above stages of training, which allows, if necessary, to use this detachment in the specialization of the rest of the SEAL detachments - for reconnaissance and sabotage. The anti-terrorist training in the 6th SEAL detachment is one of the best in US special forces, which allows this detachment to fight terrorists not only at sea, but also on land.
In virtually every conflict involving the US military, SEALs have been in the thick of the fighting. Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf - this is not a complete list of places where the guys from SEAL have worked. And almost always the fighters of this unit performed their tasks perfectly, proving over and over again their right to the reputation of one of the strongest US special forces units. According to some information, SEAL fighters had to meet with combat swimmers of the USSR and Russia more than once. How such "meetings" ended is unknown, since the data from both sides are under strict confidence. However, it is known that it was SEAL fighters who in 1967 stole two new mines from a training ground in Peter the Great Bay.
Some sources believe that it was the SEAL unit that was behind the partially successful action in the Angolan port of Namib, when the Cuban cargo ship Havana was sunk and the Soviet transport ships Kapitan Vislobokov and Kapitan Chirkov were damaged.
Green Berets - "Green Berets"
Despite the existing misconception, the "Green Berets" is not the name of one of the US special forces, but the general name of the US Army special forces. The history of the Green Berets began on June 19, 1952, when the 10th Special Forces Group (10th SFG - 10th Special Forces Group) was created, based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and consisted of 2500 people. The main task of the special forces in those days was to penetrate deep into the territory of a potential enemy and create partisan centers of resistance. By the time the unit was created, only ten of its members had training sufficient for a special forces soldier - they were volunteers selected from among the best soldiers in the army: paratroopers, rangers and former special forces soldiers who participated in World War II. Almost all of them spoke at least two languages, had serious combat and parachute training and reached the rank of sergeant. The 10th Special Forces Group was led by Colonel Aaron Bank, a former member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an experienced World War II veteran.
Bank and his associates took up the preparation of their subordinates in earnest. In addition to creating pockets of resistance on enemy territory, special forces were trained for "deep penetration" missions, when long actions were planned on enemy territory, and the fight against enemy partisans. For the training of special forces, the most advanced methods of that time were used. All recruits had already been trained in the airborne or ranger units, but these skills were not enough. Future "Green Berets" were taught to stay in enemy territory for several months, sometimes without support from the base. For this, special attention was paid to the study of the languages and customs of the country where penetration was supposed. In preparing the Green Berets, the United States actively cooperated with Great Britain. In particular, the soldiers of the American special forces were frequent guests of their colleagues from the famous British Special Air Service (SAS - Special Air Service).
"Green Berets" in Afghanistan:
The history of the origin of the name "green berets" is interesting. The green beret was not provided for in the form of special forces. A batch of these hats was bought by soldiers from a Munich tailor, and they wore them as a sign of belonging to one of the best units. The commandant of Fort Bragg, General Paul Adams, even issued an order forbidding commandos to wear green berets that were not part of the uniform. However, after this order, the special forces began to put on their "insignia" with double zeal and showed them to everyone they met.
Some time later, US President John F. Kennedy arrived at Fort Bragg. The presidential entourage, which consisted of several high-ranking generals, was furious that some special forces soldiers marched in the parade in forbidden green berets. One of them - Captain William Yarborough - was even going to be put on trial. However, President Kennedy was so impressed with the new Special Forces that he issued an executive order approving the green beret as the official headdress of the US Army Special Forces.
On November 11, 1953, the 10th Special Forces Group was transferred to the Federal Republic of Germany for operations in Eastern Europe. At Fort Bragg, meanwhile, they began to create the 77th Special Forces Group (77th SFG). On April 1, 1956, the 14th Special Forces Operational Detachment (14th SFOD - 14th Special Forces Operational Detachment), based in Hawaii (and later in Thailand and Taiwan), was separated from this group. The detachment specialized in operations in the Far East. Members of the 14th separate detachment were the first army special forces soldiers to set foot on the territory of South Vietnam - they were sent there in June 1956 to train fighters of the South Vietnamese army. Following the 14th separate special forces detachment, the 12th, 13th and 16th detachments were created, also designed for operations in the Far East. On June 17, 1957, all these detachments were merged into the 1st Special Forces Group (1st SFG) based in Okinawa, Japan.
In the 60s, the pace of deployment of army special forces accelerated significantly due to the positive assessment of this type of troops by President Kennedy. On June 6, the 77th Special Forces Group was redesignated the 7th Special Forces Group (7th SFG). On September 21, 1961, the 5th Special Forces Group (5th SFG) was created. In 1963, three special forces groups were created at once: April 1 - 8th group (8th SFG), May 1 - 6th group (6th SFG) and December 3 - 3rd group (3rd SFG).
Soldiers of the "Green Berets" in the 60s actively worked in the Vietnam War. Small groups operated in Bolivia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. In 1967, "green berets" were used to track down and capture the famous Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara.
The 70s turned out to be quite difficult for the Green Berets. In 1971, units of the army special forces were withdrawn from South Vietnam (according to some reports, small units of the "green berets" continued to operate in Vietnam until the end of the war in 1975). In the United States, meanwhile, was the peak of anti-war sentiment. The "Green Berets" have undergone a significant reduction - from a third to a half of the fighters left them.
The revival of army special forces began in the 80s. To date, the US Army is believed to have seven complete special forces groups. Of these, five groups are combat, one specializes in psychological warfare and one in non-military operations. The groups and their subunits are stationed at NATO bases around the world, which allows the army special forces to quickly respond to a threat anywhere in the world.
The basic unit of the "Green Berets" is the so-called team-A (A-Team), consisting of 12 people. The A-team consists of two officers and ten sergeants, among whom are specialists in weapons, medicine, technology and communications. At the same time, there are at least two specialists of each specialization in the group, which allows, if necessary, to divide the A-team into two independent groups. Six A-Teams make up a Special Forces Company. Four companies and one support squadron usually make up a Special Forces Group (SFG).
Candidates for the "Green Berets" go through a 17-week selection process, during which 30-40% of candidates are eliminated. After that, all those who passed the selection begin to study at courses in the chosen specialty. All fighters of the "green berets" are assigned a rank not lower than sergeant.
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - DeltaThe 1st Special Forces Delta Force, better known to the press simply as the Delta Force, is perhaps one of the most secret US Special Forces units. Evidence of this may be the fact that the US government has not yet officially recognized the existence of "Delta" - the name of this unit has never appeared in official government documents. Even in Mark Bowden's book Black Hawk Down, the term "commandos" is used (however, in the later film of the same name, the Delta Force is already mentioned). Naturally, with this level of secrecy, almost all information comes from unofficial sources - mainly from former members of the "Delta" and from people who worked together with this unit. At the same time, information from different sources often contradicts each other.
It is known for sure that Delta was created on the basis of the Green Berets in 1977. Delta was founded by Colonel Charles Beckwith, a former Green Beret veteran of the Vietnam War. In 1962, Beckwith was sent under the exchange program for a year of internship in the Special Air Service (SAS). In addition to the excellent training of the British commandos, Beckwith was impressed with the order established in the SAS. Outwardly, the unit did not look like a military organization at all - rather, it was a large detachment of friends doing the same thing. Warm, relaxed relations reigned between subordinates and commanders. At the same time, the sergeant could always point out to the officer the mistake he had made and be sure that the officer would take the remark seriously. In addition, a subordinate could even object to the commander if the order given by him looked unreasonable. The SAS did not even have the traditional drill for many army units.
Delta Special Forces in the Afghan caves of Tora Bora in 2001.
A veteran of the "Green Berets" - units with strict discipline - could not even imagine such relations within the detachment. However, this freedom did not negatively affect the combat training of the unit. Beckwith was so captivated by the SAS that, upon returning to the United States, he decided to create a similar unit in the structure of the American army. Beckwith's dream came true only a decade and a half later, when the increased threat of terrorism forced the American army command to start creating units capable of effectively combating the new threat.
Today, Delta is believed to be one of the two main anti-terrorist units of the Joint Special Operations Command (the other unit is the famous 6th SEAL Detachment). Unfortunately, it is not known how duties are distributed between Delta and the 6th SEAL squad, which is also involved in anti-terrorist operations on land. According to some information, "Delta" and the 6th detachment often operate together, as, for example, in Bosnia. 
There is also an opinion that the anti-terrorist orientation of the Delta is just a front, but in fact the unit is a secret reconnaissance and sabotage elite of the US Army special forces. It is impossible to confirm or refute this assumption in the absence of official data.
The personnel of the Delta is recruited mainly from army special forces and rangers. Delta's first mission was Operation Eagle Claw to liberate the US embassy in Tehran, Iran (1980). Due to a helicopter crash, the operation had to be curtailed. After that, "Delta" was involved in anti-terrorist operations several more times. Also, the unit actively participated in almost all US military operations, from Grenada to Afghanistan. 
The Pentagon closely monitors the publication of any information about the Delta Force and refuses to comment on its secret missions. Delta operators are guaranteed seamless mobility, flexibility and automation. They are unlikely to wear any conventional camouflage, and civilian clothing is normal outside of missions. This is done in order to hide the similarities between the classified fighters. When they have a single camouflage, then there is no marking, no name, no rank. The style of hair on the head and face is allowed to be informal, appropriate to civilian standards, so that the operator will not be recognized as a military person when intruding.
The baptism of fire occurred on November 11, 1942, when 16 divers from the Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) opened the way for the Allied landings in Africa. Other teams were operating at the same time in the Pacific, and in June 1944 UDT men were clearing beaches and harbors before landing in Normandy.
Most of the teams were disbanded at the end of the Second World War, but the few remaining in the ranks took part in the Korean War and in sabotage and reconnaissance operations in the ports of communist China. In 1955, the Submarine Demolition Teams, formerly based on the Tai Chun Islands in Taiwanese territory, were transferred to the Subic Bay base in the Philippines. At the same time, the command came to the conclusion that the combat missions of the teams needed to be expanded, taking as a model the scouts of the Marine Corps, who, after landing on the shore, enter the battle.
The Vietnam War allowed the SEALs to show themselves. In five years, they successfully conducted 153 combat operations, destroying more than 1,000 Viet Cong, capturing the same number and losing one fighter. After returning to the United States after Vietnam, SEAL teams took part in many NATO exercises. Gradually, all UDT teams were converted to SEAL teams. In 1983, the SEALs took part in Operation Just Cause in Grenada, in 1989 they captured a military airport in the capital of Panama, and in February 1991 they became the first soldiers of the anti-Iraq coalition to enter the capital of Kuwait.
SEAL teams are part of two US Navy Special Operations Groups (Naval Special Warfare Groupe) - 1st (Pacific, based in Coronado, California) and 2nd (Atlantic, based in Little Creek, Virginia) - and reporting directly to the High Command of the Fleet (USSCOM). Each group consists of three SEAL teams, three special boat fleets, one supply detachment, and one light attack helicopter squadron. The 6th SEAL team specializes in counter-terrorist operations; she is permanently assigned to Delta Force and Joint Special Operations Command Control. In addition, separate SEAL teams are stationed in Scotland, Portugal and the Philippines. The total strength of all SEAL units is about 2900 people. The SEAL combat team consists of 27 officers and 156 soldiers, divided into five platoons.
The SEAL training and selection program is rigorous. Only half of those 20% of candidates who passed the initial selection manage to overcome it. The course requires iron endurance and willpower. During the infamous "hell week" (sixth week of the course), fighters can sleep four hours in six days! SEAL fighters have been trained for several years and during this time master all the intricacies of coastal reconnaissance, organizing combat raids and landing from the air with parachute opening at high and low altitudes. The American SEALs are the true elite of the amphibious assault and enjoy well-deserved respect from the fighters of other special forces.
Who needs to be in their best physical shape to complete the task assigned to them? Who should use their full potential to complete the task? I'm not talking about professional bodybuilders, I'm talking about our elite US Navy SEALs. These brave guys do not care about how they will look on the podium in front of the judges, but first of all about how they will be evaluated by the unit commander. They live with the idea that they must reach their full potential and perform their every mission to the best of their abilities. That is why they are always accompanied by success and good luck!
But how do they get their amazing shape in such a short period of time, which is called basic training? Bodybuilders spend years shaping their physique, and even after that, many of them remain dissatisfied with their results. SEALs use other methods, because they deal with strength and endurance, and not with the symmetry of proportions and not with cream-dipellatorium for chest hair. In this article, I will describe the US Navy SEAL training program.
This program consists of two cycles of nine weeks. If you can endure it to the end, you will acquire such endurance as you could not imagine before. But, only those with a truly iron will and fortitude will be able to survive and complete the full course of basic training for Navy SEALs.
First 9 weeks:
Week 1
Pushups: 4 sets of 15 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 4 sets of 20 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Week 2
Run: 2 miles, 8:30 pace, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Pushups: 5 sets of 20 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 5 sets of 20 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Pull-ups: 3 sets of 3 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Swimming: continuously for 15 minutes. 4 - 5 days a week
Week 3
Running: No
Week 4
Run: 3 miles, 8:30 pace, Mon/Wed/Fri
Pushups: 5 sets of 25 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 5 sets of 25 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Pull-ups: 3 sets of 4 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Swimming: continuously for 20 minutes. 4 - 5 days a week
Week 5-6
Running: 2 / 3 / 4 / 2 miles, Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday
Pushups: 6 sets of 25 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 6 sets of 25 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Pull-ups: 2 sets of 8 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Swimming: continuously for 25 minutes. 4 - 5 days a week
Week 7-8
Pull-ups: 2 sets of 10 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Swimming: continuously for 30 minutes. 4 - 5 days a week
Week 9
Running: 4 / 4 / 5 / 3 miles, Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday
Pushups: 6 sets of 30 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 6 sets of 30 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Next 9 weeks:
Week 1-2
Running: 3 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 2 miles, Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday
Pushups: 6 sets of 30 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 6 sets of 35 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Dips: 3 sets of 20 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming: continuously for 35 minutes. 4 - 5 days a week
Week 3-4
Running: 4 / 5 / 6 / 4 / 3 miles, Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday
Pushups: 10 sets of 20 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 10 sets of 25 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Pull-ups: 4 sets of 10 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Dips: 10 sets of 15 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Swimming: continuously for 45 minutes. 4 - 5 days a week
Week 5
Running: 5 / 5 / 6 / 4 / 4 miles, Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday
Pushups: 15 sets of 20 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 15 sets of 25 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Pull-ups: 4 sets of 12 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Dips: 15 sets of 15 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming: continuously for 60 minutes. 4 - 5 days a week
Week 6-9
Running: 5 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 4 miles, Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday
Pushups: 20 sets of 20 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Press. Trunk raises: 20 sets of 25 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Pull-ups: 5 sets of 12 reps, Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Dips: 20 sets of 15 reps, Mon/Wed/Fri
Swimming: continuously for 75 minutes. 4 - 5 days a week
As you can see, this program is aimed at developing strength and endurance. Please note that this is a very intensive program, which means that you need to consume the appropriate amount of nutrients. Of course, the program is very effective, but it requires all your determination and perseverance. The exercises are simple - no complex movements, and no simulators. Test yourself, maybe you are suitable for service in SEALs. In any case, guaranteed to get rid of fat and build muscle.
Airborne commando units of the US Army (Army Special Forces)
Since the publication of my article on SEAL Special Forces, I have received a huge number of letters with questions, thanks, and just messages that someone is going to try this training program. I never thought that there would be so many who want to knock the soul out of their body. But, as the philosopher said: "The grandees of fate kill the lazy." Driven by a natural desire to help people in their quest for physical perfection, I found another similar program. My friend, the same one who gave me the SEAL program, sent me a "US Commando Command Training Program". I asked him how he gets these military training programs, but he declined to answer. I could only shrug my shoulders and sit down at the computer ...
This article describes a program specifically designed to train recruits at a ranger school. Many argue that it is even harder than the SEAL program. Just like the previous one, this program is designed for general development, increasing strength and endurance. For those who are looking for purely bodybuilding programs, this article is unlikely to be of interest. Here you will find only simple, basic exercises, and you will also feel the smell of the barracks and the spirit of the field camp ...
Well, why are we standing, spirits? Forward!!!
Week 1
Day 1
A. Swimming 100 meters (without a break, any style, do not roll over on your back, do not touch the bottom and walls).
B. March with backpack (1/4 body weight); 3 miles in 45 minutes on flat road or 1 hour on rough terrain.
Day 2
A. Exercise bike; 20 minutes 70% of the maximum load.
Day 3
A. Push-ups. The maximum number of repetitions in 30 seconds. 3 approaches.
B. Run 3 miles (at a moderate pace, for 8-9 minutes).
C. Rope climbing or 3 sets of pull-ups on the bar (to failure); March with a backpack (1/4 body weight); 5 miles in 1 hour 15 minutes on flat road or 1 hour 40 minutes on rough terrain.
Day 4
B. Sprint 40 yards (10 reps with 30 second rests).
C. Swimming 15 meters.
Day 5
A. Packed march (1/4 body weight), 5 miles in 1 hour 15 minutes on flat road or 1 hour 40 minutes on rough terrain.
Day 6
A. Push-ups 3 sets and sit-ups (press), in 30 seconds the maximum number of repetitions.
B. Pull-ups on the bar 3 sets (to failure).
C. Swimming 200 meters.
Day 7
REST
Week 2
Day 1
A. March with a backpack (1/3 body weight); 8 miles in 2 hours flat or 2 hours 40 minutes cross country.
Day 2
A. Exercise bike; 20 minutes, 70% of maximum load.
Day 3
B. Run 5 miles (at a moderate pace, for 8-9 minutes).
C. Backpack squats (1/4 body weight), 3 sets of 30-50 reps. Perform "cleanly", to the end, bend your legs at the knees to an angle of at least 90 degrees.
Day 4
A. Swimming 300 meters without a break; any style, but not on the back.
Day 5
A. March with a backpack (1/3 body weight); 10 miles in 3 hours on flat road, or 4 hours on rough terrain.
Day 6
A. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups. The maximum number of repetitions in 35 seconds. 3 approaches.
B. Exercise bike; 20 minutes, 80% of maximum load.
C. Swimming 15 meters.
Day 7
REST
Week 3
Day 1
B. Run 4 miles (at a moderate pace, for 7-8 minutes).
C. Backpack squat (1/3 body weight), 4 sets of 50 reps. Perform "cleanly", to the end, bend your legs at the knees to an angle of at least 90 degrees.
Day 2
A. Exercise bike; 20 minutes, 70% of maximum load.
B. Side jumping over a low bench or jumping rope 12 minutes (without a break).
Day 3
A. March with backpack (1/3 body weight, or at least 60 pounds); 12 miles in 3 hours flat or 4 hours cross country.
Day 4
A. Swimming 400 meters.
Day 5
A. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups. The maximum number of repetitions in 40 seconds. 4 approaches.
B. Run 6 miles (fast-moderate pace for 7-8 minutes).
Day 6
A. Exercise bike; 20 minutes, 70% of maximum load.
B. Side jumping over a low bench or jumping rope for 10 minutes (without a break).
C. Swimming 15 meters.
Day 7
REST
Week 4
Day 1
A. March with backpack (1/3 body weight, or at least 60 pounds); 8 miles in 2 hours flat or 2 hours 40 minutes cross country.
Day 2
A. Swimming 400 meters.
C. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups. The maximum number of repetitions in 40 seconds. 4 approaches.
Day 3
A. Run 6 miles (fast-moderate in 7-8 minutes).
B. Leg presses, calf raises, leg curls, leg extensions 3 sets (8-12 reps).
Day 4
A. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups. The maximum number of repetitions in 40 seconds. 4 approaches.
B. Exercise bike; 25 minutes 85% of the maximum load.
Day 5
A. March with backpack (1/3 body weight, or at least 75 pounds); 12 miles in 3 hours flat or 4 hours cross country.
Day 6
A. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups. The maximum number of repetitions in 40 seconds. 4 approaches.
B. Jumping rope; 15 minutes without a break.
Day 7
REST
Week 5
Day 1
A. Run 3 miles (at a fast pace, in 6-7 minutes).
B. Swimming 500 meters (non-stop, any style, but not backstroke).
C. Leg presses, calf raises, leg curls, leg extensions 3 sets (8-12 reps).
Day 2
A. Side jumping over a low bench or jumping rope 12 minutes (without a break).
Day 3
REST
Day 4
A. Swimming 400 meters
B. Dips 4 sets (to failure).
Day 5
A. March with backpack (1/3 body weight, or at least 75 pounds); 18 miles in 4 hours 30 minutes flat or 6 hours cross country.
Day 6
A. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups. The maximum number of repetitions in 40 seconds. 4 approaches.
Day 7
REST
Uffff… Yes, a heavy program. When working on it, it would be useful to write down your daily progress: the number of sets, repetitions, execution time, etc. If you do not have an army backpack, you can replace it with an ordinary one. The main thing is that it is heavy enough. Also, as mentioned in the previous article (on Fur Seals), you need enough nutrients and water. If you are going to use this program as an addition to the main training, then in order to maintain muscle mass, it is advisable to take additional glutamine on marching and swimming days.
Good luck to you! Of course, if you decide...
Source: US Navy official websiteThe U.S. Naval Special Operations Command provides a U.S. citizen with the opportunity to become a combat swimmer (SEAL).
The SEAL training program includes more than 12 months of training after initial training, 18 months of additional training for operations, intensive specialized training sessions to improve your physical and mental capabilities.
If you are lucky, you will become a member of a SEAL group and take part in missions and operations that most people can only dream of.
Minimum Requirements
By law, only men are eligible to train in SEAL programs. After joining the Navy, you must:- meet specific vision requirements.
- earn at least a minimum score in the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) program.
- be no older than 28 years old.
- be a US citizen.
- undergo a medical examination for diving activities.
- at the end of the physical examination, fulfill the requirements of the Program, which are as follows:
- swim 500 yards in at least 12 minutes 30 seconds
- rest 10 minutes.
- Perform 42 push-ups in 2 minutes.
- rest 2 minutes.
- Perform 50 squats in 2 minutes.
- rest 2 minutes.
- perform 6 pull-ups (no time limit).
- rest 10 minutes.
- run 1.5 miles in 11 minutes.
- pass the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALS (BUD/S) physical examination at Boot Camp and complete the Entry Program (DEP) to qualify for a contract.
STEP 1: SELECT A SEAL RATING (SO)
STEP 2: TRAINING:
(BUD/S) Medical Examination: (5 weeks - Coronado, California)(BUD/S) Stage I: Physical Training (2 months - Coronado, California)
(BUD/S) Stage II: Diving (2 months - Coronado, California)
(BUD/S) Stage III: Weapons, Weapons and Small Unit Tactics (2 months - Coronado, CA)
Skydiving school: (1 month - Fort Benning (BENNING, GA)
Advanced Sea, Air and Land Training Program: (5 months - Coronado, California)
STEP 3: ADDITIONAL PREPARATION / DISTRIBUTION
Naval Special Operations Command SEAL - (NEC) graduation and qualification and opportunities for advanced training.Assignment to First SEAL Troop or Delivery Vehicle Squad (Virginia Beach, VA; Pearl Harbor, HI, or Coronado, California).
Individual training in a specialty (6 months), when assigned to a platoon or SDV task force.
Training as part of a unit, as part of a platoon or SDV task force (6 months).
Training as part of a tactical group (6 months), as part of a platoon or SDV task force (6 months).
STEP 4: DEPLOY AND PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT OPERATIONS
Typical SEAL operations may include submarine, helicopter, high speed boat, parachute drop, march, or swim. Fighters can also use special equipment and equipment based on high technology. Most combat services last 6 to 8 months.SEAL programs will reliably prepare you for the extreme physical and mental conditions that are typical of SEAL missions. If you are qualified for this task, you are in incredible physical shape and have the necessary confidence, determination and teamwork experience to succeed in the combat mission.
BASIC UNDERWATER ENDURANCE EXERCISES
The program (BUD/S) is a seven month training session that develops your mental and physical stamina and leadership skills. Each stage includes the control of the physical condition on time, every week the requirements become more stringent. Speak with your Hiring Agent and discuss the physical entry requirements.(BUD/S) - Initial training (8 weeks)
Think: are you in a good condition? Think again. During the first stage (BUD/S), SEAL candidates are assessed in terms of physical fitness, ability to operate in the water, teamwork, perseverance, and mental health. Physical training consists of running, swimming and gymnastics. The load increases every week. You have to participate in weekly cross-country races for a distance of four miles in boots, overcome an obstacle course at a certain time, swim up to two miles in the ocean and drive a small sea boat.The first three weeks of the preparatory course prepare you for the fourth week, known as the "hellish" one. During this week you will study for five and a half days continuously and sleep for a maximum of four hours at a time. The purpose of this week is the final test of your physical and mental capabilities. Those who go through her trials will prove that a person is able to withstand ten times more stress than is considered possible. During the "hell week" you will learn the value of composure, perseverance and, above all, teamwork.
The remaining four weeks of preparation will be dedicated to learning different methods of hydrographic orientation.
(BUD/S) - diving (8 weeks)
The Diving Stage (BUD/S) gives SEAL candidates the qualities of a competent diver fighter. During this period, physical training continues and the loads become even more intense.At this stage, the focus is on mastering the breathing apparatus (SCUBA). You will recognize two types of SCUBA: open circuit (compressed air) and closed circuit (100% oxygen). The emphasis in training is on overcoming long distances under water in order to prepare candidates for the activity of a combat swimmer, mastering the technique of diving and swimming from the landing point to the designated object. This is what sets the SEAL apart from all other special operations forces.
(BUD/S) - land combat (9 weeks)
The Land Combat Training Program equips SEAL candidates with basic weapons, weapons, and small unit tactics. Physical training continues and becomes even more strenuous as the distance increases and the minimum allowable time for the route, swimming and overcoming obstacles is reduced.At this stage, orientation on the ground, tactics, methods of action, hand-to-hand combat, sniper training and explosives are taught. Candidates spend the last three and a half weeks on San Clement Island, where they will have to apply all the knowledge and skills they have gained in the course of their studies.
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
Graduates (BUD/S) have a few more courses to complete before being assigned to the unit. These are the courses:- basic parachute training.
- diving medicine and medical training at the Medical Courses (for medical personnel).
Training, conditioning, and exercise are part of the life of a SEAL. Once you have completed the SEAL Basic Training program, you can take other advanced training courses (foreign language, tactical communications, sniping, engineer training, skydiving, free landing, and more).
SPECIAL REMUNERATION
SEALs receive regular military pay and benefits, as well as incentive bonuses for special skills and assignments. All fighters receive payments for jumping, diving and using explosives, plus payments for performing special operations. This makes combat swimmers the highest paid enlisted category among the US military.EQUIPMENT
Combat swimmers are considered by many to be the most highly trained navies in the world. It is quite natural that they use the latest equipment from everything in service.The abbreviation SEAL consists of the first letters of the names of the elements of the environment in which combat swimmers work - sea, air, land - and their equipment, vehicles and weapons, which are selected depending on the nature of the mission. Given the inherently secretive nature of many SEAL operations, some information about their equipment is still classified. However, below are a few photos showing the high tech weaponry and equipment you will use if you decide to become a SEAL.
SEA
You will meet a new generation of naval vessels.
Experimental 80-foot Stiletto M-hull catamarans could be one of the most important components of a future SEAL mission. They are capable of speeds of 50-60 knots. The draft of a fully loaded boat is only 3 feet. In the future, this will allow the Stiletto to ideally carry out missions in the coastal zone.
Quiet and close to the coast. Sailors of the Naval Special Intelligence Team No. 1 prepare to enter the deck of the Stiletto experimental boat off the coast of San Diego during an exercise.
The catamaran's patented M-shaped hull design provides a stable yet fast platform for mounting electronic surveillance equipment or weapons for special operations. The hull does not require the installation of additional devices for securing loads, since it provides smooth movement at high speeds in all conditions. Its shallow draft allows it to operate in riverine conditions and potentially enables "dry" beach landings.
Rigid keel inflatable boats (RIBs) are used by SEALs to disembark and evacuate fighters from enemy shores. This fast, rigid hull inflatable boat comes in two sizes - 24' and 30' - and is highly buoyant, making it suitable for even the most extreme weather conditions. The 30-foot model is equipped with a jet propulsion system, which makes it possible to land directly on the shore and provide fire support for the SEAL platoon close to the shore.
When the distance of the water surface or the way to overcome it becomes one of the main factors of the mission, SEALs use a unique mode of transport - underwater self-propelled projectiles (SDVs).
Initially stationed on a nuclear submarine, SDVs provide the combat swimmer with full life support after undocking. Early models allowed each SEAL to be connected to an onboard air supply and filled with water during operation, but in the next generation the swimmer is transported in a dry compartment. Each type of self-propelled underwater projectile operates from an autonomous power supply and, in addition to the engine and life support equipment, is equipped with navigation and communication facilities.
AIR
Fear of heights is not for combat swimmers. In the photo, fighters descend from a HH-60H Sea Hawk helicopter aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt (Nimitz class).
This method of landing from a Sea Hawk helicopter or the free jump method is often used in operations related to delivery to the front line. Designed for search and rescue, as well as for conducting special combat operations at sea, the HH-60H operates high-tech equipment: night vision devices, flash suppressors, infrared interference devices. The helicopter is armed with M-240 or GAU-17 machine guns to suppress enemy fire or use during special operations.
In addition, the Sea Hawk is equipped with the Advanced Infrared Surveillance System (FLIR), is capable of using Hellfire anti-ship missiles, and can be used to combat small ships and the mine threat of the US Navy and merchant shipping.
In combat, the Sea Hawk uses weapons consisting of two M-60D/M-240 machine guns or two GAU-17A cannons. In addition, a GCAL-50 machine gun can be mounted and 2.75 inch rockets, Stinger or Maverick can be suspended.
When jumping from an altitude above 12,000 feet, additional oxygen supply to the skydiver is mandatory. In both jump options: High Altitude/Low Opening (HALO) and High Altitude/High Opening (HAHO), the skydiver leaves the aircraft at high altitude and navigates the compass and terrain to land at the intended point. Since it is possible to lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen even at lower altitudes, skydivers are equipped with a pressure sensor that automatically activates the lanyard release device. Your parachute will open automatically at a predetermined height.
EARTH
SEALs work as a team. But sometimes single actions are used in the operation: a fighter is landed behind enemy lines behind the front line or in enemy encirclement. Even in such dangerous situations, fighters are equipped with powerful satellite communications. Trust us, you can't buy the rest of the contents of a SEAL backpack at a junk shop.
Equipment for each operation is selected based on its purpose, but most often SEAL fighters have at their disposal: binoculars, GPS, CAR 15s with M-203 underbarrel grenade launcher, SASR 50 caliber sniper rifles and pistols if close combat is expected.
"Loyalty to country, team and commander" is the SEAL code. In the photo, a team member ensures the safety of colleagues during the implementation of the evacuation during the Desert Rescue XI exercise at Fallon Naval Air Station. The exercise simulates the rescue of helicopter crews shot down behind the front lines, allowing other crews to practice search and rescue techniques, as well as experiment with new methods based on real-life scenarios.
There are no roads, but you need to drive. In the photo, SEALs train in movement tactics in Group 2 of the training unit of the Special Operations Command.
The all-wheel drive diesel HumVee is equipped with a 50 caliber machine gun mount. This vehicle is highly regarded for its versatility and endurance and is ideal for moving units in low threat environments.
Do you think this is a desert buggy? The Special Patrol Vehicle (DPV) is equipped with a 50 caliber M-60 machine gun, a 20 mm cannon and a launcher for launching two AT-4 missiles. DPV vehicles are ideal for long-term reconnaissance and combat use. Fast and reliable, it easily handles obstacles in rough terrain.
