Special Forces - who's the best?

I think all the Special forces in the world have their own "specialised" areas. To say one is better at all situations is simply impossible to gauge and just not true.

Take jungle training for example. I was talking to someone who knew a guy in the NZSAS.

They were training in jungle in Singapore with US Seals and without a word of a lie, he reckons the SEALS were really terrible in all aspects compared to the NZSAS. The NZ's have been brought up living off the land and with survival type heads since they were kids.

Thats not to say if you had some kind of urban situation possibly the SEALS would fare better.


g.

There's this show called "Deadliest Warrior". They had a former Green Beret and Spetsnaz compete w/ each other using various weapons. I think the show's win/lose parameters weighed more heavily on the weapon systems that the soldiers used, instead of their actual skills though...

Nevertheless, it was very entertaining, especially the part when they let a martial arts karate guy punch the Spetsnaz guy on the abdomen... the guy almost seemed immune to his punches!

The Spetznas guy won, btw.

Deadliest Warrior: Greent Beret vs. Spetsnaz

Originally posted by grantbeed
I think all the Special forces in the world have their own "specialised" areas. To say one is better at all situations is simply impossible to gauge and just not true.

Take jungle training for example. I was talking to someone who knew a guy in the NZSAS.

They were training in jungle in Singapore with US Seals and without a word of a lie, he reckons the SEALS were really terrible in all aspects compared to the NZSAS. The NZ's have been brought up living off the land and with survival type heads since they were kids.

Thats not to say if you had some kind of urban situation possibly the SEALS would fare better.


g.

you talked to some guy who knew some guy. Great information.

Nothing can match united states special operations command. The US special forces have more capabilities than any other country. We have more specialization and better trained support personal.

Sorry guys. You can say your country has tougher selection (not true.) you can say your SF are older. Doesn't matter.

It comes down to funding and the united states beats every country in that category. Delta, seal team DEVGRU are the best operators in the world. para rescue men, the activity, CIA SAD, Marine recon BN/force, MARSOC, Rangers, special forces, regular seals, SWCC, CCT, combat weathermen, AFSOC, ETC.

Nobody comes close to matching our capabilities. If another country could match us in funding then they could be equal.

Every western special forces is generally just as good as another. In terms of physical ability, and mental strength. So the US because of it's funding cannot be matched.

Wow i can't believe this is still being debated.

You could go on for ever talking about who you think is the best, they are all good and every country is going to stick to their own special forces most of the time. Plus there are good and bad in these units too, like any unit.

I've seen the British best at work, and saw GSG9 a few times, and was always impressed, but i'd have been glad to serve with any of the other special forces.

Although it would never happen, it would be nice to see all the data on special forces missions and what they've achieved, just to get a few stats to work with. Unfortunately despite what we may find online, we'll never know half of what these guys do.

CX.

Originally posted by sealteamsix I respectfully disagree. The SAS are an amazing group of talented individuals who are great at their job. Though, I believe that Delta Force is better. And I do think that anyone who has truly done their research on special forces groups would agree with me.

When I said the SAS were the daddy of all special forces, that is absolute fact.

Without the inspirational insight and determination of David Stirling in 1941, the Special Air Service would not have been formed.

Without the SAS as role models and trainers, most of the West's special forces would not be where they are today.

Even the great Charlie Beckwith studied and trained at Hereford before he returned to the States and created his version of the SAS.

That unit became known (unofficially) as "Charlie's Angels", but you'd probably know it as Delta Force.

Originally posted by rogue1

Originally posted by fox_3000au
I was going to say the SASR and not because of bias, but, since the SASR is now recruiting from the general public my opinion of them has gone downhill somewhat.

And before any Brit gets on here saying that the SASR aren't as good as the SAS, because they have a longer history blah blah blah, just because you came up with the concept, doesn't mean that someone isn't going to become better than you, (Look at cricket.

).

Also it appears that the SASR are doing a pretty good job of clearing out the leaders in Afghanistan... strange???

Fox.

[edit on 19/10/08 by fox_3000au]

The SASR are damn good. In Afghanistan they amazed their British and American brethren by being able to patrol behind enemy lines for weeks on end withough external resupply. The Brits and Americans cannot do this.
They have also had some amazing successes in Afghanistan, only a few which have been made known.

I don't know about American special forces and i'm not going to pretend to know any thing about them.
I do know that the SASR are based of the British SAS and they carry out the exact same job.......Patroling behind enemy lines for weeks/months at a time with very little support and supplys. You don't know what you are talking about...

EDIT: The best special forces in the world are the SAS,SBS,SASR and NZ SAS. The people in these regiments physically and technically out perform all others. Just look at the size of the people in the US SEAL and Delta force, they are like professional body builders(steroid heads), tell me how these people would survive in the wild for weeks/months at a time with little to no food.

[edit on 15-11-2009 by SKUNK2]

This has to be the most childish thread I've ever read here on ATS, so far!

My dad is better than your dad! and my wiggly is bigger than your wiggly!

Kind regards from a former Arctic Ranger in Northen Europe!

Originally posted by Chevalerous This has to be the most childish thread I've ever read here on ATS, so far!

My dad is better than your dad! and my wiggly is bigger than your wiggly! Kind regards from a former Arctic Ranger in Northen Europe!

I do agree with you, well kind of! But MY wiggly is definately bigger than yours!

Originally posted by SKUNK2
EDIT: The best special forces in the world are the SAS,SBS,SASR and NZ SAS. The people in these regiments physically and technically out perform all others. Just look at the size of the people in the US SEAL and Delta force, they are like professional body builders(steroid heads), tell me how these people would survive in the wild for weeks/months at a time with little to no food.

[edit on 15-11-2009 by SKUNK2]

You just contradicted yourself. You said you wouldn't pretend to know anything about U.S. Special Forces... and you pretended to know something and now just look foolish.

First off, you can't be a Navy SEAL if you're over 185lbs. So, I'm not sure what you're talking about? Yeah, they are all very fit (as they should be) but none of them are too bulky... Next, if you've ever read anything about SFOD-1 Delta then you'd know that most of them aren't super "buff" and etc. Delta focuses almost completely on technical ability and mental discipline than they do on physical ability; this is what separates them and puts them ahead of the game when it comes to Special Forces.

And fritz, I know that U.S. SFs were inspired by the British SAS. They were the first of their kind. With all due respect I'm a political science major (specifically world politics) at a well known university here in the United States. You are only telling me things I already know. Just because Delta was inspired by the SAS doesn't mean that the SAS is better. And Delta was trained by many different people, not strictly the SAS. Delta also went extremely above and beyond what the SAS did at the time. They were the first special forces group to practice a lot of situation situations (boat hijackings, plane hijackings, etc).

No one will ever agree on who's the best. I think American Special Forces are the best, but I can't prove it and no one can prove their country's are better.

reply to post by sealteamsix[/url]

At least you acknowledge that David Stirling's Special Air Service is the daddy of most, if not all special forces.

Having said that, just because you are a Professor of Political Science at a well known US University and have a stringful of diplomas or degrees to boot, it does not follow that you fully understand the slang of your own country or its derivatives.

The word 'Daddy' was first used in day to day English language, probably during the years 1490–1500, when it was thought to refer to someone being a 'father'.

I believe that the American slang word 'Daddy', according to the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, came in to being during the year 1681 and refered to older male clients who sought young female prostitutes.

I was referring to the former (English) and not the latter (American) meaning.

reply to post by sealteamsix


You should learn to read. Because i simply made an observation about US special forces. I never claimed to know how they operate and what training they do.

Reading comprehension FTW.

[edit on 16-11-2009 by SKUNK2]

reply to post by fritz


Just to clarify, I am not a professor. I'm currently a student right now, sorry if I made it seem like I was already a scholar of world politics; I'm getting there! And don't worry, I understand the context in which you used the word "daddy", so no confusion there.

SKUNK2, please don't insult my reading comprehension skills. You clearly state that the SEALs and Delta look like "steroid heads" and insinuate that there is no way they could survive in the jungle, blah blah, etc...

Again, SEALs can be no more than 185lbs, they are all very cut individuals which make them look larger than they are I'm sure. I don't know where you've seen a picture of a Delta unit where they all looked so buff, but whatever. I already stated that's not true.

In defence of Delta and his posts, it may surprise you to know Skunk2 that the US Navy SEaLs were born in and matured in the jungles of South East Asia.

I even go as far as saying that they were my hero's. (Well kinda......... I just wanted to own a Stoner!)

But that was then and this is now and at least when the Brit, NZ and Aussie SAS have very bad Terry Taleban in their sights, they do not miss.

Unlike the SEaLs who demanded they capture OBL's No 2 instead of letting SAS/SBS take him out when they had the chance, thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

'Nuff said, in my opinion.

[edit on 16-11-2009 by fritz]

As i said earlyer Spetsnaz are very brutle.

If you are howing a hostage they will kill you through the hostage body.

[sic]

Kind of defeats the object of rescuing a hostage. Beslan and the Moscow Theatre both leave a black mark on the record. I'm not saying they are no good, but hostage rescue kinda escapes them as a concept.

Without getting too into the who's best (I have relatives who were US special forces, and I have relatives who were attached to the British SAS), I just wonder how all the various elite forces would have handled the Peterhead Prison hostage situation.
Would they have gone in only with staves? Or would they have gone in guns a'blazing?
Also, shooting your own men because they are slowing you down is not bad-azz. It's just brutal for the sake of it. Shows how much they value their assets.

As mentioned by many on this thread, each force has its speciality. It's like saying, "Which screwdriver is best?" Each has a use. Would you use a Phillips screwdriver on an Allen screw? Would you use a flathead on a Torx screw?

Comparing medals is also quite futile. It really means nothing once you cross the line into special forces. These guys do what they do as their job. Any other (regular) unit would get decorated up the ying for bravery/going above and beyond for doing the same missions.

Originally posted by fritz
In defence of Delta and his posts, it may surprise you to know Skunk2 that the US Navy SEaLs were born in and matured in the jungles of South East Asia.

I even go as far as saying that they were my hero's. (Well kinda......... I just wanted to own a Stoner!)

But that was then and this is now and at least when the Brit, NZ and Aussie SAS have very bad Terry Taleban in their sights, they do not miss.

Unlike the SEaLs who demanded they capture OBL's No 2 instead of letting SAS/SBS take him out when they had the chance, thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

'Nuff said, in my opinion.

[edit on 16-11-2009 by fritz]

A navy seal unit killed and captured more taliban than any other unit. Secondly that was a command decision and not SEALS nor deltas decision.

www.youtube.com...


Also someone saying delta and seals are roid heads are full of garbage. These guys run marathons and triathlon, i've seen it. They can do that and still have good strength and be kind of big. Better physical training. I think our guys are just larger individuals.

Maybe that's because we have better funding? Maybe it's because we have a larger military and more people to choose from .

[edit on 17-11-2009 by eikmun]

NZSAS hands down (see, I can be as one-eyed as the Yanks ).

Despite their comparative lack of funding they perform consistently.

www.army.mil.nz...

en.wikipedia.org...

The New Zealand SAS is held in high regard internationally, as demonstrated by the United States Presidential Citation which was awarded to the NZSAS on 7 December 2004.

From 2nd link.

One name: Willie Apiata

I'm scared

Take away the Yankee toys and tech and let's see what happens

[edit on 17-11-2009 by aorAki]

reply to post by aorAki


About Willie Apaita... a great soldier that did a very brave thing; but why are you recognizing him over anyone else? What about all the SF men around the world that do things like this every day? Just because he was formerly recognized for something he did doesn't mean he's more special than anyone else for doing it. I'm not even sure what you're point was bringing him up in the first place, but alright...

And second, you really have no idea what you're talking about. "Take away the Yankee toys and tech and let's see what happens", are you serious? I don't even need to respond to this, everyone that reads it will know you're completely ignorant.

Originally posted by sealteamsix
reply to post by aorAki

 

About Willie Apaita... a great soldier that did a very brave thing; but why are you recognizing him over anyone else? What about all the SF men around the world that do things like this every day? Just because he was formerly recognized for something he did doesn't mean he's more special than anyone else for doing it. I'm not even sure what you're point was bringing him up in the first place, but alright...

And second, you really have no idea what you're talking about. "Take away the Yankee toys and tech and let's see what happens", are you serious? I don't even need to respond to this, everyone that reads it will know you're completely ignorant.

Lighten up Larry...did I step on your toes or something?

Maybe it was all a pisstake because I got sick of everyone being so serious about such a silly topic...but it obviously went over your head...you must be part of the Yank Special forces?

[edit on 17-11-2009 by aorAki]

Joint task force two. Super secret Canadian special forces, deeds not words.