The desire to know who has the right to be called the best in a particular field seems to be inherent in man by nature. Hence the numerous competitions in completely different disciplines, various ratings and TOPs. But what about when it comes to those who are already considered the elite. And is it possible to choose the most elite of them with a certain accuracy?
At the end of June, the American edition of Business Insider ranked the strongest special forces in the world that perform the most difficult and delicate tasks. When compiling it, the authors took into account the reputation of each unit, the most famous operations, the quality of training and the rigidity of the selection. The eight places in order of ascending the podium were distributed as follows: Pakistan Army Special Forces Group; special naval forces of Spain; department "A" of the Central Security Service of the FSB of Russia; special forces of the French gendarmerie GIGN; special forces of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces "Sayeret Matkal"; British SAS and SBS; United States Navy SEALs.
According to the rules of sports
Russian military experts greeted this rating with skepticism. For example, Ivan Konovalov, director of the Center for Strategic Studies, believes that its compilers simply wanted to kiss the States:
“It is clear that the Business Insider rating is politically biased, while it is absolutely incomprehensible how the Americans compiled it. ... in theory, if you make an objective rating of special forces, then Russian and British should share the first place. And even then - the British special forces have lost a lot in recent years, they are simply followed by the glory of past years.
In principle, there is nothing surprising in the attempt to present the American special forces in the best light, along the way belittling the experience and skills of other, in particular Russian, fighters. This kind of thing happens everywhere.
So, five years ago, the FSB department “A” that got into the American rating participated in the Super SWAT International Round-Up competitions, which are held annually in the state of Florida. Among the 72 teams, the majority was represented by the same American police special forces. Only 12 came from other countries: Russia, Hungary, Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Kuwait.
The geographical constraint of the event is explained, among other things, by the fact that representatives of Florida frankly condemn even units from other states, to say nothing of foreign guests. The fighters of the Russian Alpha who participated in the competition recall that they really tried to fine them undeservedly more than once. And despite this, the Russian team managed to take the top lines according to the results of the exercises, and even come first in the last race.
Competitions that are held outside the United States are even more interesting. In 2013, a team of veterans of Russian units (including Department A of the FSB and special forces of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) on its own initiative decided to face their foreign colleagues for the King of Jordan Cup. Then everything went without serious claims to refereeing, and, despite the victory of the Chinese special forces, the Russian veterans surprised the audience with their endurance, and showed the best result in the sniper exercise. This is provided that they were opposed by active members of the special forces, often twice as young as the members of our team.
“I think that if we brought an active unit to these competitions: “Alpha”, “Vympel”, “Vityaz? - any of these units would be guaranteed the first place!” - Colonel of "Alpha" Sergey Vasilenko assessed the result then.
His predictions came true two years later. This time, it was not veterans who came to Jordan, but a combined team formed from quite a full-time fighters of the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic. As a result - the title of champions, and the representatives of other countries left behind, including China, which had been in the lead for the previous two years.
By the way, the American special forces at similar events far from their native shores and cool orange juice do not show themselves from the best side. At last year's competition in Kazakhstan, the US team withdrew on the first day, not wanting to give all the best "in the heat and in difficult conditions."
Problem of methodology
We must pay tribute, such competitions are not at all indicative on a global scale, since not all special forces take part in them (especially annually), and many exercises may not fully correspond to the tasks that this or that unit is designed to solve in a real battle .
However, the various ratings, compiled in the manner of what Business Insider published, are even less objective. And there are several reasons for this.
Firstly, it is impossible to determine whom and with whom to compare. In most countries there are police special forces, there are special forces subordinate to the ministries of defense, there are those who carry out the tasks of the special services. At the same time, the nature of the tasks for which each of these organizations is responsible differs from state to state. In its TOP, the American edition mixes the FSB special forces into a single heap, smashing terrorists inside the country; military unit "Navy SEALs", which performs reconnaissance and sabotage operations in wartime behind enemy lines; the British SAS, working both on assignments from the army and MI6 intelligence; GIGN, subordinate to the Ministry of Defense and the police.
Secondly, special forces are not a tank. They do not have clear characteristics, such as armor thickness, range and accuracy of the shot, or maximum speed, by which one could determine the best example. It is rather the crew of the tank, which, other things being equal, will win the battle. It all depends on the level of training, which can only be determined by putting one unit against another in a real battle, or at least its simulation. However, here again everything depends on the tasks - the special forces of the marines do not fight with the special forces of the enemy's marines in real life, they have other goals.
Thirdly, cannot be given preference based on the number of successful operations. Their number strongly depends on the age of the unit, as well as the peculiarities of the foreign policy and internal stability of the state to which it belongs. For example, the police special forces of Colombia - "Humglas" - regularly storming the laboratories of local drug cartels, in any case will be more experienced than the special forces of the relatively quiet and calm Belgium. As well as the US Marines managed to harden in Afghanistan and Iraq much stronger than the modern combat swimmers of peace-loving Denmark.
Need a twist
In view of the above, any attempt to find the strongest special forces in the world is doomed to an overly subjective result and the need to sacrifice serious nuances during the analysis. And therefore, instead of such ratings, we suggest looking at a selection of six countries and their special forces, which have a certain zest that distinguishes their fighters from others.
There are many special forces in the United States: the SWAT police, the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions, the Green Berets, the reconnaissance of the Marine Corps, the 75th Ranger Regiment and others. The most elite is considered to be the "Navy SEALs" (SEAL) and the Delta operational detachment of the ground forces. It is there that the best of the Rangers and the Green Berets are subsequently selected. Over the past decades, these special forces, among others, have accumulated the most serious experience of military operations in foreign territory due to the desire of the States to spread democracy by unleashing wars. In addition, it is the American special forces, including the Delta detachment, SEALs and the Green Berets, that have received the widest media coverage due to the generous funding of the image component of these units and frequent flickering in the cinema and gaming industry.
Great Britain
In England, the undisputed leader is the airborne service of the ground forces - SAS. This is one of the oldest special forces in the world, founded in 1941 and received its first combat experience back in World War II. After there were Malaya, Borneo, Oman, Yemen, counter-terrorist operations in Northern Ireland, participation in conflicts in the South Atlantic, the Persian Gulf and Bosnia. Due to the tasks set over the years of existence by both the British army and its foreign intelligence, the SAS gained diverse and large-scale experience in operating in real combat conditions and became a model on which many special forces were subsequently created in other countries.
Israel
At least some information, in addition to the name, is not available for all Israeli special forces. And among those, the most interesting are the special forces of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces "Sayeret Matkal" and performing similar tasks at sea "Shayetet 13" - a special unit of the Israeli Navy. They are engaged in intelligence, security and anti-terrorist operations on the territory of the country and abroad. It was Sayeret Matkal that was the main striking force during the operation at Entebbe airport, which is considered the most successful operation to free hostages in enemy territory in the history of the fight against terrorism. At the same time, Sayeret Matkal is the only unit of this level in the world that is staffed by conscripts.
Austria
The hostage-taking at the Munich Olympics in 1972 forced many countries to come to grips with the creation of anti-terrorist special forces. In Austria, this failed for the first time a few days after its creation - even before the group arrived at the hostage-taking site, the criminal shot two civilians, several policemen and committed suicide. Then there was a whole series of failures - at best, it was possible to negotiate with the terrorists only by transferring a ransom. Only in 1978 was a new anti-terrorist group "Cobra" created, which radically changed the reputation of the Austrian special forces. Despite the fact that in the history of the existence of the unit, he did not have too many reasons to show himself in business, his fighters carried out several operations extremely quickly and with commendable results. Including "Cobra" is the only such detachment that managed to prevent the hijacking of an aircraft (by the way, Russian) directly during the flight. Also, this special unit is famous for the fact that during its existence, albeit not for a very long time, not a single member of it died.
Netherlands
The most interesting Dutch special forces are the anti-terrorist detachments of the Royal Navy Corps (BBE), which includes a special detachment of marines and a ground landing combat team. The highlight of WWE is the use of non-lethal capture methods. So, in 1974, a special squad successfully stormed a prison with armed Palestinian terrorists, using only stun grenades and hand-to-hand combat techniques. But they became famous not for this case, but for the operation carried out three years later - the simultaneous capture of a school and a train with hostages. The well-coordinated actions of the Dutch special forces groups and the original moves taken both during the negotiations and during the assault subsequently fell into the textbooks of most anti-terrorist special forces in the world.
Russia
Despite the diversity of Russian special forces and the difference in their purpose, the GRU special forces and departments "A" and "B" of the Central Security Service of the FSB are considered the most famous in the world. At the same time, although their fighters have repeatedly proven their skills in handling weapons both in sniper competitions and in real operations to capture and destroy field commanders in the North Caucasus, they have a reputation, first of all, as unsurpassed masters of hand-to-hand combat. Alpha veterans recall being trained to have the enemy destroyed or completely neutralized before they even knew what was going on. Moreover, due to the specifics of the operations, it often had to seem from the side that just one of the friends became unwell. Other Russian special forces are considered to be just as seriously trained in hand-to-hand combat. Here, for example, is what the English-language military portal armchairgeneral.com writes:
“... In hand-to-hand combat, Russian special forces are the best military unit in the world. Its fighters spend more time in training than any other special forces in the world, including the Navy Seals, Ranger, Green Berets, Delta, SAS and Israeli commandos.
rmchairgeneral.com
But the most important thing, of course, is not in the “highlights” of this or that division of this or that country. The main thing is that they can successfully fulfill their duties, protecting the peaceful sleep of their fellow citizens. It is worth noting that, it seems, the Russian detachments succeeded in this better than all their colleagues - to a certain extent, it would be right to call our country a safe haven in a troubled world. And may it continue to be so.
Those who are engaged in the most difficult tasks. This post will introduce you to the five most famous and prestigious special forces in the world.
Special Air Service, United Kingdom
The British Special Air Service gained worldwide notoriety after the storming of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. The colonial British past guaranteed the widespread use of the SAS unit in various countries and in various conflicts. The history of this structure dates back to the time of the Second World War on the North African front of hostilities in Libya and Egypt. These paratroopers were not spared by the Nazi troops. Hitler's special order for immediate destruction was in effect against them. So, in 1944, 55 British operatives were shot.
SAS patrol in North Africa during World War II.
Modified and heavily armed SAS jeep
In April 1980, six Arab terrorists broke into the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London and took hostage 26 people from among the visitors and staff of the diplomatic mission. They demanded the release of almost a hundred of their comrades from Iranian prisons. Otherwise, they threatened to blow up the embassy. The SAS fighters were the first to arrive on the scene, who organized their headquarters in a nearby building. Negotiations began, within a couple of days several hostages were released from the embassy, but on May 5, when the demands of the terrorists were not met, the lifeless body of the press attache of the diplomatic mission was thrown out of the building.
For several days, the SAS fighters practiced the assault on a full-size mock-up. On May 5, Operation Nimrod was broadcast live. It took 15 minutes, and only one of the invaders survived. He was sentenced to life in prison, but was released in 2008 and helped start life under a new name. None of the SAS fighters were injured. Among the hostages, one person was killed and two others were seriously injured.
Margaret Thatcher with SAS fighters who stormed the Iranian embassy
Selection in SAS is carried out twice a year: in winter and in summer. Only the military can get into the British special forces. Historically, people with a past are welcomed there in commandos or the local equivalent of the Airborne Forces. In addition to the physical exercises inherent in the selection for the "seals", British candidates are weeded out by a two-hour 13-kilometer march with 25 kg on their shoulders. Every day the distance grows and ends with a 65-kilometer march through a hill 886 meters high.
The fighters are then sent to learn survival, navigation, and combat techniques in the jungle. The most recent test is hide-and-seek in the jungle with stalking "hunters". But even uncaught candidates will have to pass the test of interrogation and torture, which stretches for 36 hours. The fighters are starved, thirsty and sleep deprived, and they, in turn, must repeat: "I can not answer this question."
The mountain so often stormed by candidates for the British special forces
Sayeret Matkal, Israel
One of the most secret Israeli special forces of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), Sayeret Matkal, primarily specializes in deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines. However, the unit is also tasked with counter-terrorism and hostage rescue missions outside of Israel. It is alleged that it was created in the image and likeness of the British SAS.
In the 50s of the last century, the structure was formed with an eye to uniting the best physically and intellectually developed youth of Israel. With the growing threat of Palestinian terrorism in the late 60s, the Sayeret Matkal unit began to develop the world's first methods and techniques for releasing hostages and countering terrorism.
One of the first such operations for Israeli fighters was the release of the hostages of passenger flight 571 Vienna - Tel Aviv in May 1972. Terrorists from the Palestinian organization Black September hijacked a Belgian plane, more than a hundred passengers and staff, and threatened to blow them all up if Israel did not release more than 300 Palestinians from prisons. The Sayeret Matkal fighters trained on a similar vessel in a closed hangar, while the main one, meanwhile, had its wheels flattened and the fluid from the hydraulic systems drained. The terrorists were then assured that the Boeing needed maintenance.
People in white - Sayeret Matkal
The operation to free the hostages involved 16 fighters in disguise, among whom was the current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was wounded, as were two other hostages. Two terrorists and one passenger of the plane were killed. It is noteworthy that the future Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak was also the commander of the assault group, and negotiations with the terrorists were conducted by Shimon Peres, who at that time was the Minister of Transport, and later became ... yes, the Prime Minister of Israel.
Four years later, the Sayeret Matkal unit caused a stir in Uganda, where terrorists delivered about a hundred Israelis on a hijacked plane. Their release was complicated by the unfriendly government of Uganda, which required the transfer of hundreds of troops over 4,000 km. While the Sayeret Matkal fighters stormed the airport terminal, two more units held back the Ugandan military. As a result, three hostages were killed and ten more wounded. On the part of the Israeli troops, only the commander of the unit was killed, while the terrorists and Ugandans lost a total of 52 people and several dozen helicopters.
The old Entebbe airport, where an Israeli special operation was carried out, later named after the deceased Yonatan Netanyahu, commander of Sayeret Matkal
Return of passengers to their homeland.
GSG 9, Germany
The special forces of the German Federal Police were formed six months after the tragic events at the Olympics in Munich in 1972. Then, as a result of an unsuccessful attempt to free the hostages, Palestinian terrorists killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team. In Germany, they realized that without specially trained fighters, a new type of threat would not be able to resist. Therefore, it was decided to create the Grenzschutzgruppe 9 unit (“Border Protection Group 9”).
The main challenges for GSG 9 were hostage-taking, terrorism, and kidnapping. The division's specialists are also involved as consultants both within Germany and abroad.
The real baptism of fire for the German special forces was the operation "Magic Fire" to free the hostages from the Landshut aircraft of the German airline Lufthansa in 1977. The terrorists wandered in the sky for a long time (from Rome through Dubai to Mogadishu in Somalia) and demanded the release of their accomplices from German prisons, as well as paying a multi-million ransom. But their journey ended in a Somali city where GSG 9 fighters arrived. Under the cover of night, in black uniforms and with their faces painted over, three groups of special forces broke into the plane, shot two terrorists, mortally wounded a third and captured a fourth. Over 80 passengers were rescued.
The hostages return home
After the Landshut incident, GSG 9 allowed the German government to be told that it would never again negotiate with terrorists.
The successful operation was followed by another attack on a plane with hostages in Düsseldorf, which took place without a shot being fired, and the arrest of terrorists in a town in the north of the country. One of the latest incidents that required the intervention of GSG 9 fighters was the massacre at a McDonald's restaurant in Munich this summer.
Only German police officers who have served in the bodies for at least two years can get into the ranks of the special forces. In addition to medical and psychological testing, they pass the 5 km run, 100 m sprint, jumps, pull-ups, bench press, etc. They also need to pass the shooting with a pistol and a submachine gun. The best are selected for a 22-week course, and only one in five successfully completes this course.
United States Navy SEALs
American "fur seals" over the years of their existence have acquired almost mythical status. Largely thanks to the cinema. What is only Steven Seagal, who in the action movies "Under Siege" and "Under Siege 2" played a former SEAL fighter. This abbreviation stands for SEa, Air and Land (“Sea, Air and Land”), and translates as “seal” or “fur seal”. Bruce Willis ("Tears of the Sun") and Michael Biehn ("The Rock", "The Abyss") have repeatedly played SEAL commanders.
The SEALs were created in 1962 by then US President John F. Kennedy. The tense situation in relations with the Soviet Union, the Cuban crisis and the Vietnam War influenced this decision. The tasks of the newly formed unit included sabotage and counter-partisan activities on the territory of a mock enemy.
To a greater extent, this concerned just the Vietnamese theater of operations. In particular, the SEALs participated in the Phoenix program under the auspices of the CIA. Its essence was to eliminate key people in the Vietnamese army and people who sympathize with the Viet Cong - the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam.
Subsequently, the SEALs participated in all major US military conflicts: in the invasion of Grenada, where the group was unable to save the local governor general from house arrest; in the Iran-Iraq conflict of the late 80s, where the unit distinguished itself by capturing the Iran Air vessel, which mined the waters of the Persian Gulf; in the invasion of Panama, where the main sabotage task of the "fur seals" was the destruction of the local army's watercraft and the aircraft of General Noriega, overthrown as a result of the intervention.
In modern history, the most significant operation was the destruction of the number one terrorist Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The CIA-developed Operation Neptune Spear involved 40 SEALs from DEVGRU, formerly SEAL Team Six. On May 2, 2011, a unit on Black Hawk helicopters with M4 assault rifles, night vision goggles and pistols approached the terrorist's house, where they began cleaning the premises. In addition to the terrorist, four more people who resisted the special forces were killed. The operation was monitored live by the top leadership of the country.
Bin Laden's hideout. He and his wives lived on the second and third floors behind a high fence.
Before a cat candidate can begin training, they must go through a series of psychological and physical tests. The latter include swimming 450 meters in a minimum of 12 and a half minutes; 42 (optimal - 100) push-ups and 50 (100) squats in 2 minutes, 6 (25) pull-ups and a 2.4 km run in 11 minutes. Naturally, the candidates with the best results are more likely to be in the training camp. However, 80% of all those selected still break down and do not complete the training.
Alfa Group, USSR (Russia)
Like the German GSG 9, the anti-terrorist special forces in the USSR were created after the terrorist attack at the Munich Olympics. Six years before the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, the chairman of the KGB initiated the creation of the "A" unit. Only KGB officers passed through strict selection criteria there. The first staff recruited those fit for service in the Airborne Forces, and therefore both physical data and psychological endurance were taken into account strictly.
Most of the operations of the Alpha group were carried out on the territory of the Soviet Union. The unit's track record includes the capture of deserters in Sarapul, who took local schoolchildren hostage in 1981, the storming of a Tu-134 aircraft in Tbilisi with Georgian terrorists trying to escape from the USSR, as well as not the most personal tasks in the union republics during the slow disintegration of the country .
A group of fighters who were to storm Amin's palace
The loudest episode in the history of group "A" was the assault on Amin's palace (special operation "Storm-333") in December 1979, which dragged the Soviet Union into a long and exhausting war in Afghanistan. 24 Alpha fighters, in parallel with 30 KGB special reserve fighters, dressed in Afghan uniforms with a white armband and cleared the palace floor by floor, while other special forces provided them with external cover.
As a result of the operation, Afghan President Hafizullah Amin was killed, by whose order Prime Minister Nur Taraki was removed from office in September of the same year. Amin's repression threatened the fall of the regime of the local dominant party, which could lead to a change in the political course of the country.
Since the 90s, the unit has been part of the FSB of Russia, where it specializes in anti-terrorist activities. Separate Alpha groups existed in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. On their basis, the national special forces of these countries were formed. Belarusian Alfa was founded in March 1990. It was part of the structure of group "A" of the 7th department of the KGB of the USSR as group No. 11 with deployment in Minsk.
Special forces units(SpN), (commandos, special forces, English special forces) - specially trained units of state intelligence and counterintelligence services, the army, aviation, navy, the protection of senior state officials and the police (police), whose personnel has a high combat, fire, physical and psychological training, whose task is to solve specific combat missions in extremely extreme conditions.
RUSSIA
In the photo: soldiers of the airborne troops
Special forces of the GRU of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Special units of the SVR
Russian Airborne Troops
Marine Corps of Russia
Special forces of the border troops of the Federal Security Service of Russia
Special Forces of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia
The tasks of the center and detachments include carrying out anti-terrorist measures in the operational service zone, searching for and eliminating illegal armed groups, eliminating mass riots, detaining especially dangerous criminals, and releasing hostages.
Police special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Special forces of the Federal Penitentiary Service
Special units of the Federal Penitentiary Service. Currently, they have the name "Special Purpose Departments". The task of the unit is to prevent and suppress crimes and offenses at the facilities of the Federal Penitentiary Service, search for and capture especially dangerous criminals, ensure security at special events, release hostages taken by convicts, and also protect senior officials of the department.
Special Forces of the Ministry of Emergency Situations
In the photo: fighters of the "SEAL" unit ("fur seals")
In the US Armed Forces, the US Special Operations Command operates, which includes the US Special Operations Forces (SSO) (United States Special Operations Forces). A common mistake is to call the MTR "US Special Forces", which is incorrect, since only the "Green Berets" are "special forces".
ISRAEL
In the photo: fighters of the anti-terrorist unit "Shayetet 13"
Israeli Navy Special Forces
Special Forces Mossad
Israel Police Special Forces
Other
FRANCE
In the photo: fighters of the anti-terrorist unit "GIGN"
Special Operations Command (General Commandant les Operations Speciales (GCOS)
It unites under its command all units and formations in the armed forces intended for conducting reconnaissance deep behind enemy lines, as well as carrying out sabotage operations and other special events, and units that support their activities. Tasks - Providing military assistance, which consists in training foreign military, mainly African states that have concluded a military assistance agreement with France, conducting military support operations - consists in using the experience of conducting deep raids on enemy territory, combating terrorism, influence operations imply conducting psychological operations.
The GCOS includes:
Parts of the Separate Special Command (GSA) - Groupment special autonome:
The 1st company is intended for carrying out operations outside the city, forcing water barriers and guarding and escorting VIPs. The 2nd company specializes in operations within the city limits, sabotage and sniping. In addition, the company's fighters are trained in the use of mines and explosives, and also work out the technique of "breaking and entering". The 3rd company provides fire support with heavy mortar fire, air defense, and also conducts reconnaissance on light all-terrain vehicles.
Air Force Special Forces. These include:
French Army Special Forces
French Navy Special Forces
Traditionally, the special forces of the French Navy are named after the officers who were the first commanders.
The five remaining units are the French equivalent of the British SBS - Special boat squodron and US SEALs units. However, the Hubert detachment stands out from the general list. It is fully equipped with combat swimmers.
Special Forces of the French Gendarmerie
Since the middle of the 20th century, special anti-terrorist units for special purposes began to appear in the armed forces of different countries. Today they exist in more than 50 countries. We will talk about the most famous and powerful of them.
Great Britain
"22 Regiment of the Special Airborne Service" (SAS-22). Formed during World War II. In terms of combat training, it is comparable only with Israeli counter-terrorist units, but surpasses them in armament. According to some reports, 500 people serve within the unit. Despite strict secrecy, much attention is paid to the creation of publicity. The most successful operations - actions against the IRA in Ireland, Holland, Germany. Participated in thousands of operations from the Sahara to Malaysia. The most famous operation is the release of the hostages at the Iranian embassy in London. Throughout history, several dozen employees have died in Northern Ireland and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.
Germany
"Federal Border Protection Group" (GSG-9). Created after the Munich tragedy during the 1976 Olympics. It was the group's first operation. Then one of the TV journalists installed a TV camera in the house opposite the building with hostages and terrorists, and the terrorists watched all the preparations of the "GSG" live. diplomats during trips to the Middle East.Helps German counterintelligence by organizing surveillance of terrorists.Number - about 200 people.There are no women in the unit, but sometimes the group uses employees of German counterintelligence.For the entire time of its existence, more than 5 thousand operations have been carried out.Ten members died at the hands of terrorists.The most famous operation is October 1977 in Mogadishu (Somalia), the release of a plane hijacked by Arab terrorists with more than 100 hostages.The German service was invited to eliminate the terrorists also because the terrorists demanded that the leaders of the "Faction Red Army”, German left radical groups, the war with which "GSG" considered its main business in the 70s. Failures - 1994, the murder of a member of the "Red Army Faction" Wolfgang Grams. During the capture of RAF leaders Grams and Brigit Hogefeld on the metro platform, one of the employees of the special squad was killed in a shootout. And then Grams was shot at point-blank range. Moreover, passers-by showed the following: when the firefight ended, two GSG officers leaned over the wounded Grams and shot him with his own pistol.
France
"National Gendarmerie Intervention Group" (GIGN). Created in March 1974 to combat Arab terrorism in France. Initially, it consisted of 15 volunteer gendarmes. Today the number of the group is 200 people. Over the entire period of its existence, about 500 people were saved and about 100 anti-terrorist operations were carried out. Ten soldiers of the unit were killed. The most successful operation was the rescue of 18 hostages from a plane in Marseille, hijacked by terrorists in 1994. GIGN fighters became famous during the suppression of a riot of prisoners in the French prison of Clairvaux in January 1978, in the liberation from armed fanatics of the main Muslim shrine of the Kaaba in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) in September 1979, in an operation to restore order on the island of New Caledonia during the uprising of the natives -kanakov in May 1988.
Austria
"Cobra", the anti-terrorist unit of the Austrian police. Formed in 1978. Number - 200 people. The Austrian authorities decided to create their own anti-terrorist unit after the ministers participating in the OPEC Congress in 1973 were attacked by terrorists. In 1978, the Austrian authorities officially announced the creation of the Cobra. The unit is subordinate to the Director General of Public Security at the Austrian Ministry of the Interior. In addition to anti-terrorist activities, Cobra is responsible for protecting the Vienna Schwekat airport. The militants are armed with 9mm French pistols. According to experts, this weapon is most suitable for anti-terrorist operations. So far, not a single member of the Cobra has died. Therefore, the Austrian unit is considered one of the best anti-terrorist groups.
Israel
“Reconnaissance Group of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense” (Sayeret Matkal). Created in 1957 as a special intelligence unit, since 1968 it switched to anti-terrorist activities. The number is unknown, but it is known that the soldiers are extremely young (from 18 to 21 years old). For every 100 terrorists killed, one unit soldier is killed. The detachment once served former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the current head of government Ehud Barak. The group has participated in more than a thousand shares. Considered the best counter-terrorist unit in the world. The most famous operation is July 1976, the release of 103 hostages in Antebbe.
"Flying Leopards" ("Saeret Golani"). The infantry unit, which is also called “Flying Leopards” because of its identification marks, was formed in 1959 from the best soldiers of the elite Golani infantry brigade. Until 1974, they were considered an anti-terrorist unit, while the fighters did not undergo special training, preferring unpretentious army methods. Hence their biggest failure. In May 1974, three Arab terrorists seized a school in the northern Israeli town of Maalot. The fighters of the unit literally riddled with bullets two terrorists, killing 25 schoolchildren along the way and injuring another 100. It was after this failure that “Saeret Golani” began to be taught special anti-terrorist methods.
"YAMAM" (YAMAM) - a division of the Israeli police. The number is about 200 people. Performs up to 200 operations annually. There are two women in the group today. Created in 1974 as a special service responsible for anti-terrorist activities exclusively within Israel. One of their first operations to free a hostage bus seized in 1977 near Tel Aviv ended in complete failure. During the operation, 33 hostages were killed and more than 70 were wounded. There have been no more hostage losses since 1978. 20 unit officers were killed.
Jordan
"Special Operations Detachment-71". Created in 1971. Number - about 150 people. Leads the fight against Islamic terrorists and drug smugglers. Members of the unit underwent special training under the guidance of the Americans and the British. There were no cases of death of hostages, but there were losses among the members of the unit. The most famous operation was that they prevented the capture of the Intercontinental Hotel in Amman by terrorists of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1970.
USA
Delta Squad. Operational detachment of special forces of the American army. Created in 1976. Moreover, at first it was supposed to create anti-terrorist groups in the United States on the basis of the Green Berets, but the high command of the US Armed Forces decided to create new forces. Therefore, to this day, Delta is in a tough confrontation with the US Marines. Based at Fort Bragg (North Carolina). At one time they were the favorites of US President Ronald Reagan. The main anti-terrorist unit of the United States, created in the mid-70s. Engaged in the release of American hostages abroad. The number is about 500 people. There are two women. During its existence, it took part in hundreds of covert operations around the world. Including, in the war in Panama and Grenada. The most successful operation - actions against Iraq during the war in the Persian Gulf. The biggest failure was an attempt to free the hostages at the US Embassy in Tehran in 1980. During the assault attempt, the Americans accidentally set fire to a helicopter, a plane, a fuel depot and a bus, and the Delta militants retreated in a panic. 53 hostages sat in the embassy for 444 days and were released only through negotiations.
"New York City Police Emergency Service Unit" (ESU). The number is about 400 people, of which about a dozen are women. Equipped with heavy weapons, have cover groups. They rescued about 500 hostages, lost about three dozen of their militants. The largest operation was the protection of the Pope during his visit to the United States in October 1995. This structure, resembling a small army, is involved in an average of 2.5 thousand operations per year.
Los Angeles Police Detachment (SWAT). Created after youth unrest in the United States in 1965. An elite unit used both domestically and internationally. The number is 70 people, one of them is a woman. Known for their fight against the US terrorist organization Black Panthers, the elimination of the kidnappers of the daughter of the newspaper magnate Hearst. Over the entire period of its existence, the detachment released more than a hundred hostages, and not one of them died. But about a dozen officers died in the unit itself.
Russia
Directorate "A" of the Special Forces Center of the FSB of Russia (Former Group "Alpha"). The idea of creating a special unit to combat terrorism within the USSR belongs to Yuri Andropov (At first it was Detachment 7 of the KGB Department "Alpha", created in 1974. Then there were only 40 "Alfovtsev" - officers and ensigns from among the employees of the KGB of Moscow and the Moscow region). Number - 200 people. For 25 years of their work, Alpha fighters released a total of more than a thousand hostages taken by terrorists in Tbilisi, Mineralnye Vody, Sukhumi, Sarapul. The biggest failure was an unsuccessful operation in Budennovsk, when Alpha was ready to storm Basayev’s group, but received orders to retreat. For all the time of its existence, Alpha lost 10 fighters, three of them died in Budennovsk.
Directorate "B" of the FSB Special Forces Center (former group "Vympel"). In 1981, under the department "C" (illegal intelligence) of the First Main Directorate of the KGB of the USSR, the Vympel group was created. Its status formally sounded like “a separate training center of the KGB of the USSR”, But in fact, as expected, the group was intended for reconnaissance and sabotage activities outside the country. At first, the group had only 300 people, but very quickly it became one of the best units special forces in the world. There were no high-profile failures of the group. Information about successful operations is still almost not disclosed. It is known that once during the exercises, Vympel scuba divers from under the ice attacked and captured the nuclear icebreaker Sibir. The Vympel unit traveled to operations in Afghanistan, Mozambique, Angola, Vietnam, Nicaragua. In 1994, within the framework of the FSB, the Vympel group turned into unit V (Vega).
As a former colony of Great Britain, much in Australia was created according to the English model, including the special forces. But, despite this, much in the special forces of Australia has its own differences from similar units in the UK.
The first special units were created during the Second World War, taking an active part in it on the side of the Allies. And only in 2003 in Australia a single command of special forces was created, called SOCOMD.
SOCOMD includes an operational headquarters located in Sydney and Canberra, which is subordinate to the Special Operations Squadron. In addition, SOCOMD includes an airborne regiment and two commando regiments. For action in emergency situations, a special regiment stationed in South Wales was created.
Since 2003, the Australian Army Special Forces has taken part in the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, provides security for all major sporting events in the country, took part in the protection of US President George W. Bush, participated in the settlement of the armed conflict in East Timor, and since 2009 has been carrying out patrol in Afghanistan. Currently, SOCOMD fighters enjoy well-deserved respect among fighters from other special forces in the world.
2. Her Majesty's Special ServiceSAS
The UK Special Air Service (SAS), together with the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group, are part of the UK Special Forces. The first 22nd SAS Regiment was created on August 24, 1941, during World War II. The new unit was made up of volunteers from the airborne troops. The unit conducted sabotage raids on enemy rear communications in North Africa. In 1946, the unit was disbanded, but in 1947, the modern SAS was formed on the basis of a volunteer regiment.
The main tasks of the SAS is to conduct anti-terrorist operations, both in the UK and abroad. In addition, SAS is training special forces soldiers from other countries.
Organizationally, the SAS consists of three regiments numbered 21 to 23, each of the three regiments performing its own specialized tasks. The 22nd regiment carries out assault, anti-terrorist and anti-revolutionary operations. The 21st and 23rd regiments carry out tasks to support the interests of Great Britain in other countries in resolving conflicts. Today, the SAS is the best known and best trained special unit in the UK.
GSG 9 - special forces of the German federal police
3. GSG 9 -special forces of the german federal police
The reason for the creation of the GSG 9 was the tragic events that occurred during the Olympiad in the city of Munich in 1972. Then radical Palestinian terrorists seized the Olympic village with Israeli athletes. During the special operation to free the hostages, they led to a large number of victims, both among athletes and German police officers. The result of this tragedy was the understanding that in order to carry out such specific tasks to free the hostages, it is necessary to create a new unit.
So in 1973, a special unit GSG 9 was born, which is part of the German Ministry of Internal Affairs and performs the tasks of conducting special operations. GSG 9 is directly subordinate only to the German Ministry of Internal Affairs, this is done in order to exclude the participation of the unit in minor operations that are not characteristic of the unit. The number of GSG 9 is 300 people, which are divided into three detachments, the first of which, consisting of 100 people, performs tasks to combat terrorism, the second detachment, which also consists of 100 people, performs tasks to protect any maritime facilities and ships from terrorist attacks. The third group of GSG 9 are paratroopers.
Currently, the fighters of the unit perform various special events, both in Germany and abroad.
Israel's Foreign Intelligence Service - MOSSAD
4. External Israeli intelligence - MOSSAD
The words from the book of parables of King Solomon became the motto of MOSSAD: "Lack of attention to the people leads to its decline, but with great care of advisers, it prospers." These words are printed on the emblem of MOSSAD and its members adhere to the motto of the organization in their work.
Israel's foreign intelligence service, MOSSAD, is rightfully considered one of the best and most effective in the world. The tasks of the organization include conducting covert operations outside the country and collecting intelligence information. Analyzing the information received and the situation in the world, MOSSAD tries to work proactively by identifying threats to the citizens of its country and the Jewish diasporas in other countries and eliminating them before the blood of peaceful Jews can be shed.
June 7, 1948 is considered the founding day of the MOSSAD service. Emigrants from the USSR played a big role in the fate of MOSSAD, many of whom held senior positions in the organization and made MOSSAD the structure that is now respected all over the world.
Mossad became widely known after a series of operations in the middle of the 20th century for the physical destruction of Nazi criminals who had fled from court to Latin American countries. But until now, all MOSSAD operations are classified as secret, and it is unlikely that we will find out their details in the near future.
NOCS - Italian Police Special Forces
5. NOCS - Italian Police Special Forces
Italy was one of the first European countries to feel the danger of political terrorism. Starting in 1970, leftist criminal gangs plunged the country into chaos, kidnapping entrepreneurs and politicians. When trying to free the hostages, the police, unprepared for this kind of tasks, suffered heavy losses. All this led to the fact that in 1977, during the reform of the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs, a special unit NOCS was created to combat terrorism.
The first NOCS consisted of 30 police officers who underwent a number of trainings throughout the year in hand-to-hand combat, shooting from firearms and developing a number of other skills. At the end of the training, the fighters of the detachment began to be involved in special operations, as a rule, mainly to detain members of the terrorist group "Red Brigades"
Subsequently, the group was transformed into a full-fledged division while maintaining the original goals and functions of NOCS, namely the fight against terrorism and the prevention of terrorist acts. All fighters are policemen and are subordinate only to the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs, while maintaining close relations with other special forces in Europe, and training special forces fighters from other countries.
CANSOFCOM - Canadian Special Operations Command
6. CANSOFCOM - Canadian Special Operations Command
CANSOFCOM brings together all of Canada's special forces and units and is responsible for managing them to protect against terrorism and protect the interests of citizens and the state outside Canada.
CANSOFCOM consists of Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) and 427 Special Operations Squadron. CANSOFCOM was formed in 2006 and its tasks were to prevent the threat of terrorism and support the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during operations outside the country.
In the armed forces of Canada, CANSOFCOM was called "quiet professionals", the most elite is the JTF2 special forces group, whose main task is to combat terrorism and its any manifestations. The group currently has 600 members and funding of $120 million per year.
In its track record, CANSOFCOM has participated in a peacekeeping operation in Bosnia, where the fighters of the unit hunted for Serbian snipers. Since 2001, CANSOFCOM has been participating in the military operation in Afghanistan. Performed security tasks during the 2010 Winter Olympics. CANSOFCOM is currently a balanced structure that performs a wide range of tasks in the interests of Canada.
7.
The GRU includes all the army and navy units of the Russian special forces, each of the special forces units included in the structure of the GRU has its own unique history of creation and combat path. The main reason for the creation of the GRU in the USSR was the creation of mobile nuclear attack forces in NATO countries, and in the fight against them, the GRU special forces units became the most effective. At that time, the tasks of the GRU detachments included long-range reconnaissance, the destruction of enemy mobile nuclear installations, sabotage on the territory and behind enemy lines, and the creation of partisan detachments. At that time, the tasks assigned to the GRU special forces were considered impossible, but thanks to the high training of the fighters and good technical equipment, the special forces even had portable nuclear mines. The GRU special forces could fulfill all the tasks assigned to them.
The training of GRU special forces soldiers took place according to an individual program and groups under the leadership of an officer consisted of 2-3 people. As a result, trained GRU fighters, upon completion of training, were universal soldiers and could perform a wide range of tasks.
At present, the number of GRU detachments ranges from 6 to 15 thousand people and includes six special-purpose brigades that perform a wide range of combat missions assigned to them.
SWAT - US Police Special Forces
8. SWAT- U.S. Special Forces Police
The concept of creating special forces was born in the United States in 1960 after riots swept across the country caused by anti-government forces. Which entailed great losses among entrepreneurs and government agencies that were attacked by an angry mob. Later, snipers started hunting for police officers, which led to a response from the Los Angeles police. It was in this city that the first SWAT detachment was created. Initially, the newly created special unit did not have an organizational structure and included ordinary police officers who had received special training, and in addition to their participation in SWAT, they performed their usual daily tasks. Such an organization had a bad effect on the organization of the unit, so on command, not all employees arrived, performing their immediate official tasks on time, and not having the opportunity to be released.
Subsequently, the SWAT detachment became a separate unit with a permanent staff, not diverted to perform normal police tasks, and was assigned to the city's metro police.
At present, by analogy with the city of Los Angeles, regional SWAT units operate in all major cities of the United States, successfully fulfilling their tasks in combating crime and terrorism.
9. GUR - Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine performs a wide range of intelligence operations outside the country. The GUR includes a special-purpose detachment, the main tasks of which are to conduct special operations outside the country. The GUR special forces include officers who previously served in the military unit A 2245 located in the city of Kyiv.
Special units of the Main Intelligence Directorate perform a wide range of tasks to protect the interests of Ukraine outside its borders and ensure the safety of its citizens outside the country.
Currently, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is one of the most closed departments in the country and little is known about it. Thus, the Main Intelligence Directorate includes only one special-purpose detachment, which was mentioned above, and the financing of which comes from the structure itself. Also, the GUR of Ukraine is nominally subordinate to all special units of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, but the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, and not the limited staff of the GUR of Ukraine, is responsible for their financing and training.
In the near future, a reform is expected in Ukraine, the result of which will be the creation of the Special Operations Forces, the result of which will be the centralized leadership and financing of special units of Ukraine.
COS - French Special Operations Command
10. GCOS - French Special Operations Command
In 1992, by analogy with other NATO member countries, the French Ministry of Defense created COS, whose tasks included managing all units of detachments and special forces units performing reconnaissance tasks outside the country and conducting sabotage actions on enemy territory.
Currently, the COS structure includes detachments and subunits of the ground forces and naval response forces. And in connection with its reorganization, COS was assigned the following tasks:
- the provision of military assistance to other allied countries, namely the training of special forces soldiers from other countries, and the provision of humanitarian assistance, these agreements were signed by France with a number of African countries on military assistance;
- conducting special military operations, deep raids on enemy territory, day and night landings and peacekeeping missions;
- the fight against terrorism, namely the release of hostages taken by terrorist groups, the evacuation of French citizens from the territory of other countries.
Today it became clear that the creation of COS was a timely and correct action by France, taking into account the changing trends in the world in managing and fulfilling the tasks assigned to various special units.
Special Forces of the SOF of RUSSIA DRIVE ISIS FROM SYRIA
The real power of the army is not when there are a lot of soldiers in the country (often stupid), but when there is a small number of military men whose training and track records are intimidating. Here are seven for you.
Black Stork, Pakistan
Special purpose group within the country. The bird name was earned thanks to unusual headdresses. Training:
- forced march - 58 km. Travel time - 12 hours;
- jogging in full uniform - 8 km in 50 minutes.
One of the brightest achievements: in October 2009, an office building held by Afghan terrorists from the Taliban group was stormed. Specialists from the "Black Stork" coped with the task: neutralized the "bad" ones, rescued 39 hostages.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
Special Forces of the Spanish Navy
The detachment was formed back in 1952. They recruited volunteers, called the “company of climbers-divers“. Over time, they were so trained that the “company” was transformed into a special forces detachment. Today it is not easy to get into it: the selection is the most severe. Therefore, 70-80% of recruits are eliminated annually. And it happens that everything is 100%.
Source: marines.mil
GIGN, France
French Gendarmerie Special Forces, GIGN Intervention Group. There are special trainings for the release of hostages. Since its inception (1973), as of now, 600 people have been rescued.
The most spectacular rescue operation took place in the Al-Haram mosque in Mecca in 1979. According to the Islamic religion, a non-Muslim cannot enter the temple grounds. Therefore, the three French warriors promptly accepted the faith, joined the Saudi Arabian forces, and did their job well. Looking for photos with the faces of GIGN members is a disastrous business: they are forbidden to be published by the laws of France.
Source: tactical-life.com
Sayeret Matkal, Israel
The main task is information gathering, often taking place deep behind enemy lines. One of the successful operations, information about which was obtained:
- 2003, Israeli taxi driver Eliyahu Gurel took three Palestinians to Jerusalem → was abducted → he was found by specialists from Sayeret Matkal in a 10-meter mine in an abandoned factory in the suburbs of Ramallah (Palestinian city) → saved the poor fellow.
Source: policenet.gr
Special Air Service, United Kingdom
British land forces whose motto is:
“Whoever takes risks wins.”
After the end of the war in Iraq, American General Stanley McChrystal confessed:
“If it wasn’t for the British Special Air Service, we wouldn’t have made it.”
