Best Special forces

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by SoD Stitch

Very well said . . .

I think you'd have to narrow it down to some very specific instances as to who was best in what scenario; there are some decent "all-rounders", like the SAS and SEAL's, whereas some are very good at specific scenarios, like the FBI HRT, Delta and the Israeli Sayeret Mat'kal (see the movie Munich).

I agree and I am sure that some of our members who have Spec Op experience will agree as well.

[lesofprimus]

I almost agree Adler... In the SEAL Teams, there are Platoons that train for very specific mission profiles, ie diving, land warfare, anti-terrorism etc etc... Also, each Teammate has specialized training in a couple different enviornments, be it in the arctic, the desert, mountains, jungle or swamp...

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah I understand what you are saying, Im just talking about the overall picture of things.

[Morph]

Mate served in 6RAR and loads of time in private security abroad. Worked with ex special forces guys from US police and military very quick on the gun but at least you have great support and most of the time they can back up what they say,Britain every one things they are special ops,the South-African both police and military very gutsy and pro, and some great ex Rhodesian or Zimbawean guys. The question i had to ask myself was when NZL and AUS infantry were outclassing some countries special forces how special could they really be ?

[Soren]

SEAL, SAS, Delta Force etc etc, have all been mentioned I'm sure - So, don't know if these have already been mentioned, but, don't forget the GSG-9 & KSK-9.

The GSG-9 (Anti terror) won every event at the SWAT World Challenge 2005, and won again in 2006 with 4 first places in the 8 different competitions. Top notch unit.

The KSK-9 (Germany's SAS / Military Spec-Ops unit) is the equal of any special forces in the world.

Also don't forget the Danish Jäger-Korps, they're second to none.

So which is the best ? I seriously can't say, but the SAS & JägerKorps rank highest IMO.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

GSG-9 really are nothing more than an anti terror police unit. They are not allowed to leave Germany's borders or anything like that. There was some GSG-9 in Iraq protecting the German Ambassador but nothing else.

KSK is the military unit and is based off the SAS and recieved there training from the SAS.

[Nonskimmer]

Originally Posted by Flying Penquin

Sir you been a CANADIAN if one remembers you have a very very good SF unit namley the SRU. First came across them in a film with Y.Brinner in the lead roll

Originally Posted by pbfoot

Never heard of them

Neither have I, unless he's talking about Search and Rescue. Dunno.

Good, dedicated, skilled guys, but not exactly special forces.

[plan_D]

All major SpecOps are more than impressive as I said before this could go on forever. And as Glider says it's quite amazing when you realise how small a lot of them are...my dad was in a FOB in the desert during the Gulf seeing lads from the coalition into Iraq in the back of a Chinook (Dan probably rode in one and met my dad without knowing, as we've spoken before) and he was impressed with these lads with packs almost the size of them and god knows how many weapons. As has been said it's all mental, stamina and intelligence...and all earn the greatest of respect from me, whether they're number one or not.

But SAS are senior, respect your elders DAN!

[lesofprimus]

Dont get me wrong, theres more than a couple SAS guys I worked with who impressed the hell outta me as Operators, but as a whole entity, I dont think their (SAS) level of training or tempo rival some of the other Spec Ops communites...

I do remember in Iraq, we were getting ready to hit a certain somebody, and as the mission was being briefed, the SAS guys hadda go have their afternoon tea....

Afternoon Tea???

We're gettin ready to head North some 150 klicks and its Tea Time???

[Udet]

Were SAS deployed during the Falklands war? If so, how did they fare?

[lesofprimus]

Given the threat to the British fleet posed by the Etendard / Exocet combination, plans were made to use Special Air Service troops to attack the home base of the five Etendards at Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego. The aim was to destroy the missiles and the aircraft that carried them, and to kill the pilots in their quarters. Two plans were drafted and underwent preliminary rehearsal: a landing by approximately fifty-five SAS in two C-130 Hercules aircraft directly on the runway at Rio Grande; and infiltration of twenty-four SAS by inflatable boats brought within a few miles of the coast by submarine. Neither plan was implemented; the earlier airborne assault plan attracted considerable hostility from some members of the SAS, who considered the proposed raid a suicide mission. Ironically, the Rio Grande area would be defended by four full-strength battalions of Marine Infantry of the Argentine Marine Corps of the Argentine Navy, some of whose officers were trained in the UK by SB Sqn years earlier. After the war, Argentine marine commanders admitted that they were waiting for some kind of landing by SAS forces but never expected a Hercules to land directly on their runways, although they would have pursued British forces even into Chilean territory if they were attacked.

A SAS reconnaissance team was dispatched to carry out preparations for a seaborne infiltration. A Westland Sea King helicopter carrying the assigned team took off from HMS Invincible on the night of May 17, but bad weather forced it to land 50 miles (80 km) from its target, and the mission was aborted. The pilot flew to Chile and dropped off the SAS team, before setting fire to his helicopter and surrendering to the Chilean authorities. The discovery of the burnt-out helicopter attracted considerable international attention at the time.

On May 14, the SAS carried out the raid on Pebble Island at the Falklands, where the Argentine Navy had taken over a grass airfield for FMA IA 58 Pucará light ground attack aircraft and T-34 Mentors. The raid destroyed the aircraft there.

[Morph]

It was also during this main attack that the SAS lost one soldier and seven were wounded due to friendly fire, from one of their other patrols.