Navy Seals Squad. US Navy Special Forces SEAL: training and service Organization of the Navy SEAL unit in the USSR

The US Navy SEALs, formerly known as SEAL Team 6, also known as Navy SEALs, now known as DEVGRU SEALs, best known for killing Osama bin Laden, have been transformed by their leadership into a global assassination tool with limited external control.

Despite the fact that the Navy SEAL special forces unit is subordinate to the US Special Operations Command (abbreviation USSOCOM), it is structurally part of the Navy or the US Coast Guard.

Their activities are aimed at carrying out sabotage, eliminating enemy command units, reconnaissance operations, rescuing hostages, and countering maritime terrorism and piracy. In many ways, Navy SEALs are similar to the Ground Forces unit Delta Force, which we wrote about earlier.

In order not to get confused in the names, you should know that Navy SEAL those. US Navy SEALs is the unofficial name of the special forces, which is firmly entrenched in colloquial speech. Until 1987, the group was called SEAL Team 6, after which the official designation of this special forces appeared as “Naval Special Rapid Deployment Group” ( U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group, abbreviation NSWDG or DEVGRU). Therefore, to eliminate confusion in abbreviations, the combined designation DEVGRU SEAL is used, and the special unit continues to be called briefly US Navy SEALs - Navy SEAL.

However, the combined name of these special forces is increasingly used - SEAL DEVGRU- one of the most closed paramilitary communities in the US Armed Forces.

History of the creation and activities of the US Navy SEALs

The predecessors of the Navy SEAL were the Underwater Demolition Teams and the Naval Combat Demolition Units, which operated during World War II, conducting sabotage on land and at sea, conducting reconnaissance from the sea of ​​coastal fortifications and other operations.

After the outbreak of the Cold War and the Caribbean crisis, the governing body of the US Armed Forces, the Committee of Chiefs of Staff, reported to the President of the United States, at that time John Kennedy, on the need to create a special unit for sabotage combat on the basis of the US Navy. This need was caused by the growing threat of attacks from the USSR and Cuba; the unit could show its usefulness in Vietnam.

In 1980, the SEALs failed Operation Eagle Claw in Tehran. After this, the question was raised about creating a special anti-terrorist squad within the US Navy SEAL unit. This issue was assigned to Richard Marcinko, the initiator of the creation of the anti-terrorism unit, one of the members of the Special Operations Command. It was he who was also appointed the first commander of the Sixth Mobile Detachment of the US Navy Special Operations Forces - SEAL Team 6.

Over time, the functions of the SEAL DEVGRU function were expanded, from sabotage at sea and land, hijacking ships and freeing captured ships to conducting reconnaissance operations, rescuing hostages, and eliminating US enemies.

The number six in the name of the unit remains a mystery, just as the activities of such a unit today are a mystery. At the time of the creation of the sixth detachment, the structure of the US Navy MTR already had two detachments and the new unit should have received serial number three, but this did not happen.

Among the territories where the US used Navy SEAL may be noted, the Vietnam War (1962-1973), the invasion of Grenada (1983), Operation Main Chance in the Persian Gulf (1984), Operation Just Cause for the invasion of Panama (1989-1990 gg.), Operation Desert Storm, the war in Afghanistan (from 2001 to the present), the Iraq War from 2003 to today and the most famous Operation Neptune Spear to eliminate Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

Specifics of activity

The modern SEAL DEVGRU unit has practically unlimited capabilities, and the priority purpose of the unit has become the implementation of operational preemptive attacks, special counter-terrorism operations of increased importance and secrecy, missions to prevent the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist organizations, rescue missions from zones of war, conflicts and crisis situations of objects and people of increased value and importance.

SEAL Team 6/SEAL DEVGRU prepared and executed deadly missions in complete secrecy in the barren territories of Somalia. During operations in Afghanistan, the unit took part in combat so close that they returned to base covered in blood that was not their own. On secret raids in the dead of night, their weapons of choice ranged from individual carbines to primitive tomahawks.

In many parts of the world, they operated espionage stations disguised as commercial boats, posed as civilian employees of front companies, and conducted undercover operations in embassies for foreign and domestic intelligence, keeping tabs on those the United States was trying to kill or arrest.

All of the above examples of operations are only a small part of the secret history of SEAL Team 6/SEAL DEVGRU of the US Navy, one of the most secretive, least researched special military units of the US Armed Forces. Once reserved for specialized but extremely rare operations, the small unit known for eliminating terrorist Osama bin Laden has been transformed over more than a decade of combat into a global instrument of destruction of US enemies.

The role and nature of SEAL DEVGRU's activities reflect America's new approach to warfare, in which conflict is characterized not by battlefield victories and defeats, but by the relentless killing of perceived enemies.

Almost everything about a secret special unit called SEAL DEVGRU, is shrouded in secrecy - the Pentagon has never publicly acknowledged that the so-called unit exists. But an examination of the evolution of SEAL Team 6, conducted by The New York Times, dozens of interviews with current and retired special forces operators, other entities in the US Armed Forces, as well as reviews of acts of the American administration, show a much more complex, provocative history of the US SEAL DEVGRU/SEAL unit. Team 6.

In SEAL DEVGRU operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the main goal was to exhaust the enemy and destroy the highest priority targets in the person of enemy commanders. These activities, according to the command, caused significant damage to terrorist networks. In operations on the territory of other states, Navy SEALs carried out primarily reconnaissance missions, but even there they did not disdain killing. The main reconnaissance unit was the sniper unit SEAL Team 6. The unit has repeatedly provided support to other special forces, in particular Delta, and assisted in the implementation of CIA operations, for example, as part of Operation Omega Program.

At the same time, quite often, information comes up about an excessive desire to kill in SEAL Team 6. One of the hostages, a US citizen, did not understand after his release why US Navy SEALs didn't they leave at least one jailer alive?

Any suspected use of excessive force was reviewed internally and was rarely referred to US Navy investigative agencies for investigation. After all, every fighter, or as they are usually called within the unit, is an operator, worth his weight in gold, because a lot of time, money and effort are invested in him.

Some have noted that SEAL Team 6's capabilities are misused and are often used in warfare with mid- and low-priority fighters. Some even worry that the elite special forces may lose their elite spirit in this way. However, no matter what, SEAL DEVGRU, like Delta Force, prove themselves to be fearless warriors in all the hot spots to which the US government sends them, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria.

SEAL DEVGRU operations, in cooperation with the Central Intelligence Agency, supported by US Air Force drones, provide a lower-cost alternative to fighting a deep invasion war with the main forces of the US Army.

The only thing that prevents the public glorification of the exploits of the Navy SEALs, and at the same time the debate about the consequences of their special operations, is the complete secrecy of information about the SEAL DEVGRU special forces unit.

As noted earlier, the Pentagon refused to comment on the existence of SEAL DEVGRU. Special Operations Command, under whose operational subordination they operate Navy SEAL, also declined to comment on the activities of the US Navy SEALs. The official position of the command is limited to the proposal that since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, SOF fighters “have participated in tens of thousands of operations and missions in a large number of “geographic theaters”, while they have consistently remained faithful to the highest demands put forward by the Armed Forces of the United States of America ".

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Origins

There are known cases when soldiers from the second SEAL detachment worked alone in the special forces of the South Vietnamese army. Additionally, in 1967, a SEAL unit called Detachment Bravo (Det Bravo) was created, consisting of both SEALs and members of the South Vietnamese Provincial Reconnaissance Units (PRUs).

The last SEAL units left Vietnam in December 1971, the last trainers in March 1973. The total number of "seals" involved in Vietnam did not exceed 200 soldiers and 30 officers.

Invasion of Grenada

Persian Gulf (Operation Main Chance)

Along with their English colleagues from the Special Boat Service, the Seals also took part in the Battle of Kala-i-Yangi, where SEAL Chief Petty Officer Stephen Bass received the Navy Cross for outstanding heroism in battle.

On August 6, 2011, a Chinook carrying 15 members of Group 6, which killed Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, was shot down in Afghanistan. Everyone on the helicopter died; There were no participants in the operation to kill bin Laden among the dead. This is the largest loss of personnel for SEAL Team 6 (besides them, two “seals” from another unit were killed in the crash).

Iraq War (2003-2010)

Seven days before the landing of the main troops, a group of “seals” was engaged in hydrographic survey in the area of ​​the oil platforms of Al-Basra and Hawr El-Amaya. On May 20, 2003, both platforms, as well as the port of El Fao and the oil pipelines, were directly attacked by a force consisting of the Seals themselves, British Royal Marines and soldiers from the Polish special forces Thunder. Despite the difficulties associated with inaccurate intelligence, all targets were captured and the operation was successfully completed.

Coalition commanders in Iraq also expressed concern that retreating Iraqi troops could blow up the Mukatain dam northeast of Baghdad to slow the advance of American forces. The dam's explosion would also leave the entire region without power, and the imminent flooding would threaten the lives of civilians. Thus, it was decided to send there the joint forces of the “seal” units and the “Thunder” detachment. Having encountered no resistance from the Iraqi military, the “seals” quickly completed the capture of the dam and transferred it to the control of US ground forces.

Participation in other notable military operations

A separate regiment of the Special Forces of the Navy for combating terrorism (6th detachment of the Special Forces of the Navy, DEVGRU) conducted an operation to destroy “terrorist number one” Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

Organizational and headquarters structure of the US Navy Special Operations Forces

The main unit within the SEAL is a separate detachment (battalion) of the Special Forces, consisting of a headquarters and 3 separate companies of the Special Forces (squadron) of 40 soldiers each. The detachment commander usually holds the rank of captain 3rd, sometimes captain 2nd rank in the US Navy.

Organizational and headquarters structure of a separate detachment of the US Navy Special Forces

The general unit of a separate naval special forces detachment (from 1st to 10th) includes: Detachment headquarters consisting of:

• squad leader
• chief of staff of a detachment with the rank of lieutenant commander (or naval lieutenant) (Operations, N3)
• operations officer (Plans and Targeting, N5)
• head of the intelligence unit (Intelligence, N2)
• Deputy detachment commander for combat training (Administrative support, N1)
• Deputy detachment commander for logistics (Logistics, N4)
• Head of the PSS/medical service of the detachment (Air/Medical, N8)

The detachment's control support group consists of two security platoons of 16-20 soldiers each with a logistics company.

3 separate companies of Special Forces (40 people l/s) consisting of:

• company commander (Navy officer with the rank of lieutenant commander) and two deputies (Navy officers with the rank of lieutenant in the Navy)

2 reconnaissance and sabotage groups (RDG) of the Special Forces (16 people l/s, divided into fire subgroups of 4-5 fighters each)

The standard number of personnel of a separate Navy Special Forces detachment with support units is up to 300 people.

Total number of special forces units of the US Navy

All Navy Special Forces units in the United States are consolidated into two separate Navy Special Forces regiments:

The total strength of the Navy's Special Forces forces is up to 10 separate Special Forces detachments (up to 3,050 l/s personnel, including up to 600 people in two companies of special delivery vehicles).

• 1st separate regiment of the Special Forces Naval Forces on the US Pacific Coast (US Naval Base Coronado, California) (1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th detachments)
• 2nd separate regiment of the Special Forces of the Navy on the Atlantic coast of the United States (US Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia) (2nd, 4th, 8th and 10th detachments).

The Navy Special Forces Reserve units include up to 325 people (17th and 18th Navy Special Forces Reserve Detachments), 125 people from the Special Delivery Equipment Reserve and 775 people from the Navy Special Forces Logistics Regiment Reserve.

Each special forces detachment of the US Navy has its own specialization in the main theater of operations. Some of the detachments are focused on operations in the Middle Eastern theater of operations and actions in desert areas, some are aimed at operating in the jungles of Indochina and South America, and at the moment, some of the detachments are undergoing retraining to be ready for operations in the Circumpolar Region.

US Navy special forces delivery vehicles

For the operational and covert underwater delivery and evacuation of SEAL operators, a separate group of special delivery vehicles has been formed within the special forces of the Navy - the 3rd Special Forces Group of the US Navy. (English) Russian, which includes SDVT-1, which is armed with special underwater carriers of the Mark 8 Mod 1 type. To ensure the delivery and landing of SEAL detachments on the coast and their evacuation after completion of the mission, the US Navy Special Forces also includes a separate detachment of landing vehicles SWCC ( Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen (English) Russian). The mission of the detachment's three flotillas of landing craft and light boats is to deliver personnel to coastal sea areas, provide fire cover for departing SEAL teams in coastal areas, detain and inspect light vessels, search and rescue in coastal areas, reconnaissance and patrolling of the coastal zone and inland rivers.

Separate regiment of the Navy Special Forces for combating terrorism at sea

Selection and preparation

The selection of candidates for the “seals” is made from among volunteers no younger than 18 and no older than 28 years old; only male US citizens are allowed to serve. Of course, the candidate must have excellent health, both physical and mental, since due to the nature of his service, sometimes the “seal” has to spend a long time in a confined space or under water, where even a ray of daylight cannot penetrate. Very often you have to perform one or another task alone, without the support of comrades, while being waist-deep in swamp slurry.

From the very beginning, volunteers who fully satisfy all formal requirements and do not show any obvious physical or mental abnormalities are subjected to a whole series of tests, on the basis of which an expert commission of experienced psychologists and doctors makes an initial selection. Those who successfully pass the initial requirements enter the naval training centers of special forces.

First of all, cadets are prepared for the loads that await them throughout the year. This is a seven-week course of general physical training and training in special swimming techniques. At this stage, cadets get acquainted with new methods of physical development, train the respiratory system and endurance. And even if the candidate is a world champion in swimming, he will be taught this all over again. They learn to swim for many hours and in strong storms. At any water temperature, even if it turns into ice before our eyes. With a load. And even being tied hand and foot. The goal of this stage is to accustom the combat swimmer to the water so much that it does not cause him not only the slightest inconvenience, but that he feels like a fish in it.

“We train these people to see water as the only safe environment,” the instructors say during the training. In all other branches of the military, even in the Marine Corps, personnel are trained on the basis that the water element is dangerous for humans. But what is our advantage? When we are discovered, pursued or fired upon, we go into the water, to our home, where the enemy usually loses us.
This is followed by nine weeks of the first period of direct combat training and live training. Moreover, every week the loads, already very heavy, become even stronger, acquiring a specific focus. For example, in the first week cadets need to swim three hundred meters in a certain time, in the second week the same three hundred meters must be swam in full uniform and equipment, with all equipment and weapons. Further the task becomes even more complicated. The same distance with all the equipment must be overcome, towing a load weighing 40-50 kg, and then do the same thing, only this time against the current. Further, the distance increases, but the time in which it must be overcome remains the same. The same can be said about land tests. True, here the task is complicated by the fact that the instructors deliberately give somewhat illogical orders, which should be carried out without hesitation, without any breakdowns or hysterics, and without going into confrontation with the authorities. Thus, the psychological suitability of the future combat swimmer is tested.

There are also special tests that help determine a cadet’s intelligence and his ability to think in non-standard situations. For example, it is necessary, without special equipment, to penetrate an object that is located behind a high hill covered with forest. Of course, you can go around the hill, as most cadets do. But it's not that simple. The hill is surrounded on all sides by a swamp... So the soldier stands in thought: whether to climb the hill, or crawl through the swamp. In addition to all sorts of natural obstacles that must be overcome, there are also a huge number of traps set up by experienced instructors. At the most inopportune moment, when the cadet has almost reached the top of the hill and is holding on to a rock ledge, an explosion of a practice grenade or a smoke bomb explodes right in front of his nose, or, worst of all, bullets begin to whistle above his head. But in addition to physical activity, cadets master the skills of sniper shooting and demolition, radio communications and terrain orientation. In a word, everything that is not done in water (although this does not mean that this is done only on land).

The preparation stage, which the “seals” themselves call “hell week,” deserves special attention. It lasts only five days, but this is enough to fully experience all the “joy” of serving as a SEAL. During this time, cadets have the right to sleep only 4 hours, and then either standing or up to their necks in a fetid swamp. At the same time, the load increases every day and reaches such a limit that three instructors work with one group (each of whom has a medical certificate), who constantly replace each other. By the end of the week, the loads acquire, frankly, a sadistic character. And in such a situation, future “seals” must not only fight the water element, but also defeat it and, what is much more difficult, themselves, their fear and their pain.

A study of the experience of recent military conflicts involving the United States shows that the army of this country is increasingly using completely new combat tactics: seizing air supremacy followed by the suppression of enemy military targets with aircraft and tactical missiles. Analysts have already called such tactics “sixth-generation war,” when there is no clearly defined front line, and ground army units perform mainly security and blocking functions. At the same time, actions on enemy territory are most often assigned to special forces units, which can perform a variety of tasks - from the destruction of key military installations to the capture or elimination of political and military leaders.

It is very interesting to consider the structure of special forces in the United States as the country that was the first to use the tactics of “sixth generation warfare.” Back in 1987, the Special Operations Command (US SOCOM - United States Special Operations Command) was created within the structure of the US armed forces, to which the special operations commands of the Army, Air Force and Navy, as well as the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC - Joint Special Operations Command) were subordinated. which is supposedly entrusted with organizing and conducting anti-terrorist actions and monitoring weapons of mass destruction. Also in 1987, the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict was created. The Special Operations Command is entrusted with the management of special forces units in the United States, as well as the resolution of all financial and organizational issues. If a special forces detachment operates outside of the United States, it is transferred to the command of the "area of ​​responsibility" commander or, in the case of hostilities, the theater commander. Such an organization of leadership allows one to avoid most problems with coordinating the actions of units and distributing powers.

The current Seal Corps was formed in 1962; President Kennedy is also considered their “godfather.” "Seals" took an active part in the war in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

For individual special forces units, the United States has chosen an extensive development path - to grow in breadth. In addition to several large divisions, a large number of small, highly specialized ones have been created. For example, even the Department of Energy has its own special forces - Special Rapid Response Teams (SRT - Special Response Teams), which are responsible for the protection of nuclear materials. This development strategy allows for the creation of divisions that specialize in performing very specific tasks.

SEa, Air, Land (SEAL) - Sea, Air, Land
SEAL is the name of the special forces of the US Navy (US Navy), designed to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations from the sea. In the press, this unit is often called “seals” or “fur seals.” The abbreviation SEAL is similar to the English word "seal" - seal.

The history of the unit began with the creation in 1942 of the Navy of special submarine demolition teams (UDT - Underwater Demolition Team), designed to clear coastal waters and the shoreline at landing sites. During World War II, these teams did without scuba gear - they were simply well-prepared and trained swimmers. By 1948, the US Navy had four such teams remaining and began training in the use of diving equipment. Even the famous Jacques Cousteau was indirectly involved in this work, from whom a batch of scuba gear and breathing apparatus was purchased in 1949. And by July 1950, the training and equipment of UDT combat swimmers became sufficient to use them in the war with Korea. They were tasked with reconnaissance and clearing coastal waters of mines. A little later, UDT groups began to be used for sabotage on enemy territory. The actions of the UDT fighters in Korea were so successful that by 1952 it was decided to create another, fifth group of combat swimmers. And ten years later, on January 1, 1962, US President John Kennedy signed an order to create the SEAL naval special forces.

SEAL initially consisted of two detachments: SEAL Team 1 in the Pacific Fleet and SEAL Team 2 in the Atlantic. But by 1963, the unification of all reconnaissance and sabotage units of the fleet began to be united into two naval operations support groups (NOSG - Naval Operation Support Group), which included SEAL groups, UDT, as well as auxiliary units such as a detachment of boats. In the same 1963, the first units from the SEAL fighters.

NOSG went to Vietnam. And in 1966, SEAL soldiers also arrived there. The territory of Vietnam is replete with rivers, along which SEAL soldiers in light boats went to the site of the proposed operation. During the entire Vietnam campaign, SEAL teams lost only one soldier. The losses of their opponents were significantly higher.

By 1983, after the end of the operation in Grenada, UDT groups were transferred to the SEALs, and in 1988, the Naval Special Operations Command was created, subordinate to the Special Operations Command. All Navy special forces, including SEALs, were directly subordinate to him.

Today the SEAL consists of seven teams. The 1st, 3rd and 5th detachments are part of the 1st Special Forces Group, headquartered in Coronado (the group is designed to conduct special operations as part of the Pacific Fleet). The 2nd, 4th and 8th detachments are part of the 2nd Special Forces Group, headquartered in Little Creek (designed to conduct special operations as part of the Atlantic Fleet). The 1st and 2nd Special Forces Groups, in addition to the SEAL detachments, have a special transport vehicle unit (SDVU - SEAL Delivery Vehicle Unit), designed for covert transportation and evacuation of divers, and a squadron of special purpose boats (SBS - Special Boat Squadron) - for operations in coastal and river zones.

The 4th (Norfolk) and 5th (Point Mugu) Special Mission Helicopter Squadrons may be required for air support. In addition, Coronado is home to a recruit training center, and Little Creek has a research and development group responsible for SEAL technical support. Finally, there is also SEAL Team 6, assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command and responsible for conducting anti-terrorism operations at sea. Only the President or Secretary of Defense can order the use of SEAL Team 6. It should also be noted that at the origins of the 6th SEAL team was the legendary Richard Marcisko, one of the best specialists in anti-terrorist actions in the United States.

A SEAL team typically consists of its own headquarters, ten combat platoons, and one service platoon. Each combat platoon consists of 16 people in two sections. The departments are divided into groups of four people, who, if necessary, can go into pairs. The service platoon consists of 20 people. A SEAL team consists of 200-210 personnel, with the exception of Team 6, which consists of five platoons divided into four groups of eight soldiers. The total number of SEALs, together with additional units, is, according to various estimates, from 2000 to 2900 people.

Any volunteer ranging from sailor to lieutenant under the age of 28 with at least 28 months of Navy service experience can become a SEAL candidate. When selecting candidates, special attention is paid to the service record, recommendations of commanders, as well as the results of interviews with a commission of psychologists and an instructor.

The entrance test for physical fitness is quite easy: swim 400 meters in 690 seconds, run one and a half miles in the same time, do eight pull-ups on the bar and do at least 42 push-ups in 120 seconds. However, the ease of the physical fitness test is offset by the difficulty of the physical training exercises. The training program that new recruits undergo at Coronado consists of three main stages.

The first stage, called "Basic Conditioning", lasts nine weeks. For the first five weeks, testing of the physical and volitional qualities of recruits continues. Simply put, they are taken to starvation. The training day lasts at least 15 hours, during which the physical condition and endurance of newcomers are tested using a variety of tests. Every day the missions become more difficult - as the SEALs say, “the only easy day was yesterday.” In addition to the physical condition, the recruit's desire to serve as a SEAL is also tested, constantly provoking him to show dissatisfaction with training methods or commanders. For example, for this, incorrect or unreasonable orders are often given, which, nevertheless, the fighter must carry out. Training and tests are interrupted only to give the recruits a short lecture or give them something to eat.

The sixth week of preparation, called “hellish,” deserves special attention. According to tradition, it begins at night, with the explosions of warheads right in the barracks, lasts about five days, during which recruits are unlikely to be able to sleep more than 4-6 hours, and ends with the most difficult training for landing on the shore at night in difficult weather conditions and under heavy enemy fire. During "hell" week, candidates are subjected to extreme psychological pressure and are subjected to constant physical exercise with short breaks. It is not surprising that most applicants are eliminated within the first six weeks...

The last three weeks of the first stage, in addition to ongoing physical training, are used to train candidates in the basics of hydrographic surveying, methods of sounding and charting.

The second stage of training, called "Diving", lasts seven weeks. Candidates learn to use diving equipment and perform various tasks with it. This stage is characterized by rapidly increasing demands on fighters. If during the first week mainly short dives under water are carried out using simple equipment, then the cycle ends with swims of several kilometers in difficult weather conditions (storm, cold water, etc.).

The third stage of training - "Land Warfare" (ground warfare techniques) - lasts nine weeks. Soldiers learn to conduct reconnaissance, sabotage and combat operations, study weapons and auxiliary equipment, and practice actions in groups.
After the third stage there follows an “exam” in the form of tests on physical and tactical training. After this, all recruits who pass the exam are sent to Fort Benning for three weeks, where they undergo parachute training.

To improve their skills, fighters are sent to SEAL groups, where they undergo a six-month internship. And only at the end of the internship, more than a year after submitting the application, the candidate signs a contract and becomes part of one of the SEAL teams. However, for another three years he must undergo inspection by a special commission every six months, and in the SEAL unit he will not be allowed to participate in serious operations, using him only in secondary roles. And only after signing the second contract does the recruit become a full-fledged SEAL fighter.

The 6th SEAL squad also goes through all of the above stages of training, which allows, if necessary, to use this squad according to the specialization of the other SEAL squads - for reconnaissance and sabotage. SEAL Team 6's counterterrorism training is among the best in US Special Forces, allowing the unit to combat terrorists not only at sea, but also on land.

In almost every conflict involving the US military, SEALs have been in the thick of the fighting. Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf - this is not a complete list of places where SEAL guys have worked. And almost always the fighters of this unit performed their tasks perfectly, time after time proving their right to the reputation of one of the strongest US special forces units. According to some reports, SEAL fighters had to meet combat swimmers of the USSR and Russia more than once. How such “meetings” ended is unknown, since the data on both sides is kept strictly secret. However, it is known that it was SEAL soldiers who stole two new mines from a training ground in Peter the Great Bay in 1967.

Some sources believe that it was the SEAL unit that was behind the partially successful action in the Angolan port of Namib, when the Cuban cargo ship Havana was sunk and the Soviet transport ships Kapitan Vislobokov and Kapitan Chirkov were damaged.

Green Berets - "Green Berets"

Despite the misconception, "Green Berets" is not the name of one of the US special forces units, but the general name of the US Army special forces. The history of the Green Berets began on June 19, 1952, when the 10th SFG (10th Special Forces Group) was created, based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and consisting of 2,500 people. The main task of special forces in those days was to penetrate deep into the territory of a potential enemy and create partisan centers of resistance. By the time the unit was created, only ten of its members had training sufficient to be a special forces soldier - these were volunteers selected from among the best soldiers of the army: paratroopers, rangers and former special forces soldiers who participated in World War II. Almost all of them spoke at least two languages, had serious combat and parachute training, and reached the rank of sergeant. The 10th Special Forces Group was led by Colonel Aaron Bank, a former member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and an experienced World War II veteran.

Bank and his associates took seriously the training of their subordinates. In addition to creating pockets of resistance on enemy territory, special forces were trained for “deep penetration” missions, when long operations in enemy territory were planned, and the fight against enemy partisans. The most advanced techniques of that time were used to train special forces. All recruits had already received airborne or ranger training, but these skills were not sufficient. Future Green Berets were trained to remain in enemy territory for several months, sometimes without support from the base. To achieve this, special attention was paid to the study of the languages ​​and customs of the country where penetration was intended. In preparing the Green Berets, the United States actively cooperated with Great Britain. In particular, American special forces soldiers were frequent guests of their colleagues from the famous British Special Air Service (SAS - Special Air Service).

"Green Berets" in Afghanistan:

The origin of the name "Green Berets" is interesting. The Green Beret was not included in the special forces uniform. A batch of these hats was purchased by the fighters from a Munich tailor, and they wore them as a sign of involvement in one of the best units. Fort Bragg Commandant General Paul Adams even issued an order prohibiting commandos from wearing green berets that were not part of their uniform. However, after this order, the special forces began to put on their “insignia” with double zeal and showed them to everyone they met.

After some time, US President John Kennedy arrived at Fort Bragg. The president's entourage, consisting of several high-ranking generals, was infuriated that some special forces soldiers marched in the parade wearing banned green berets. One of them, Captain William Yarborough, was even going to be put on trial. However, President Kennedy was so impressed by the new Special Forces that he issued an executive order establishing the Green Beret as the official headdress of the US Army Special Forces.

On November 11, 1953, the 10th Special Forces Group was transferred to Germany for operations in Eastern Europe. At Fort Bragg, meanwhile, the creation of the 77th Special Forces Group (77th SFG) began. On April 1, 1956, the 14th Special Forces Operational Detachment (14th SFOD), based in Hawaii (and later in Thailand and Taiwan), was separated from this group. The detachment's specialization was operations in the Far East. Members of the 14th Separate Detachment were the first Army Special Forces soldiers to set foot in South Vietnam, sent there in June 1956 to train South Vietnamese Army soldiers. Following the 14th separate special forces detachment, the 12th, 13th and 16th detachments were created, also designed for operations in the Far East. On June 17, 1957, all of these units were combined into the 1st Special Forces Group (1st SFG) based in Okinawa, Japan.

In the 1960s, the pace of deployment of Army Special Forces accelerated significantly due to President Kennedy's positive assessment of this type of troops. On 6 June, the 77th Special Forces Group was redesignated the 7th Special Forces Group (7th SFG). On September 21, 1961, the 5th Special Forces Group (5th SFG) was created. In 1963, three special forces groups were created at once: on April 1 - the 8th group (8th SFG), on May 1 - the 6th group (6th SFG) and on December 3 - the 3rd group (3rd SFG).

Green Berets were active in the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Small groups operated in Bolivia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. In 1967, Green Berets were used to track down and capture famous Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara.
The 70s turned out to be quite difficult for the Green Berets. In 1971, Army Special Forces units were withdrawn from South Vietnam (according to some sources, small Green Beret units continued to operate in Vietnam until the end of the war in 1975). In the United States, meanwhile, anti-war sentiment was at its peak. The Green Berets have undergone significant reductions, with between a third and half of their fighters gone.

The revival of army special forces began in the 80s. Today, the US Army is believed to have seven full Special Forces teams. Of these, five groups are combat, one specializes in psychological warfare, and one specializes in non-military operations. The groups and their constituent units are stationed at NATO bases around the world, allowing army special forces to quickly respond to a threat anywhere on Earth.

The basic unit of the Green Berets is the so-called A-Team, consisting of 12 people. The A-Team consists of two officers and ten sergeants, including specialists in weapons, medicine, technology and communications. At the same time, there are at least two specialists of each specialization in the group, which allows, if necessary, to divide the A-team into two independent groups. Six A-Teams make up a Special Forces Company. Four companies and one air support detachment usually form a special forces group (SFG - Special Forces Group).

Green Beret candidates undergo a 17-week selection process, during which 30-40% of candidates are eliminated. After this, all those who have passed the selection begin training in courses in their chosen specialty. All Green Berets are assigned the rank of sergeant or higher.

It is known for sure that Delta was created on the basis of the Green Berets in 1977. Delta was founded by Colonel Charles Beckwith, a former Green Beret and Vietnam War veteran. In 1962, Beckwith was sent under an experience exchange program to a one-year internship course in the Special Air Service (SAS). In addition to the excellent training of the British special forces, Beckwith was impressed by the procedures established in the SAS. Outwardly, the unit did not at all resemble a military organization - rather, it was a large group of friends doing the same thing. Warm, relaxed relations reigned between subordinates and commanders. At the same time, the sergeant could always point out to the officer a mistake he had made and be sure that the officer would take the remark made seriously. In addition, the subordinate could even object to the commander if the order he gave seemed unreasonable. The SAS did not even have the traditional drill for many army units.

Special Forces Delta in the Afghan caves of Tora Bora in 2001.

A veteran of the Green Berets, a unit with strict discipline, could not even imagine such relationships within the unit. However, this freedom did not negatively affect the unit's combat training. Beckwith was so captivated by the SAS that, upon returning to the United States, he decided to create a similar unit within the American army. Beckwith's dream came true only a decade and a half later, when the increased threat of terrorism forced the US army command to begin creating units capable of effectively combating the new threat.

Today, Delta is supposedly one of the two main anti-terrorist units of the Joint Special Operations Command (the other unit is the famous 6th SEAL Team). Unfortunately, it is unknown how responsibilities are divided between Delta and the 6th SEAL Team, which is also involved in anti-terrorism operations on land. According to some reports, Delta and the 6th detachment often operate together, as, for example, in Bosnia.

There is also an opinion that the anti-terrorist orientation of Delta is just a screen, but in fact the unit is a secret reconnaissance and sabotage elite of the US Army special forces. It is impossible to confirm or refute this assumption in the absence of official data.

Delta personnel are recruited mainly from army special forces and rangers. Delta's first mission was Operation Eagle Claw to liberate the American embassy in the capital of Iran, Tehran (1980). The operation had to be curtailed due to a helicopter crash. After this, Delta was involved in anti-terrorist operations several more times. The unit also actively participated in almost all US military operations, from Grenada to Afghanistan.

The Pentagon carefully monitors the publication of any information about the Delta Force and refuses to comment on its secret missions. Delta operators are guaranteed unhindered mobility, flexibility and automation. They are unlikely to wear any regular camouflage, and civilian clothing is normal outside of missions. This was done in order to hide the similarities between the classified fighters. When they wear a single camouflage, there is no marking, no name, no rank. The style of hair on the head and face is allowed to be informal, consistent with civilian standards, so that in the event of an invasion the operator will not be recognized as a military person.

Physical training

The physical training of Navy SEALs is given paramount importance. It is not for nothing that this unit is considered elite. Only 10% of recruits go through all stages of the rigorous training process and receive the coveted SEAL emblem, which in slang is usually called “Budweiser” (an eagle with an anchor in its claws, a trident and a flintlock pistol).

The physical training program is divided into several multi-week cycles, built on the principle of increasing loads. So, if in the first week of a nine-week course recruits do 3 push-ups of a total of 15 times and run 2 miles, then in the ninth week they run 6 miles and do 6 sets of 30 push-ups. In the eighteenth week (the second nine-week cycle), soldiers are already doing 20 sets of 20 push-ups. This concerns elementary general physical training. The Navy SEAL program includes a large amount of special training, forced marches in conditions close to combat, and special attention is paid to “water procedures.”

SEAL instructors say one of the goals of the training is to ensure that soldiers understand that the water environment is not hostile to them. This is precisely the difference between the Navy SEALs and other US special forces. Water should become a native element for the “seals”. To achieve this, fighters constantly improve their swimming skills. At the same time, they are taught to swim in extreme conditions, with long breath-holds, with a weight, and with tied arms and legs.

SEAL training is always a team effort. A large number of special exercises (carrying boats, lifting logs, cold testing, etc.) prepare the “seals” for coordinated group work in combat conditions.

At the end of the tests, recruits undergo the so-called “hell week” - five days of intense shock training at the limit of physical and psychological strength. Only 50% of those cadets who reached it survive until the end of “hell week”.

Navy SEALs - United States Navy SEAL ( S.E. a, A ir and L and) (literally "Seals") - the legendary and also the main tactical unit of the Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the Navy, which is operationally subordinate to the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
According to many military analysts, today the US Navy SEALs are the most trained and equipped unit in the world, on a par with the elite US units Delta, FORECON, MARSOC.
This is the elite of American special forces.

SEAL missions

United States Navy SEALs are designed for:
- conducting reconnaissance,
— carrying out special and sabotage activities, search and rescue operations,
- covering the main forces,
- directing artillery fire,
— demining and mining,
— ensuring communications in areas where hostilities are taking place,
— combating maritime terrorism and illegal crossing of the country’s maritime state borders,
— fulfillment of other tasks facing the Special Forces.

SEAL unit structure

The main unit within the SEAL is a separate detachment (battalion) of special forces (special purpose), consisting of:
- the commander of the detachment, who, as a rule, has the rank of captain 3rd, sometimes captain 2nd rank in the US Navy,
- headquarters:
⚓ - chief of staff of a detachment with the rank of lieutenant commander (or naval lieutenant) (Operations, N3),
⚓ – operational officer (Plans and Targeting, N5),
⚓ – head of the detachment’s intelligence (Intelligence, N2),
⚓ – deputy detachment commander for combat training (Administrative support, N1),
⚓ – deputy detachment commander for logistics (Logistics, N4),
⚓ – head of the detachment’s PSS/medical service (Air/Medical, N8),
— detachment control support groups:
⚓ — two security platoons of 16-20 soldiers each with a logistics company,
— 3 separate special-purpose companies (squadron) of 40 soldiers each:
⚓ - company commander (naval officer with the rank of lieutenant commander),
⚓ - two deputies (Navy officers with the rank of Navy lieutenant).
The standard number of personnel of a separate special forces detachment of the US Navy with support units is up to 300 people.

SEAL Base Locations

The main bases for the deployment of US Navy SEAL units are:
— on the Atlantic coast of the USA:
⚓ — Military unit “Little Creek” of the Naval Landing Forces (as part of the main military unit of the US Navy “Norfolk”),
⚓ — Naval aviation garrison of the Oceana military unit (Dam Neck, Virginia), where a separate regiment of the Navy Special Forces for combating terrorism at sea is stationed.

— on the US Pacific Coast:
⚓ - Military unit "Coronado" of the Navy landing forces (as part of the US Navy military unit "San Diego".

The control bodies of the Naval Special Warfare Command and the Naval Special Warfare Center are located here.

SEAL History

It is generally accepted that the history of the “Navy Seals” dates back to the Civil War (1861), when northern troops used swimmers to detect mines.
The first special units of the US Navy were created in 1943, when the Americans made an attempt to learn from the experience of the military, who were then fighting in the jungles of Burma against the Japanese, and create similar forces. It is quite justified that the first instructors of the new unit were the British military. During those years, US Navy SEALs were active participants in some of the bloodiest operations of World War II, including Iwo Jima and the Allied landings at Normandy.
The modern naval special forces corps was formed in 1962 after the US military handed the then US President John Kennedy an analytical note, which explained the need to create a special unit based on the US Navy capable of carrying out sabotage missions on the territory of a notional enemy - the Warsaw countries. treaty, Cuba and Vietnam.
Since 2001, the US government has allocated approximately $10.5 billion for the needs of the Special Operations Headquarters. At the same time, the number of business trips increased (approximately 4 times).
Admiral W. McRain, who commanded this special unit, asked the authorities many times to provide him with more resources and autonomy. According to some sources, the admiral wanted to expand his forces in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as achieve the ability to personally make decisions on the movement of military equipment and manpower if necessary, in order to increase flexibility and speed of operations.

US Navy SEAL Training

The physical training of US Navy SEALs is given the utmost importance.
The basic SEAL training methods were borrowed from combat swimmers - the UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) unit. Until 1983, when UDT was disbanded, the main core of the SEAL was formed from the fighters of this detachment, and those who planned to become a Navy SEAL were trained in it. Only 10% of recruits go through all stages of the rigorous training process and receive the coveted SEAL emblem, which in slang is usually called “Budweiser” (an eagle with an anchor in its claws, a trident and a flintlock pistol).
The Navy SEALs' physical training program is divided into several multi-week cycles, which are based on the principle of increasing loads. Thus, if in the first week of a nine-week course recruits do 3 sets of 15 push-ups and run 2 miles, then in the ninth week they run 6 miles and do 6 sets of 30 push-ups.
At week 18 (the second nine-week cycle), fighters are already doing 20 sets of 20 push-ups.
The physical training program for Navy SEALs includes a large number of special trainings and forced marches in conditions close to combat.

In order to instill in SEALs the understanding that the aquatic environment is not hostile to them, special attention is paid to operations in the water. The fighters of this special unit constantly improve their swimming skills: they are taught to swim in extreme conditions, with long breath-holds, with a load, and with their hands and feet tied.
The psychological training of Navy SEALs is also of no small importance, during which they are taught to remain calm in the most extraordinary situations, deliberately increasing the level of stress.
Psychologists working with them identify 4 main factors that fighters must take into account in critical situations:
— clearly and correctly set goals;
— visualize the stages of achieving these goals;
- be able to maintain a positive attitude and conduct internal dialogue;
- be able to keep stress under control.

SEAL Attributes

Sources of information:

1. Wikipedia website
2. official website of the special forces