Who has the best Special Forces ?

Originally posted by planeman

Originally posted by fritz

Originally posted by Sariel
22 SAS and/or 14th Intelligence Company (although most in Int 14 are from the SAS) in my humble opinion.As has been stated previously a lot depends on what you are trying to achieve.

[edit on 26-4-2006 by Sariel]

Sorry, but you are quite wrong! SAS troopers undergo secondment to 14 int as part of their cross training and deployment. 14 Int are NOT SAS, and are part of the Intelligence Corps.

As I previously posted, 14 Intell does not exist any more, it is now part of SRR (Special Reconnaisance Regiment) as of 2004~5. I may be wrong but I think the Pathfinders role will follow suit.

No, sorry, you are wrong. 14 Int is 'still' part of the Intelligence Corps. Their HQ is somewhere in the Salisbury area, most probably at 43 Brigade, Bulford.

With regards to the 'Pathfinder' Coy, under General Mike Jackson's restructuring of 'his' airborne forces, II Sqn, RAF (Para) Regiment have joined forces with Pathfinder Coy to 'locate, secure, establish and defend, suitable DZs and LZs for UK Special Forces'.

That is their primary role. I have just emailed my mate who is a member and am awaiting an ansa.

Okay, I've got it all from my source.

14 Int does indeed come under control of this new fangled SRR. The cap badge is well publicised but the description is incorrect. The cap badge depicts Excalibur thrusting up into a Trojan or Etruscan helmet and is worn mounted on a very sandy green beret.

Pathfinder coy is as stated but II Sqn, RAF Regiment supply para trained personnel for the new SF 'Ranger' (Spt) Btn.

Hi guys, new to this. I would just like to say that I am an aussie and proud to have served my country with what you talk about as SF.
However my experience has shown me that no matter what country you belong to, you will have soldiers trained as SF to do a particular job to keep that country safe. Doesn't matter what country, you do not want to meet any of these guys in a dark ally if unprepared and they seldom tell you they are coming. They are armed and trained with an objective in mind and as humans that is a dangerous thing to come up against no matter what nationality.
It is physically impossible to have super humans with all aspects of knowledge of warefare running around out there, so you will find that all countries co-operate together and use whatever each has to offer to get the job done. Personally, I don't think any one country has any better trained SF than another.
A lot has been said about who had first SF's with credit going to english SAS in WWII. Aussies did have ZForce with credit and acclaim to there name in WWII also. But who did the english have for SF's in 1899-1902 when australian soldiers carried out SF style raids and tactics in the boar war. But the english did learn a lot from the protection their guys got there from australians. Guess that would give us aussies first to use SF, unless someone knows of earlier use of soldiers in a SF role. Would like to know if anyone does as would like to know.

Perhaps Rogers' Rangers in Canada?



Think Redcoats and Bluecoats...

Originally posted by HowlrunnerIV
Perhaps Rogers' Rangers in Canada?



Think Redcoats and Bluecoats...

I have read the Rules For Ranging and have even copied them and printed them off. (There are several sites in the US that have the rules)

We are talking about a very serious group of men ((Rogers' Rangers) and they were indeed very, very dangerous.

His (Rogers) rules were explicit in what you could and could not do and what you should do, when 'ranging' [advancing to contact] across terrain.

Those rules have stood me in good stead and I believe they are to basis of all SF teachings todays - vertainly the within the US Army 'Rangers'.

The best special forces are the Russian Spetsnaz
They were the most feared thing about the entire USSR.
Go google type it in.

another Special Forces group that comes to mind also and should get a notable mention is the FRENCH Foreign Legion

I thought the French Foreign Legion was disbanded.

Wasn't it!

Originally posted by bodebliss
I thought the French Foreign Legion was disbanded.

Wasn't it!

No it has not been disbanded. However, some of the units in the Legion have been disbanded for some reasons.

The Legion was the only 100% volunteer unit within the French Army. Since the end of the cold war conscription has ended and the Legion can no longer claim that specialty. But the Legion is definitely still there. Now the largest percentage of its recruits come from Eastern Europe, places like the former Yugoslavia. All you have to do is spend five years in some $hithole, being spat at by Sergeants and the French governmetn will give you a nice, shiny, new French passport. Better than living in Bosnia.

feeling betrayed by FRANCE after the pull out of the ALGERIA WAR a group of one of the LEGION's elite parachute regiments plotted in an attempt to assassinate CHARLEs de GAULLE. the

plotted was quickly foiled not the LEGION's greatest hour

2-3 of the LEGION's elite parachute regiments were disbanded, its command brought under the complete control under the watchful of FRANCE and around 1962 its HQ moved to AUBAGNE.

as for the LEGION today beg 2 differ its still a major factor today

its status did not go away after the COLD WAR, since the then it role has greatly expanded
it has become quite vital to FRANCE and the EU's interests

the LEGION still operates in some of todays best vaction pots( earth's brutal hell holds)

it protects EUROPE's vital space agency complex in GUYANA, its deployed in Cote D'IVOIRE(IRVORY COAST), DJIBOUTi, LLES GLORIEUESES(island north of MADAGASCAR) places that one talks about or can not find on a map unless its on CNN

and of course its deployed in AFGHANISTAN(MR. ROGER's friendly neighborhood) and KOSOVO for intervention roles

YES some of the rumors are true , but WAR is BRUTAL

yes there is large # of conscripts from former EASTERN BLOC states but there's also been an large increase of conscripts form AFRICAN and ASIAN states as well, during and after WW2 the LEGION had a large number of GERMANs and JEWISH conscripts it just changes time to time

the LEGION does not discriminate

but do note just a heads up
if your wanted by INTERPOL or any other agency for a major crime, the LEGION will now turn you over.

another special force that comes to mind that may have not been mention is the PLA SOF and PLAAF Airborne SOF

which in a not too distant future could play major role in conflict off the coast of CHINA

the PLA has gone threw some great changes since the KOREAN WAR there not the RED MINDLESS MASSES who would overwhelm their enemy just by shear #'s in uncoordinated attacks of years past

PLA taken a page form their counterparts and have downside their main large groups(not the conscripts seen on TV) into a more stable fighting force and incorporated small high rapid reaction force or SOF("DADUi") into each group.

the PLA SOF are well trained in the same tactics(as their counterparts) and aspect of counter warfare and should not be taken lightly

the PLA SOF 1st saw successful action in the SINO-VIET conflict of 79

Originally posted by LAWNMOWERMAN
another Special Forces group that comes to mind also and should get a notable mention is the FRENCH Foreign Legion

Actually, La Legion Etranger has it's own SF group. It is called, Companie Republique, Assaultier Parachutiste or, somewhat unfortunately, CRAP.

La Legion Etranger is, as previously stated, almost exclusively populated with foreign 'volunteers', the most famous or 'infamous' of which is 2nd REP, then the REC and REI - Para, Cavalry and Infantry.

My old unit trained with a squadron of REC at Mormalon near Verdun and all I can say is they are very tough dudes - I mean can you imagine drinking rough red wine for breakfast?

Originally posted by Leveller

The Austrailian SAS is up there with the best but they don't have the all round skills that their UK counterparts have. In fact most of the UK's allies send their special force teams to the UK for specialised training. The SAS do go to other countries to train but it's mostly to practice skills that they have already acquired.

[Edited on 29-5-2003 by Leveller]

What are you talking about? To say they lack the skills of the British is quite proposterous considering Australian SF is far superior in the Desert than their British counterparts (australia is largely desert). Now this is the reason they were asked to join the War on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq in the first place (they were operating in both before the invasions started). Each country has its strengths and weaknesses in Special Forces and that is why Australia, the UK and USA often send there SF contingents for training in each others countries. There is no reason to suggest any SF is better than another because they all have there areas of excellence.

The British just seem to always they are the be all and end all.

The best SF's in the world are the
ones we haven't heard of yet.

Iguess where I lived is the joint task force two a canadain special forces also
I like all anti-terrorist units around the world That do not let there guard up for
terrorist etc and the local police e.r.t also cool too that I guess help the most in this world and do not forget the r.c.m.p anti-terrorist unit too

I believe the South African Special Forces are the best. You people may laugh but believe me I have seen their training. Only the strongest can survive that. Here's a link... recce

SBS defo, then SAS, yes i'm from the UK but these guys know thier stuff, the only problem is they have trouble recruiting. The SAS are thin on the ground!!! This has been widely reported.

The Reccondos were seriously hardcore b@stards who, from what I can tell, learnt most of their tricks from the Sealous Scouts. I've met one ex-Reccondo, mild-mannered middle-aged man!

Being the toughest does not make you the best, it just makes you tough.

I must say, I like that "Wall of Shame". I wonder, does 75 Ranger Regiment (it is 75 Rangers, right?) have one as well? We all know who would be at the top currently.

The Reccondos were seriously hardcore b@stards who, from what I can tell, learnt most of their tricks from the Sealous Scouts. I've met one ex-Reccondo, mild-mannered middle-aged man!

Hehe yep, they are tough bastards. They fought for the old South African goverment in the Angola war and killed thousands. But I think their "goal" changed after South Africa became a real democracy. But their training is still the same. You won't believe what those guys have to go through to finish their training. It's absolute maddness!! I've seen a program on TV (I live in SA) about their training. Stuff like walking 150km in the kalahari desert with only a bottle of water, and no sleep while doing intensive 22 hours a day training, stuff like weapons training etc... for two weeks straight!! Crazy people...