Special Forces - who's the best?

Back in BASIC they used to make us watch Soviet BASIC training films. And then they would go over their tactics afterwords. I remember being struck by the sheer brutality of their training. In all honesty, it made me more than a little concerned for our general forces. Could our regular Army handle these hardcore soldiers on a field of battle? We had it made in training compared to those guys. Of course, that was just BASIC.(I'm showin' my age here - but that was back in the Cold War.)

check this site out m8 about the Israeli Special Forces

www.isayeret.com...

[Edited on 21/11/03 by funlovincriminal]

SPETSNAZ operate up to 1000 kilometers behind enemy lines, with emphasis on enemy nuclear delivery means, either locating them for attack by other forces or, if necessary, attacking by themselves. Typical SPETSNAZ targets include mobile missiles, command and control facilities, air defenses, airfields, port facilities, and lines of communication. In addition, specially trained SPETSNAZ elements have the missions of assassinating or kidnapping enemy military and civilian leaders.

The basic SPETSNAZ unit is a team of eight to ten men. The team is commanded by an officer, may have a warrant officer or senior sergeant as deputy, and includes a radio operator, demolitions experts, snipers, and reconnaissance specialists. Team members have some degree of cross-training so a mission can continue if a specialist is lost.


Upon induction, a SPETSNAZ conscript will be asked to sign a loyalty oath in which he acknowledges death will be his punishment for divulging details about his service.

After induction, some of the conscripts will be selected for an arduous, six-month-long noncommissioned officers school. Anticipating a high washout rate, commanders may send as many as five conscripts for each available NCO slot. In the event more NCOs graduate than there are slots available, the lower ranked graduates are assigned to positions as private soldiers. This excess of trained NCOs provides a ready pool of leaders to replace casualties in the field.3 Washouts and those conscripts not selected for NCO school receive training in their units. In addition to basic military training, they will be trained in the following specialized skills:

parachuting,
hand-to-hand combat and silent-killing techniques, including judo, karate, and knife-fighting,
sabotage using explosives, incendiaries, acids, and abrasives,
infiltration techniques, including defeat of locks and security systems,
foreign language and culture,
foreign weapons, tactics, and vehicles,
survival,
reconnaissance and map reading, and
rappelling.
Training in foreign language, etc., is geared to the SPETSNAZ unit's wartime target area. The team leader is expected to be nearly fluent in one of the languages of a target country, while enlisted personnel are expected to know the alphabet and basic phrases. This specific training relating to a foreign country is intended not only to facilitate operations there but also to enable the teams to conduct missions while wearing enemy uniforms or civilian clothing.

Parachute training begins with static line jumps, but many soldiers will progress to high altitude low opening (HALO) jumps using steerable parachutes. Jumps are made day and night, in all kinds of terrain and weather.4

In keeping with their behind-the-lines missions, SPETSNAZ are lightly equipped. Each soldier will have an AK-74 assault rifle or SVD sniper rifle, a silenced 9-mm pistol, ammunition, a knife, up to eight hand grenades of various types, and rations. In addition, every team member carries a portion of the team's gear, which will normally include an RPG-16 grenade launcher and rounds, an R-350M burst transmission radio capable of communicating over a range of 1000 kilometers, directional mines, and plastic explosives. If the mission demands it, the team can also be assigned special weapons such as the SA-7 or SA-14 surface-to-air missile. The load per team member is approximately 40 kilograms (88 pounds).


this is some other random things i found about spetsnaz.

sorry no link cause its from my puter!

Cool. Thanks.

As i said earlyer Spetsnaz are very brutle.

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

Also Spetsnaz are kiled if feild if they dont listen to orders or if they are injuried and are slowing down the others.

i think that Spetsnaz and Iseral SP are close to the same cause they are both trained in field.

Iseral in the palistein fighting

and Spetsnaz in Chechnya.

@ Russian - been looking up stuff about the spetznaz - scary guys. wouldn't fancy pi55ing one of them off.

I wouldnt want to mess with either Spetsnaz or the

Iseral SP.

They are both my favorite.

Both trained in LIVE COMBAT!

Thats where the REALLY SP comes from!

Well my mate......he has been operating with the SAS in the british army for about 7yrs or so, in his considered opinion the Fijian members of the squadrons...are the toughest, most durable, and motivated soldiers he has come across. He has told me this is in no small part due to their village upbringing, and need for self-reliance. As far as the spetnaz are concerned Im not sure brutality and blind obedience cuts the mustard....just my thoughts.

The Fijians? never heard of their units. - you said they're part of the squadrons. Are they trained with the SAS or do they train at home?
Thanks, spear

I'm failrly sure all spec ops units are trained in a combat environment at one point in time.

Yeah, the part that stuck out was that they could be killed in their BASIC training, forget about the elite training.

East Coast-Saw your screaming eagle. What's your backround? You sound as old as me...

They train at home, but most of them are seconded to 22 or 27 squadron

thanks for that info, spear - never knew they were seconded to our units

I joined the Army in '89. So yeah, I'm gettin' up there!
I served with the 101st through the war and got out in '92. I was Air Assault and in a helicopter unit - the same brigade from "Black Hawk Down." Those guys - the Nightstalkers lived across the airfield from me. The day after Kuwait was invaded, I looked over there, and they were gone. The whole fleet. Needless to say, I knew we were all about to take a little trip. Hoowah!

I never seen a south korean military special ops. train before, but I did see their police counter-parts. I have to say they are pretty well-trained.

I think the best special ops. is probably the ROK marines, like I said before I never seen them train (they keep it a secret anyway) but heard of their reputation.


www.specialoperations.com...


www.rokmc.org...

I've seen what hell week is like. I'd love to see any of the US SF pass "Selection"

Having said that I do admire all the world's SF particually the SEALS and Mossad but for me the SAS and SBS are the best. In that I mean they are more adaptable to different situations IMO.

IMO some of the US SF realy to much on there tech.

One man once said that the SEALS have the hardest training in the world (BUDS). The Rangers are also one of the most respected fighting forces in the world. The SAS are highly organized, and combine U.S. and British weapons (Such as the IW-80) and American weapons (Such as the M4A1 Colt Carbine).

Overall, I would say the SEALS. But again, each has a special purpose, that is why there are so many.



-wD

Oh yeah........we did forget TF 160 didn't we? You came in when I "first" got out. I say first because I was requested to come back in during the Gulf War. Just stayed in till 2000. I was in HQ 1st SOCOM first then 112th SIG BN (SPEC OPS) (ABN). Believe it or not work for the Army as a civilian now....