Discussions regularly take place in various American and European publications on the topic: which special units are better trained? The question most often asked is: “Who wins: the Russian Alpha or the American Navy SEALs?”
Serious topic
The educational American portal comicvine.com offered its readers the topic: “Navy Seals” versus Russian special forces: what do they think about it? The question was posed bluntly, who in their opinion would win if two thousand fighters from Alpha, Vympel and the elite GRU special forces met in battle with two thousand rangers from the Navy SEALs and Delta Force units.
Referring to the opinion of military experts, the comicvine.com portal warned its subscribers that the training of Russian special forces personnel is more rigorous than in American groups. At the same time, the SEALs and soldiers of the 1st Operational Detachment Delta have a technological advantage in weapons and special equipment.
2501 people took part in the discussion. Typical opinions are listed below.
@CadenceV2: Technological weapons cannot be the only factor influencing victory. Russian special forces are well trained and can use almost any foreign weapon. It is important that the Russians can fight alone, while the Americans rely on a team.
And if we are talking about confrontation between special units, then the battlefield will certainly be limited. Most likely - in the city, in buildings, in tunnels, where the reaction and personal physical data of the soldiers are important. And one more thing: when Alpha stormed Amin’s palace, 5 Soviet soldiers were killed (according to others - 20 people), while here in America, where the law provides for the safe training of military personnel, over the past two years 78 soldiers have died in training alone.
AmazingScrewOnHead: Russian special forces would win! Training is more important. Currently, the US Navy SEALs have nothing special that no one else has. All leading countries use the same military technologies.
@CadenceV2: America has the best military in the world. It's all about the latest weapons! Only the Chinese can beat us in some areas. Russia still lags behind. But I don’t want to participate in the “America versus Russia” topic. Don't forget that it was Russia that won WW2 (World War II - ed.), although the Germans had much better technology.
Russians fight better
The authoritative English-language military portal armchairgeneral.com provided the following post: “...In hand-to-hand combat, Russian special forces are the best military unit in the world. Its members spend more time training than any other special forces in the world, including the Navy Seals, Rangers, Green Berets, Delta, SAS and Israeli Commandos. In addition, Russian special forces are learning not only the methods of perfect assassination, but also non-lethal martial arts such as boxing, judo and other techniques commonly used in MMA-FIGHT (in fighting without rules). The way they train is similar to professional training for MMA-FIGHT sparring.”
Americans are focused on complex missions
Navy SEALs are required to swim 500 meters in 8 minutes and do 100 squats in 2 minutes. At the same time, they shoot well. They are trained in special military intelligence techniques. In particular, camouflage techniques directly at the enemy’s location. Priority is given to knowledge that allows the use of observation robots and new tracking systems, not to mention the ability to move on a wide variety of vehicles, including enemy helicopters.
Navy SEALs are trained at a training center in Panama City Beach (Florida). “Soldiers are required to navigate underwater in dark labyrinths using the Sonar System,” explains Daniil Iakov, a leading specialist in advanced training courses for the Seals command squad, explaining the essence of the training. “In total, we are talking about performing 230 professional missions on land, in the air and under water, including in sunken submarines.”
Special forces as a destination
More and more analysts on the psychotechnics of combat units agree that ideal warriors are not made - they are born. Training, of course, is important as a factor in developing genetic talent. For example, Professor Martin Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania argues that without taking into account this approach to selecting candidates, instead of a mobile battle group, you can only get a good sports team of decathletes who run well, swim fast, shoot accurately, and so on. But he doubts that such athletes are capable of performing real combat missions that are assigned to special forces. In his opinion, only 0.5 to 2% of men (depending on the mentality of the people) can actually fight. The rest, at best, will help them, at worst, they will become cannon fodder. As for the Russians, Russia's rich military past gives it undoubted advantages.
The most significant operations of the Navy SEALs
In 1962, the first SEAL commander, Roy Boehm, participated in reconnaissance in Cuba in anticipation of a possible assault on the island. He managed to photograph Soviet nuclear missiles being unloaded at the pier. The operation was carried out under close guard by Fidel Castro's soldiers. The resulting images were of strategic importance for the United States.
48 SEALs were killed in the Second Indochina War, but they inflicted significant damage on the North Vietnamese army. Military expert Edwin Moïse called the SEALs the biggest scourge of the communists. It was the soldiers of the Det Bravo detachment from the special forces SEAL Team who managed to obtain intelligence information about the start of the Tet Offensive in early 1968, thereby allowing them to prepare for defense.
On May 2, 2011, at a residence in Abbottabad, which was 50 km from Islamabad, members of the 6th SEAL team killed terrorist No. 1 Bin Laden.
The most significant operations of Russian special forces
On December 27, 1979, soldiers of the GRU special forces and the so-called “Muslim battalion” with a total of 600 people, as part of an operation called “Storm-333”, took the Taj Beg estate, better known as Amin’s palace. They were opposed by two thousand guards of the Afghan leader.
On June 19 - 22, 2001, in the Chechen village of Ermolovskaya (Alkhan-Kala), Alpha fighters eliminated the gang of Emir Tarzan - Arbi Barayev.
On October 23 – 26, 2002, in Moscow, at the Dubrovka Theater Center, the “Alfovites” destroyed a terrorist organization led by Movsar Barayev. 750 hostages were rescued. According to the unofficial version, 120 people died due to improperly organized assistance.
On September 1–3, 2004, in Beslan, militants of Ruslan Khuchbarov took 1,300 children and adults hostage in school building No. 1. Alpha employees eliminated the terrorists in the most difficult conditions. This operation turned out to be the most dramatic and difficult for Russian special forces.
Small arms of American special forces
Pistols:
MK23 Mod 0.45 cal SOCOM
M11 Sig Sauer р228 (9mm)
M4A1 assault rifle (5.56mm) with accessory set SOPMOD
Sniper rifles:
MK11 Mod 0 Sniper Weapon System (7.62mm)
M82A1 large caliber sniper rifle
Submachine gun HK MP5 Submachine Gun (9mm)
Benelli M4 Super 90 combat shotgun, and so on.
Small arms of Russian special forces
PSS "Vul" pistol
Automatic grenade launcher complex OTs-14 "Groza"
Special sniper rifle VSS “Vintorez”
Rifle sniper complex VSK-94
Sniper rifle ORSIS T-5000
Special automatic machine AS "Val"
Underwater special assault rifle APS
Automatic SR3 "Whirlwind"
NRS/NRS-2 reconnaissance shooting knife.
P.S. To be fair, the majority of respondents participating in a survey by the comicvine.com portal about which special forces are better are confident that the main task of Russian and American special forces is the fight against terror and the protection of civilians in critical situations. They considered posing the question of who would defeat whom to be provocative and dangerous.
Photo at the opening of the article: photo at the exhibition of the association of veterans of the anti-terror unit “Alpha”, Russia. Moscow, 2007 / Photo: Evgeny Volchkov/TASS
Special forces units(SpN), (commando, special forces, English special forces) - specially trained units of state intelligence and counterintelligence services, army, aviation, navy, security of senior state officials and police (militia), whose personnel have high combat, fire, physical and psychological training, whose task is to solve specific combat missions in extremely extreme conditions.
RUSSIA
In the photo: 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 Forces
Russian Marine Corps
Special forces of the border troops of the FSB 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 area, 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 are called “Special Purpose Departments”. The task of the unit includes the prevention and suppression of crimes and offenses at the facilities of the Federal Penitentiary Service, the search and capture of especially dangerous criminals, ensuring security at special events, the release of hostages taken by convicts, as well as the protection of senior officials of the department.
Special forces of the Ministry of Emergency Situations
In the photo: soldiers of the SEAL unit (Navy Seals)
The US Armed Forces operate the US Special Operations Command, which includes the United States Special Operations Forces. A common mistake is to call the SOF “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
Others
FRANCE
In the photo: fighters of the anti-terrorism unit “GIGN”
Special Operations Command (General Commandant les Operations Speciales (GCOS)
Unites under its command all units and formations available in the armed forces intended for conducting reconnaissance deep behind enemy lines, as well as carrying out sabotage actions and other special measures, and units supporting their activities. Objectives - Providing military assistance, which consists of training foreign militaries, mainly African states that have entered into an agreement with France on military assistance, conducting military support operations - is to use the experience of conducting deep raids on enemy territory, the fight against terrorism, influence operations involve conducting psychological operations.
GCOS includes:
Units of the Separate Special Command (GSA) - Groupment special autonome:
1st company is intended to conduct operations outside the city, crossing water barriers and protecting and escorting especially important persons. The 2nd company specializes in operations within the city, sabotage and sniping. In addition, company soldiers are trained in the use of mine explosives, and also practice “breaking and entering” techniques. The 3rd company provides fire support with heavy mortars, air defense, and also conducts reconnaissance on light all-terrain vehicles.
Air Force special forces. These include:
Special forces of the French ground 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 American SEALs. However, the Hubert squad stands out from the general list. It is fully staffed with combat swimmers.
Special forces of the French gendarmerie
Since the mid-20th century, special anti-terrorism units for special purposes began to appear in the armed forces of different countries. Today they exist in more than 50 countries. We will tell you about the most famous and powerful of them.
United Kingdom
"22 Special Airborne Service Regiment" (SAS-22). Formed during the Second World War. In terms of combat training, it is comparable only to Israeli counter-terrorist units, but surpasses them in weapons. According to some sources, 500 people serve within the unit. Despite strict secrecy, he pays a lot of attention to creating publicity. The most successful operations were actions against the IRA in Ireland, Holland, and Germany. Participated in thousands of operations from the Sahara to Malaysia. The most famous operation is the release of hostages at the Iranian embassy in London. Throughout its history, several dozen employees 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. This was the group's first operation. Then one of the television journalists installed a television camera in the house opposite the building with the hostages and terrorists, and the terrorists watched all the preparations of “GSG” live. More such incidents did not happen to German militants. Today this group not only fights terrorists, but also provides security for German diplomats during trips to the Near and Middle East. Helps German counterintelligence, organizing surveillance of terrorists. The number of people in the unit is about 200, but sometimes the group uses employees of German counterintelligence. Over the course of its existence, more than 5 thousand operations have been carried out. members died at the hands of terrorists. The most famous operation was in October 1977 in Mogadishu (Somalia), the liberation 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 the release of the leaders of the “Faction” from German prisons. Red Army,” a German left-wing radical group, the war against which “GSG” considered its main business in the 70s. Failures - 1994, the murder of Wolfgang Grams, a member of the Red Army Faction. During the capture of RAF leaders Grams and Brigitte Hogefeld on a subway platform, one of the special squad members was killed in a shootout. And then Grams was shot at point-blank range. Moreover, passers-by testified as follows: When the firefight ended, two GSG officers leaned over the wounded Grams and shot him with his own pistol.
France
"Group of Intervention of the National Gendarmerie" (GIGN). Created in March 1974 to combat Arab terrorism in France. At first it consisted of 15 volunteer gendarmes. Today the group size is 200 people. Over the entire period of its existence, they saved about 500 people and carried out about 100 anti-terrorist operations. 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 of the main Muslim shrine of the Kaaba in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) from armed fanatics in September 1979, in the operation to restore order on the island of New Caledonia during the uprising of the natives -Kanakov in May 1988.
Austria
"Cobra", an anti-terrorist unit of the Austrian police. Formed in 1978. Number of people: 200 people. The Austrian authorities decided to create their own anti-terrorist unit after ministers participating in the OPEC congress were attacked by terrorists in 1973. In 1978, the Austrian authorities officially announced the creation of Cobra. The unit is subordinate to the Director General of Public Security under the Austrian Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition to anti-terrorist activities, Cobra is responsible for the security of 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 Cobra has died. Therefore, the Austrian unit is considered one of the best anti-terrorist groups.
Israel
"Intelligence Group of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense" (Sayeret Matkal). Created in 1957 as a special intelligence unit, in 1968 it switched to anti-terrorism activities. The number is unknown, but it is known that the soldiers are extremely young (from 18 to 21 years old). For every hundred terrorists killed, one unit soldier is killed. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current head of government Ehud Barak once served in the detachment. The group took part in more than a thousand actions. Considered the best counter-terrorism unit in the world. The most famous operation was in July 1976, the release of 103 hostages in Antebbe.
“Flying Leopards” (“Saeret Golani”). The infantry unit, which is also called the “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, and the fighters did not undergo special training, preferring simple army methods. Hence their biggest failure. In May 1974, three Arab terrorists seized a school in the northern Israeli town of Ma'alot. The unit's fighters literally riddled two terrorists with bullets, simultaneously killing 25 schoolchildren and wounding 100 more. It was after this failure that Saeret Golani began to be trained in special anti-terrorist methods.
"YAMAM" is a unit of the Israeli police. The number is about 200 people. Performs up to 200 operations annually. Today there are two women in the group. Created in 1974 as a special service responsible for anti-terrorist actions exclusively within Israel. One of their first operations to free a bus with hostages, seized in 1977 near Tel Aviv, ended in complete failure. During the operation, 33 hostages died and more than 70 were injured. There have been no more hostage losses since 1978. 20 officers of the unit were killed.
Jordan
"Special Operations Squad-71". Created in 1971. The number is about 150 people. It is fighting Islamic terrorists and drug smugglers. Members of the unit underwent special training under the guidance of the Americans and the British. There were no deaths of hostages, but there were losses among members of the unit. The most famous operation was the one that prevented PLO terrorists from seizing the Intercontinental Hotel in Amman in 1970.
USA
Delta Squad. Operational detachment of special forces of the American army. Created in 1976. Moreover, at first it was planned to create anti-terrorism 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 American 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 secret operations around the world. Including the war in Panama and Grenada. The most successful operation was the action against Iraq during the Gulf War. The biggest failure was the attempt to free 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 panic. 53 hostages remained in the embassy for 444 days and were released only through negotiations.
NYPD Emergency Service Unit (ESU). The number is about 400 people, about a dozen of them are women. They are equipped with heavy weapons and have cover groups. We rescued about 500 hostages and lost about three dozen of our fighters. The largest operation was the protection of the Pope during his visit to the United States in October 1995. This structure, reminiscent of a small army, participates in an average of 2.5 thousand operations per year
"Los Angeles Police Department" (SWAT). Created after youth unrest in the United States in 1965. An elite unit used both domestically and internationally. Number of members: 70 people, one of them is a woman. They are known for their fight against the US terrorist organization “Black Panthers”, for the liquidation of the kidnappers of the daughter of newspaper magnate Hearst. During its entire existence, the detachment freed more than a hundred hostages, and not a single 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 (Formerly "Alpha" group). 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 “Alpha” Directorate, created in 1974. At that time there were only 40 “Alfovites” - officers and warrant officers from among the KGB employees of Moscow and the Moscow region). Number of people: 200 people. Over the 25 years of their work, Alpha fighters freed a total of more than a thousand hostages captured by terrorists in Tbilisi, Mineralnye Vody, Sukhumi, Sarapul. The biggest failure was the unsuccessful operation in Budennovsk, when Alpha was ready to carry out an assault on Basayev’s group, but received orders to retreat. During its entire 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 management of “S” (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, it is assumed that the group was intended for reconnaissance and sabotage activities outside the country. At first there were only 300 people in the group, but very quickly it became one of the best units special forces in the world. The group did not have any major failures. Information about successful operations is still almost not disclosed. It is known that once during the exercises, Vympel scuba divers attacked and captured the nuclear icebreaker "Vympel" from under the ice. went on operations to Afghanistan, Mozambique, Angola, Vietnam, Nicaragua. In 1994, within the FSB, the Vympel group turned into the “B” (Vega) division.
Special forces are the elite of the troops of any country, which recruits not just the best fighters, but the very best. Next, we will get acquainted with special forces from different countries of the world, find out what tasks military personnel perform, and what requirements are placed on them.
"Alpha", Russia.
Alpha Squad is the elite of Soviet and Russian special forces and is known as one of the most effective and experienced law enforcement units in the world. The special unit is designed to conduct counter-terrorism operations using special tactics and means.
Preventing terrorist attacks.
Search, neutralize or eliminate terrorists.
Release of hostages.
Participation in special operations in “hot spots”.
Requirements for candidates:
Active officers or cadets of military schools.
A recommendation from a current or former employee of Alpha or Vympel.
Age limit: not older than 28 years.
Height: not lower than 175 cm.
Standards:
Cross-country running: 3 km in no more than 10 minutes 30 seconds.
Sprint race: 100 meters in no more than 12.7 seconds.
Pull-ups: 25 times.
Push-ups: 90 times.
Abdominal flexion and extension: 90 times in no more than 2 minutes.
Bodyweight bench press: 10 reps.
Complex strength exercise 7 cycles in a row, no more than 40 seconds each cycle:
15 push-ups;
15 flexions and extensions of the torso in a lying position;
15 transitions from the position “crouched” to “lying” and back;
15 jumps from a crouched position.
Features of preparation:
Three minutes after the physical test, you must demonstrate hand-to-hand combat skills. In this case, the candidate performs in a helmet, gloves and protective pads on the legs and groin. He is opposed by an instructor or an employee of the FSB Special Purpose Center well trained in hand-to-hand combat. The fight lasts 3 rounds. Next: a medical commission, a special check to identify unwanted relationships with the candidate himself or his relatives, examination by psychologists and a polygraph. Based on the results of each study, the candidate is awarded points, which are then summed up and a final decision is made.
2. “Yamam”, Israel.
Yamam is an elite unit of the Israeli Border Police. "Yamam" has the highest level of shooting training among all Israeli special forces. “Yamam” fighters have been taking personal and team prizes at all security forces shooting competitions for years now. Yamam snipers are at a much higher level than their army counterparts.
Release of hostages.
Conducting rescue operations and raids in civilian areas.
Recruitment and intelligence work.
Requirements for candidates:
Age from 22 to 30 years.
Be an active member of the army, police or border troops.
Have at least three years of service in combat units.
Standards:
Pull-ups: 25 times.
Fist push-ups with weight on back: 100 reps.
Abdominal flexion and extension: 300 times.
Cross running with 15–20 kg equipment: 8 km in no more than 38 minutes.
Climbing a 7-meter rope: no more than 7 seconds.
Freestyle swim: 50 meters in no more than 35 seconds.
Swim underwater: 50 meters.
Swim with hands and feet tied: 50 meters.
Features of preparation:
The course includes running across rooftops, climbing a building via a drainpipe, escaping from captivity and survival, which tests one's response to stress. The next exercise is a fight with a guard dog from the canine unit of the gendarmerie corps, specially trained to attack a person. Here they study the fighter’s reaction to an attack: whether he will be confused, how aggressive he will be.
SAS, UK.
Within the UK Special Forces, the Special Airborne Service of the Ground Forces - SAS - occupies a special place. The SAS is one of the oldest and most highly professional special forces units in the world. The SAS's rich experience in anti-guerrilla and counter-terrorism operations forced the special forces of various states to copy its tactics. Including: American Green Berets and Delta.
Conducting reconnaissance and carrying out sabotage and subversive actions deep behind enemy lines.
Anti-terrorist operations both domestically and abroad.
Training of special forces soldiers from other countries.
Release of hostages.
Requirements for candidates:
Service experience in other military units is required.
Age from 25 to 30 years.
Excellent physical and mental health.
Standards:
Cross-country running: 2.5 km in no more than 12 minutes.
Forced march with full equipment: 64 km in no more than 20 hours.
Fire training: hit 6 targets at least twice each with 13 rounds of ammunition.
Parachute training: 40 jumps day and night with a load of 50 kg.
Features of preparation:
Instructors greet candidates with the words: “We will not select you. We will give you such a load that you will die. The one who survives will learn further.” And words do not differ from deeds. About one candidate out of ten passes. What does it cost just to take a month's training to resist special interrogation methods? Each cadet also undergoes mandatory training in the jungle.
4. GSG-9, Germany.
GSG 9 is a special forces unit of the German Federal Police. The special group is directly and solely subordinate to the German Minister of the Interior; the commander of the special unit is ready to take action around the clock. After the command of the German Minister of the Interior, the group is ready to go to anywhere in the world where the incident occurred. Such management helps to avoid unnecessary deployment of GSG 9 in minor operations that less capable units can respond to.
Release of hostages.
Security of high-ranking officials and particularly important government facilities.
Operations to eliminate terrorists.
Implementation and development of methods and tactics for all of the above types of activities.
Requirements for candidates:
Secondary or higher education.
Citizenship of Germany or EU country.
Age from 18 to 24 years.
Excellent knowledge of English or French.
Swimming category.
Standards:
Five inversion lifts in full equipment.
Overcoming an obstacle course in 1 minute 40 seconds.
Forced march with full gear and additional weight of 25 kg: 7 km in no more than 52 minutes.
Swim: 500 meters in no more than 13 minutes.
Features of preparation:
The peak of physical stress is the third week, when candidates in groups make long treks over the rugged terrain of the Black Forest. This involves carrying heavy objects over long distances, transporting the wounded, going uphill and downhill with full equipment. All this is accompanied by restriction of sleep and food. Finally, candidates take various tests of psychological stability.
5. Chinese special forces.
Today, the Chinese army has seven groups ready to carry out special operations. Each military district has one such unit, which is directly subordinate to the district chief of staff.
Special intelligence activities.
Conducting short, small-scale offensive operations behind enemy lines.
Requirements for candidates:
Age from 18 to 32 years.
Excellent physical and mental health.
Passing a physical fitness test.
Standards:
Climbing a brick wall of a building to the 5th floor without any improvised means in 30 seconds.
Swim in full gear: 5 km in no more than 1 hour 20 minutes.
Pull-ups and parallel bars push-ups: at least 200 times a day.
Lifting a dumbbell weighing 35 kg: 60 times, in no more than 60 seconds.
Lying front push: 100 times, no more than 60 seconds.
Throwing a grenade: 100 times at a distance of at least 50 meters.
Features of preparation:
The physical training process of Chinese special forces is often called “descent into hell.” Every day, morning and evening, cross-country running in full gear and an additional backpack with ten bricks. In this case, a distance of 5 kilometers should be covered in no more than 25 minutes. After completing the run, the fighters move on to the “Iron Palm” exercise. The fighter must deliver 300 blows to the bag, first with beans, then with iron filings. In exactly the same way, standards for fists, elbows, knees and feet are subsequently worked out.
GROM, Poland.
GROM is a Polish special forces military unit. Prepared for special operations, including counter-terrorism, both in peacetime and during crisis or war. Since its inception, the unit has been completely professional.
Release of hostages.
Anti-terrorism operations.
Evacuation of civilians from a war zone.
Conducting reconnaissance operations.
Requirements for candidates:
Age from 24 to 30 years.
Excellent physical and mental health.
Resistance to stress.
Ability to drive a car.
Standards:
Cross-country running: 3.5 km in no more than 12 minutes.
Climbing a rope without using your legs: 5 meters twice in a row.
Bench press with your own body weight.
Pull-ups: 25 times.
Push-ups: at least 30 times.
Swim: 200 meters in no more than 4 minutes.
Swim underwater: 25 meters.
Features of preparation:
All candidates who submit applications first undergo a psychophysiological test. After this, as a rule, no more than 10–15 percent of the total number of candidates are allowed to take further tests. People from both the country's police units and civilian structures can come to serve in the Polish special forces. But civilians must first complete a basic police course before joining a SWAT team.
Special Forces "Delta", USA.
According to official documents, the Delta group is intended for covert combat operations outside the United States, on the territory of other countries. Delta Force's missions include countering terrorism, popular uprisings, and national intervention, although the group is also dedicated to covert missions, including but not limited to civilian rescue and invasion.
Release of hostages.
Release of American military personnel captured.
Fighting terrorists and partisans.
Capture or destroy military and political leaders hostile to the United States.
Capturing secret documents, samples of weapons, military and other secret equipment.
Requirements for candidates:
American citizenship only.
Age from 22 to 35 years.
At least 4 years of service in the US military.
Excellent physical and mental health.
Skydiving experience.
Highly qualified in two military specialties.
Standards:
Push-ups: 40 times in 1 minute.
Squats: 40 times in 1 minute.
Cross-country running: 3.2 km in no more than 16 minutes.
Crawling on your back 20 meters feet first in 25 seconds.
Overcoming an obstacle course of 14.6 meters in 24 seconds.
Swimming in clothes and combat boots for 100 meters without timing.
Features of preparation:
Candidates perform a forced march with backpacks weighing from 18 to 23 kg and a rifle in their hands. Their path lies through hills, forests and rivers, and the distance of this path ranges between 29 and 64 km. Along the road, every 8–12 km there are checkpoints where candidates must go and where observers sit. To successfully overcome this test, you must maintain an average speed of at least 4 km per hour and be well oriented in unfamiliar terrain.
The fighters of these well-equipped and technically equipped units are ready to carry out the most difficult combat missions to free hostages and destroy terrorists, for which they received the meaningful name “Special Forces”.
Almost every self-respecting country has its own units used to perform sensitive tasks, and in the DPRK this area of military service to the Motherland is even separated into a separate branch of the military. Today we will talk about the five best special forces in the world according to the website and in person Roman Zablotsky. Let us immediately make a reservation that the fame of a special forces unit is not always equal to its effectiveness - many operations require silence.
5. ST-6 (USA)
SEAL ( S.E. a, A ir and L and) Team 6 (ST-6) is better known as the Navy SEAL unit. It was founded in 1980. The main task of this special unit is to free hostages and eliminate terrorists committing crimes against humanity.
The soldiers of this detachment are used to perform particularly difficult tasks that are beyond the capabilities of ordinary special forces soldiers. During selection, special emphasis is placed on professional skills and “necessary cruelty” towards the enemy.
In 2011, ST-6 fighters landed on the territory of their ally Pakistan without the consent of its leadership. They kidnapped the permanent leader of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, banned in Russia. Osama bin Laden and took him to an unknown direction. Subsequently, it was officially announced that bin Laden had been shot, his body burned and his ashes scattered over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
4. Sayeret Matkal (Israel)
Sayret Matkal (Hebrew: סיירת מטכ"ל) is a special unit of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, better known as “Detachment 269.” It was organized in 1957 in the image of the British SAS unit.
The number and location of the fighters of this unit are strictly classified. But it is believed that it consists of up to a company of military personnel, each of whom has experience in parachute landing and has several military specialties. The fighters are trained in diving techniques with underwater breathing apparatus and are capable of storming ships on the open sea.
In order to join the staff of this elite special forces, the applicant must undergo a special training course lasting more than 18 months, after which he demonstrates his professional capabilities.
The most famous operation of Sayeret Matkal was the release of passengers from an Air France plane hijacked by terrorists in Uganda. Then, as a result of a lightning attack, they managed to save 102 hostages out of 106. In total, the fighters of “detachment 269” carried out more than 1000 operations, none of which ended in failure.
And they don’t hire fools into this unit. Over the years, Israeli prime ministers served in Sayeret Matkal. Benjamin Netanyahu And Ehud Barak, Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz, Secretary of Homeland Security Avi Dichter, director of the Mossad intelligence service Dani Yatom and other well-known politicians who subsequently determined the country's development strategy.
3. Special Air Service SAS (UK)
The special unit was founded in August 1941 by Lieutenant David Sterling, who managed to convince the country's leadership of the advisability of throwing paratroopers-saboteurs behind enemy lines. It was the saboteurs trained by the SAS and sent to the Czech Republic who destroyed the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia in May 1942 Reinhard Heydrich. The subsequent Hitlerite repressions against the Czechs subsequently provoked the intensification of the people's liberation movement in the country most loyal to the Germans.
Today the unit includes three separate parachute regiments, each of which is no larger than a regular motorized rifle battalion. The fighters report to the operational command of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and their 22nd regiment works closely with British intelligence MI6 in peacetime.
They carry out particularly sensitive assignments around the world, including the release of hostages, as well as the elimination of the leaders of criminal and terrorist groups. Soldiers of this special unit took part in combat operations in Afghanistan.
The most famous is the special operation to free hostages held in the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. It lasted less than 17 minutes. One hostage was killed, another was injured, and the rest were rescued. The exact number of operations carried out by SAS soldiers still remains unknown to the general public.
2. GSG-9 (Germany)
The special unit of the German Federal Police was formed in 1973 after the tragic death of Israeli athletes who were attacked by Islamic terrorists during the Munich Olympics. The name stands for “Border Protection Group”, and the number 9 was chosen because by that time there were already 8 German border protection groups.
The special forces training course is 22 weeks, during which military personnel receive several military specialties and gain skills in providing professional medical care.
Numerous physical standards are required, including covering 5 kilometers over rough terrain in 23 minutes and long jumping at least 475 cm. Typically, only one out of five fighters who complete the preliminary training course meets these requirements.
The most famous special operation is the release of hostages from a Lufthansa plane hijacked in Somalia in 1977. In just 7 minutes, all the terrorists were eliminated, and none of the hostages were injured.
1. KGB/FSB group “Alpha” (Russia)
"Alpha" is a special forces detachment formed under the KGB of the USSR in 1974 on personal initiative Yuri Andropov. The group was created from the best officers who are capable of conducting anti-terrorist operations using special means and special tactics.
Alpha officers undergo a rigorous selection process. They learn to withstand successive hits of several bullets on their body armor, after which they must return fire to destroy the enemy. The detachment consists exclusively of persons with higher education and excellent physical fitness.
Mandatory standards for admission to Alpha:
- Pull-ups on the bar – 25 times;
- push-ups from the ground – 90 times;
- press swing – 100 rfz;
- 100 meter run – 12.7 seconds;
- jumping up with changing legs – 90 times;
- bench press with body weight – 10 times;
- cross-country 3 km needs to be run in 11 minutes;
- The applicant must stand in confrontation with a trained officer for 3 minutes.
Among the most famous operations are the destruction of terrorists who mined the theater center on Dubrovka in 2002, as well as the release of hostages held by terrorists in a Beslan high school in 2004.
Unfortunately, the latest special operations were accompanied by a large number of civilian casualties, which significantly damaged the reputation of the Alpha fighters. Nevertheless, they continue to remain leaders among the special forces of the world due to the huge number of combat operations that resulted in the destruction of terrorists and the release of hostages.
Top 5 elite special forces in the world, trusted with the most dangerous missions
In addition to the main armed forces, each country has its own special forces elite, the selection requirements for which are high. Such fighters must be able to silently neutralize the enemy, save hostages during an assault on a hijacked plane, and carry out sabotage behind enemy lines. They are trusted with the most dangerous and most secret missions. Onliner.by talks about the five most famous and prestigious special forces in the world.
Special Air Service, UK
Britain's Special Air Service gained worldwide fame after the storming of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. Britain's colonial past ensured that the SAS was widely used in a variety of countries and conflicts. The history of this structure dates back to the Second World War on the North African front of combat operations in Libya and Egypt. The Nazi troops did not spare these paratroopers. They were subject to a special order from Hitler for immediate destruction. Thus, in 1944, 55 British operatives were shot.
SAS patrol in North Africa during the Second World War. Photo: The Times
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 26 people hostage 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 first to arrive on the scene were SAS soldiers, who set up their headquarters in a nearby building. Negotiations began, and within a couple of days several hostages were released from the embassy, but on May 5, when the terrorists’ demands were not met, the lifeless body of the diplomatic mission’s press attaché was thrown out of the building.
For several days, SAS soldiers 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 imprisonment, but was released in 2008 and helped to start life under a new name. No SAS soldiers were injured. Among the hostages, one person was killed and two more were seriously injured.
Margaret Thatcher with SAS soldiers who stormed the Iranian embassy
Selection for SAS takes place twice a year: in winter and summer. Only military personnel can join the British special forces. Historically, people with a background in the Commandos or the local equivalent of the Airborne Forces have been welcomed there. In addition to the physical exercises inherent in SEAL selection, British candidates are screened out by a two-hour, 13-kilometer march with 25 kilograms on their shoulders. Each day the distance increases and ends with a 65-kilometer march over an 886-meter-high hill.
The fighters are then sent to learn survival, navigation and jungle fighting techniques. The most recent test is hide and seek in the jungle with tracking "hunters". But even candidates who are not caught will have to endure interrogation and torture that lasts for 36 hours. The fighters are starved, thirsty and deprived of sleep, and they, in turn, must repeat: "I can't answer that question."
The mountain that British Special Forces candidates so often storm
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 combating terrorism and rescuing hostages 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 in 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 hostages of passenger flight 571 Vienna - Tel Aviv in May 1972. Terrorists from the Palestinian Black September organization hijacked a Belgian plane, more than a hundred passengers and staff, and threatened to blow them all up unless Israel released more than 300 Palestinians from prison. Sayeret Matkal fighters trained on a similar vessel in a closed hangar, while the main one had its wheels flat and fluid drained from its hydraulic systems. The terrorists were then assured that the Boeing needed maintenance.
Men in White - “Sayeret Matkal”
16 disguised soldiers took part in the operation to free the hostages, among whom was the current Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. He was wounded, as were two other hostages. Two terrorists and one passenger on the plane were killed. It is noteworthy that the commander of the assault group was also the future Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak, 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 brought 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 military personnel 4,000 km away. While 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 were wounded. On the Israeli side, only the unit commander was killed, while the terrorists and Ugandans lost a total of 52 people and several dozen helicopters.
The old Entebbe airport, where the Israeli special operation was carried out, later named after the deceased Jonathan Netanyahu, commander of Sayeret Matkal
Return of passengers to their homeland. Photo: Moshe Milner
GSG 9, Germany
The special forces of the German Federal Police were formed six months after the tragic events at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Then, as a result of an unsuccessful attempt to free the hostages, Palestinian terrorists killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team. Germany realized that without specially trained fighters it would be impossible to resist a new type of threat. Therefore, it was decided to create a unit called Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (“Border Protection Group 9”).
The main challenges for GSG 9 were hostage taking, terrorism, and kidnapping. Also, the division's specialists are involved as consultants both within Germany and abroad.
A real baptism of fire for German special forces was Operation Magic Fire to free hostages from the Landshut plane 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 the payment of a multimillion-dollar ransom. But their journey ended in a Somali city, where GSG 9 fighters arrived. Under the cover of darkness, in black uniforms and with painted faces, three groups of special forces stormed the plane, shot two terrorists, mortally wounded a third and captured a fourth. More than 80 passengers were rescued.
Hostages return home
After the Landshut incident, GSG 9 was able to tell the German government that it would never negotiate with terrorists again.
The successful operation was followed by another storming of a plane carrying hostages in Düsseldorf, which took place without firing a shot, 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 force for at least two years can join the ranks of the special forces. In addition to medical and psychological testing, they take 5K run, 100m sprint, jumping, pull-ups, bench press, etc. They also need to pass pistol and submachine gun shooting. The best are selected for a 22-week training, and only one out of five successfully completes the course.
Alpha Group, USSR (Russia)
Like the German GSG 9, the anti-terrorist special unit in the USSR was created after the terrorist attack at the Munich Olympics. Six years before the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, the KGB chairman initiated the creation of Unit A. Only KGB officers passed through strict selection criteria there. The first squad was recruited to those fit for service in the Airborne Forces, and therefore both physical data and psychological endurance were strictly taken into account.
Most of the Alpha Group's operations 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 plane in Tbilisi with Georgian terrorists trying to escape from the USSR, as well as not the most unpleasant assignments in the union republics during the slow collapse of the country .
A group of fighters who were to storm Amin's palace
The most high-profile episode in the history of Group “A” was the storming of Amin’s palace (special operation “Storm-333”) in December 1979, which dragged the Soviet Union into a long and grueling war in Afghanistan. 24 Alpha fighters, in parallel with 30 KGB special reserve soldiers, dressed in Afghan uniforms with a white bandage on their arms 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, on whose orders Prime Minister Nur Taraki was removed from office in September of the same year. Amin's repressions threatened the fall of the regime of the local ruling party, which could lead to a change in the country's political course.
Since the 90s, the unit has been part of the Russian FSB, where it specializes in anti-terrorism activities. Separate Alpha groups existed in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. On their basis, the national special forces of these countries were formed. Belarusian "Alpha" was created in March 1990. It was part of the structure of Group “A” of the 7th Directorate of the KGB of the USSR as Group No. 11 with a deployment in Minsk.
United States Navy SEALs, USA
Over the years of their existence, American Navy SEALs have acquired almost mythical status. Largely thanks to cinema. Just look at Steven Seagal, who played a former SEAL soldier in the action films Under Siege and Under Siege 2. This abbreviation stands for SEa, Air and Land (“Sea, Air and Land”), and is translated as “seal” or “fur seal”. Bruce Willis (Tears of the Sun) and Michael Biehn (The Rock, The Abyss) played SEAL team commanders on multiple occasions.
The Navy Seals were created in 1962 with the signature of then US President John F. Kennedy. This decision was influenced by the tense situation in relations with the Soviet Union, the Cuban crisis and the Vietnam War. The tasks of the newly formed unit included sabotage and counter-guerrilla activities on the territory of the mock enemy.
To a greater extent this concerned the Vietnamese theater of military operations. In particular, Navy 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 sympathetic to 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 rescue 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, which was mining the waters of the Persian Gulf; in the invasion of Panama, where the main sabotage task of the SEALs was the destruction of the local army's watercraft and the plane of General Noriega, who was 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. Operation Neptune Spear, developed by the CIA, involved 40 SEALs from DEVGRU, formerly known as SEAL Team Six. A unit in Black Hawk helicopters with M4 assault rifles, night vision goggles and pistols approached the terrorist’s house on May 2, 2011, where they began clearing the premises. In addition to the terrorist, four more people were killed who resisted the special forces. The country's top leadership watched the operation live.
