German Special Forces
The EGB (Expanded-Ability Special Army For Special Operations Army Troops) are organized under the Rapid Troops Division.
This unit carries out special operations missions for the German government such as Airborne operations,
Counter-Insurgency,
Direct Action,
Intelligence Operations and quick reaction force (QRF) capabilities.
In 2007,
EGB Forces were established as a light infantry unit to close the gap between
conventional infantry units and the elite special forces.
Therefore, each of the four paratrooper battalions established one specialized
company to serve as an enhanced-skilled company.
These battalions are now two regiments with companies.
In 2015,
the specialized reconnaissance unit Fernspählehrkompanie 200
was merged with parts of the reconnaissance platoons of the brigade's recce companies.
Personnel of all branches of the Bundeswehr may apply for the EGB Forces with prerequisites,
minimum of four years of enlistment,
completion of basic training and occupational specific training,
completed security clearance and excellent physical fitness.
Training Before serving in the EGB Forces,
soldiers attend a six-month training cycle which includes advanced training in firearms,
specialized infantry tactics, combatives,
medical training and SERE training.
Upon completion of the training cycle,
soldiers are awarded with the EGB Forces qualification badge and receive the Combat-Ready-status.
Afterwards they are assigned to an EGB company.
During their career,
soldiers of EGB Forces may receive advanced training in communications,
weapons training,
demolitions,
advanced medical training,
mountain training or training in amphibious operations.
Since their establishment, EGB Forces were involved
in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force,
the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
and as part of a capacity building mission in northern Iraq.
Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine (KSM) are an elite special forces unit of the Germany Navy,
specializing in commando and amphibious warfare operations.
They are the only special-purpose force of the German Navy.
The KSM were set up when Germany joined NATO in 1955.
They serve a similar role to Americas top tier DEVGRU unit.
They are frequently asked to conduct operations with their counter parts,
such as Americas DEVGRU,
the French Hubert commandos and Polands [JW GROM]
Since 1974,
the KSM have been stationed in the naval base at Eckernförde near Kiel.
In October 1994, they were subordinate to the Flotilla of Mine Warfare.
In Eckernförde, a combat frogman group was set up,
it consists of a mine clearance diver company and a commando frogmen company.
Allegedly the weapon diver group has 250 men.
According to strength and equipment records,
the commando frogmen company had 3 groups,
each with 16 men with approximately 40 men are actively operational.
Success rate of the KSM selection is approximately 30%,
which is up from the previous 5-10 percent over the three year training period.
These minimum requirements must be fulfilled by all candidates
to become certified for training such as,
applicants must be German citizens in the sense of the article 116 of the constitution,
they must be at least 17 years old and no more than 25 years old,
1,000m swim in less than 23 minutes,
5,000m run in less than 24 minutes,
30m distance swim underwater without equipment,
stay underwater without breathing for at least 60 seconds and other requirements.
During the training,
it is less about the physical load than the psychological load which causes many applicants to give up.
The physical achievement can be trained,
but overcoming the fear is the most important goal of the training.
The training includes but is not limited to swimming,
diving,
navigation,
close combat,
weapons handling and parachuting.
In the special conclusion exercise their ability and hardness
are equally demanded before they join the circle of the commando frogmen.
In further training sections they are trained as team leaders or specialists.
In the Gulf War,
the KSM frogmen completed various operations
that are classified by German Intelligence and such.
They have decreased ten times in size,
as in the 1990s its size were estimated 3,500-4,000 troops.
The Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), is an elite special forces military command
composed of special operations soldiers selected from the ranks of
Germany's Bundeswehr and organized under the Rapid Forces Division.
The KSK has received many decorations and awards from NATO,
the United States and its affiliates.
KSK operatives are frequently requested for joint anti-terror operations,
notably in the Balkans and Middle East.
One politically concrete reason for the establishment of the KSK was the fact that in 1994,
during the genocide in Rwanda,
German citizens had to be evacuated by Belgian para-commandos.
The decision that this task was carried out by special operations forces
of the former colonial power Belgium had been made in advance
by mutual agreement between the NATO partners.
Several Belgian soldiers died during this operation.
Due to the political pressure,
the need to have its own forces ready for special operations within NATO became obvious.
As is to be expected with such units,
specific operational details such as success and casualty rates are considered
to be top secret and withheld even from the highest-ranking members of the Bundestag.
This practice has elicited some serious concerns resulting in agreement
to increase both transparency and accountability,
by disclosing mission details to selected members of the Bundestag
in relation to the future deployments of KSK forces.
Like those of all German military units,
KSK deployments require authorization from the German Bundestag (Federal Assembly).
The unit has engaged in numerous anti-terror campaigns both in Europe and abroad;
known engagements include operations inside Kosovo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina and most recently in Afghanistan.
During the War in Afghanistan,
although nominally under OEF command,
the KSK worked under ISAF command since 2005,
carrying out numerous operations in the vicinity of the German deployment in Kabul,
including a successful raid on an al-Qaeda safehouse for suicide bombers in October 2006.
In June 2020,
German defence minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that the unit
would be partially disbanded due to growing far-right extremism within the ranks.
The KSK had become partially independent from the chain of command,
with a toxic leadership culture and one of the force's four companies,
where extremism is said to be the most rife,
was to be dissolved and not replaced.