Who are the best special forces in the world?
Here’s the list in no order!
12 - Alpha Group, Russia Alpha Group was launched back in 1974 as a
counter-terrorism unit during the era of the Soviet Union.
This special unit survived the collapse of the Soviet Union and currently operates under
the Federal Security Service of Russia, which is the successor to the KGB.
Since its inception, Alpha Group’s main objectives have expanded a great deal.
Basically, they now do everything and anything, from intel collection to carrying out secret
operations domestically and internationally.
Although little is known about the exact nature of its primary directives, most people in
the know say that the unit is authorized to act under the direct control of Russia's top
political leadership.
Yeah, Putin definitely controls these guys!
The Alpha Group has an international reputation as a vicious, but effective, counterterror
unit.
The group’s involvement in a 1985 hostage situation in Lebanon earned them their ruthless
reputation.
The rumors are that members of the Alpha Group began to take on tactics as bad as the kidnappers,
such as taking hostage of the family members of the people holding the hostages!
11 - Snow Leopard Commando Unit, China The official name for this special force from
China is 3rd Group, 13th Detachment, People's Armed Police Beijing General Corps.
So it makes sense why they have an official nickname!
Before their latest name, the unit was referred to as Snow Wolf, a reference to the Arctic
wolves for their endurance in the harshest of conditions.
The Snow Leopard Commando Unit was quietly established in 2002.
They trained in secrecy in areas such as riot control, counter-terrorism, bomb disposal,
and anti-hijacking.
Since then, the unit has been deployed in different parts of the world such as Russia
in anti-terror operations.
They’ve also been in Iraq and Afghanistan to offer protection to Chinese emissaries.
To join the elite unit, potential candidates must have served in the People’s Armed Police
for at least a year.
Once they apply, there’s the nonstop physical and psychological tests before being accepted
into training.
Then there’s….yep even more tests!
The soldiers who are chosen learn to handle themselves in all sorts of situations.
They’re taught to drive any type of vehicle, handle a range of weapons, dispose of explosives
and of course, learn hand to hand combat.
10 - Special Naval Warfare Force, Spain This Spanish special unit was formed pretty
recently, especially when compared to most other other Special Forces.
It was created in 2009 after the merging of several Spanish Navy units, namely the Special
Operations Unit, the Special Combat Divers Unit, and the Special Explosive Defusers Unit.
That means this unit is composed largely of marines.
But make no mistake – the unit is just as effective on land as it is in the water!
Their duties aside from counter-terrorism include reconnaissance, evacuation of hostages,
and general military assistance.
Being such a fairly new unit, they don’t have many publicly known missions.
But they have been part of major operations across the world such as operations in Lebanon,
Somalia, and Haiti.
They recently just had a short scuffle with Somali pirates who abducted a Spanish fishing
vessel back in 2019.
They managed to capture two of the pirates, but the ship remained under captivity for
over 47 days before it was finally released.
9 - GROM, Poland This special unit was formed just back in
1990 to help with the safety of the emigration of Jewish people from the Soviet Union into
Israel.
GROM is a polish acronym that roughly translates to Group for Operational Maneuvering Response.
The unit was named in honor of the Silent Unseen, Poland’s special operations unit
during World War II.
On the other hand, grom ALSO means thunder in Polish.
That’s pretty fitting for a highly trained special operations force don’t you think?
Besides the usual counter terrorism defense, the unit is also well-trained in the medical
field and their combat operations have been termed as surgical.
This has given the unit yet another name – The Surgeons.
Candidates applying to serve in GROM have to pass the typical series of physical and
psychological durability tests.
But the most famous test candidates have to go through is called a truth test.
It sounds a little intimidating, but what it really means is that these tests are designed
to show the truth about a soldier.
This so-called Truth Test comes on the last day of the selection process.
On that day the candidates are in a series of field tests on an obstacle course that’s
miles long.
Except the candidates don’t know exactly how far they have to go to finish.
Instructors are at different checkpoints actively giving discouragement of “You’re not going
to make it”, “there’s no point in going further” or simply just, “Give up”.
Apparently, there IS no set distance, and it’s all on the candidate!
8 - Navy SEALs, United States Navy SEALs are perhaps some of the most well-known
Special Forces around the world.
It makes sense since they’ve been involved in some of the most high-profile takedowns,
such as the secret mission to find Osama Bin Laden!
It’s no surprise that most elite special forces around the world take a few training
tips from Navy SEALs.
The Navy Seals were established in 1962.
Navy Seals essentially stand for Navy Sea, Air, and Land Teams.
They have various responsibilities to get anything done for the US, such as capturing
or eliminating high profile targets and gathering intelligence.
Besides their high-level operations, SEALs are also known for their grueling exercises
that see the vast majority of recruits quitting.
And these exercises start even before the main SEAL training kicks off.
To qualify for the famous Basic Underwater Demolition Training, candidates have to first
pass the Physical Screening Test.
It consists of a 500 yard swim in 12 and a half minutes, 50 push-ups in 2 minutes, 50
sit-ups in 2 minutes, 10 pull-ups in 2 minutes, and a 1.5-mile run in under 10 and a half
minutes.
Candidates who excel at this stage become eligible for the main SEAL training.
And that can take up to a year.
Then there’s the last week, famously known as Hell Week, where there’s very little
sleep and there’s let’s just call it, plenty of intense activity!
7 - Special Services Group, Pakistan Black Storks is the other popular name for
Pakistan’s Special Services Group, because of their distinctive headgear!
They were formed back in 1956 and they’re still active today.
As a special operations force, the SSG is tasked with carrying out five main objectives.
Counter-terrorism operations, foreign internal defense, unconventional warfare, direct action,
and reconnaissance.
The Black Storks do also take part in search and rescue, and peacekeeping, just as examples.
Their training ranks high up among the world’s Special Forces as far physical exertion is
concerned.
Recruits have to go through a 25-week commando course, endure extreme physical conditions,
and train in hand-to-hand combat.
For example, recruits have to be able to complete a 36-mile march in 12 hours in full gear.
Oh yeah, then there’s the ability of running 5 miles in 50 minutes in full gear too!
The toughness of the physical training is a big reason why only 10-15% of the recruits
make the final cut!
6 - Delta Force, United States Delta Force is another household name as far
as the world's elite forces are concerned.
Officially known as the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, this unit was
created in the 1970s to counter terrorism.
The vast majority of Delta force’s missions are classified but a few do find their way
to the public.
For example, there was Operation Red Dawn that led to the capture of Saddam Hussein.
Most soldiers in the Delta Force unit are usually trained servicemen drawn from the
Navy, Air Force, Army Rangers, and Green Berets.
As far as getting in, do we really need to say it’s tough?
Former Delta Force instructor Paul Howe talked about the high dropout rate.
He said that out of the two classes he led of 120 applicants each, only 12 to 14 candidates
made it through!
Eric Haney's book Inside Delta Force described the physical requirements in detail.
Standard tests include things such as the usual push-ups, sit-ups, and a 2-mile run.
But then there are the inverted crawls and swimming 100-meters fully clothed!
There’s also the all night navigation courses.
Apparently it starts with going 18-miles while carrying 40-pounds of gear.
Those 40 pounds as well as the distance of the courses go up each time candidates do
it.
The time allowed to finish the course also goes down each time.
By the end, the distance is 40-miles with 45-pounds of gear!
This is known as "The Long Walk"! 5 - Sayeret Matkal, Israel
Israel’s most elite special unit is the Sayeret Matkal, or simply just, “The Unit”.
It’s been in operation since 1957.
Sayeret in this case translates to special reconnaissance which pretty much sums up the
main purpose of this unit.
And that’s to collect intelligence.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t neutralize other situations.
The Unit is highly-trained in and tasked with any hostage rescue and counter-terrorism needs.
Having said all that, the extent of Sayeret Matkal’s ability is, of course, under wraps.
The Unit’s existence wasn’t officially made to the public until the 1980s!
But high profile operations by the unit are well known now.
For example, Operation Thunderbolt was back in 1976 when the Unit was called in to rescue
a hijacked Air France plane that was traveling from Paris to Tel Aviv.
So how does someone get in?
The recruitment process takes place twice a year and consists of an endurance camp with
several sleepless days.
Only those soldiers that pull through are taken into training for yet another round
of endurance activities and general combat training.
So do doctors and psychologists need to be called in for this?
The answer is yes!
They’re consistently watching to make sure the soldiers can actually survive!
4 - Special Air Service, United Kingdom The British Special Air Service was founded
in 1941, and it’s gone on to establish itself as one of the best of the best elite forces
in the world.
Its functions have evolved beyond the battlefield over time!
Much like other special forces, the SAS is a counter-terrorism unit.
At least that’s what’s known about this special force.
However, the British government doesn’t divulge much information about any special
forces either because of the sensitivity of the information.
Just like all of the other UK Special Forces, the SAS recruits only from the Armed Forces.
And as with any elite unit, the recruitment process is a tough and draining physical test
that sees most of the potential candidates drop out.
Out of approximately 200 candidates that join the selection process twice a year, roughly
around 30 people make it to the end.
And we say people because in 2018, the recruitment policy changed to allow women to become members
of the SAS for the first time!
The toughest stage of training is known as Endurance.
This is where candidates march for 40 miles with luggage!
And after they finish, they get the fun task of climbing up and down a mountain that’s
almost 3000 feet high!
Did we say Endurance was the hardest part?
Because we take that back.
It’s not.
It has to be the Resistance to Interrogation Test!
This is where candidates have to last for 36 hours where they’re really put to the
test in all sorts of ways we’re not going to describe here.
3 - Night Hawks, Taiwan The Taiwanese Night Hawks is another special
force that’s super-secretive.
Neither the training nor the qualifications are known, but that’s a good thing for its
members!
The name “night hawk” was inspired by the highly secretive nature of the unit and
their characteristic black uniforms.
Their core objectives are varied.
They include pretty much anything you can think of, such as providing security to top
officials and foreign envoys and any sort of military.
The unit has been around since 1978 and regularly trains together with the US Green Berets.
And because they have training from the US, there have also been reports of the Night
Hawks training an unnamed Middle Eastern country’s troops in anti-terrorist tactics.
The Night Hawks bring a certain kind of honor to Taiwan since it’s one of the few countries
in Asia with Special Forces training capabilities.
2 - Joint Task Force 2, Canada The Canadian Joint Task Force 2 was created
in 1993 to fill up the role of a new counter-terrorism unit.
This was after a team called the Special Emergency Response Team was disbanded.
JTF2 is called the “Jewel in the Crown” of Canada’s special forces!
They’re Canada’s insurance policy when local police forces can’t take on any emergency
situations.
JTF2 has done missions abroad in places such as the Balkans and Rwanda.
Its members protect the Canadian Prime Minister and other high profile individuals when they
visit hotspots around the world.
Despite being formed in only the early 90s, Joint Task Force 2 is the oldest and most
skilled of Canada’s special forces units.
What makes JTF2 good is their training.
The missions are demanding and the intensity in the training is much more demanding.
Basically when they’re not on a mission, they’re training!
1 - Jaeger Corps, Denmark The Jaeger corps is one of two premier special
forces units of the Danish armed forces.
The other is the Frogmen Corps!
They’re formed back in 1957 based on the UK’s Royal Marines.
The Jager Corp was created later in 1961, but its origins trace all the way back to
1785.
Modern-day members of the Jaeger Corps go through a rigorous training and selection
process.
Fewer than 400 soldiers have been selected to serve in the small but agile force during
the last 50 years.
Once a year soldiers from all over Denmark try out.
The “pre-courses” train the potential candidates in land navigation, swimming and
basic shooting techniques.
Throughout the pre-course phase, everything gets more difficult.
Following pre-phase, the 8 week Patrol Course uses training events to assess candidates.
They’re asked to perform different scenarios that can happen in real life without any notice!
Not surprisingly, 60 percent of candidates don’t make it this portion!
Successful candidates then attend another 8 week course where they get trained in different
military disciplines.
Only around 10% of candidates who try out make it through!
Here’s what’s next!