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The 8 most elite special forces in the world
Business Insider ^ | 05/13/2015 | Tomas Hirst

Posted on 05/13/2015 7:45:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Elite special forces are some of the best-trained and most formidable units a country can boast.

They go where other soldiers fear to tread, scoping out potential threats, taking out strategic targets, and conducting daring rescue missions.

These really are the best of the best.

Although it's extremely difficult to rank these forces relative to one another, there are some units that rise above the rest in their track record and the fear they instill in their adversaries. These soldiers have been through rigorous training exercises designed to weed out those who can't hit their exacting standards.

In a world where the importance of the sheer size of a country's military forces is no longer a guide to their effectiveness, these soldiers are the ones state's look to in order to get the job done

8. The Special Services Group, SSG, in Pakistan is better known in the country as the "Black Storks" because of the commandos' unique headgear. Training reportedly includes a 36-mile march in 12 hours and a five-mile run in 20 minutes in full gear.

In October 2009, SSG commandos stormed an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage by suspected Taliban militants after attack on the army's headquarters.

7. Spain's Unidad de Operaciones Especiales, or Naval Special Warfare Force as it has become since 2009, has long been one of Europe's best-respected special forces. Originally established as the volunteer Amphibious Climbing Company unit in 1952, it has since followed the SAS's example to become an elite fighting force.

Earning the UOE green beret, however, is a big ask with the failure rate of candidates averaging between 70% and 80%. It's not uncommon for 100% of new recruits to be rejected.

6. Russia's Alpha Group is one of the best-known special forces units in the world.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: alfagroup; alphagroup; blackstorks; elite; france; fsb; gign; israel; kgb; marines; military; navyseals; pakistan; russia; sas; sayeretmatkal; sbs; spain; specialairservice; specialboatservice; specialforces; specialservicesgroup; ssg; unitedkingdom; uoe
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To: Leaning Right

21 posted on 05/13/2015 8:22:30 AM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll
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To: Gamecock
My point is, I was expecting something like 80 push-ups in 2 minutes.

Why? If based on past experience the ability to do x number of pushups and y number of situps and be able to run a specific distance in z minutes are good indicators of a person's ability to meet the physical part of the training then why raise it to some ridiculous figure?

22 posted on 05/13/2015 8:23:18 AM PDT by Lower Deck
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To: ameribbean expat

That’s why we are all not created equal.


23 posted on 05/13/2015 8:24:14 AM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: SeekAndFind

The authors glaring omission of the U.S. Army Special Forces AKA: Green Berets not only from the top units but the number one spot shows a complete lack of in depth knowledge and understanding of the training and missions of these units. I wonder if he ever heard of Delta Force?


24 posted on 05/13/2015 8:27:24 AM PDT by Old Retired Army Guy (frequently.)
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To: circlecity
8. Pakistan Black Storks
7. Spain Naval Special Warfare Force
6. Russia Alpha Group
5. France's National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN)
4. Israel Sayeret Matkal
3. UK SAS
2. UK Special Boat Service
1. Navy SEALs

No honorable mention for the Nepal Gurkhas? :)

25 posted on 05/13/2015 8:30:25 AM PDT by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: WinMod70

using 5 clicks @ 0.6 miles that’s 3 miles in 20 minutes...more like it.


26 posted on 05/13/2015 8:31:13 AM PDT by ameribbean expat
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To: Teacher317

Royal Australian SAS? Colombian Lanceros? Too much counterterror emphasis on this list. Hostage situations have turned many “SF” units into amped up SWAT teams. Shows this list was made by a reactionary amateur with knowledge three miles (not clicks) wide and two inches deep.


27 posted on 05/13/2015 8:37:11 AM PDT by ameribbean expat
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To: Teacher317

I have no idea why English services are always near the top.


28 posted on 05/13/2015 8:39:03 AM PDT by Paid_Russian_Troll
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To: SeekAndFind

The Scots have a man or two who can take care of business. And be sure to say nice words about the Australian SAS.


29 posted on 05/13/2015 8:41:23 AM PDT by lurk
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To: Old Retired Army Guy

i was wondering about that myself. I would put both the 75th rangers or the Green Berets/army special forces up against any of those groups. to have the Marines as an honorable mention without including first any army special forces is a joke.


30 posted on 05/13/2015 8:45:47 AM PDT by Shamrock498
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To: ameribbean expat

agreed. the author doesn’t know the difference between a hostage rescue team and a special forces unit. a special forces team can do hostage rescue but a hostage rescue team cant do all that special forces do


31 posted on 05/13/2015 8:47:46 AM PDT by Shamrock498
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To: ameribbean expat

“Shows this list was made by a reactionary amateur with knowledge three miles (not clicks) wide and two inches deep.”

Obviously! He forgot the super duper secret Huey P. Newton Gun Club and New Black Panther Party Extra Special Force Obama!

Here is some very rare video footage: http://youtu.be/ZqYrbTGo6nM


32 posted on 05/13/2015 8:51:52 AM PDT by Carthego delenda est
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To: Carthego delenda est

my favorite is Butterball in the tac vest carrying two orange sodas...the rest of them, if I closed my eyes it sounded like Bill Murray from Stripes “Dats de fact, Jack”.


33 posted on 05/13/2015 9:02:02 AM PDT by ameribbean expat
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To: Bruce Kurtz
yea, that is a 4 minute mile

No, that's FIVE 4-minute miles. Cannot be done.

34 posted on 05/13/2015 9:13:32 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: ameribbean expat

All of that is just a cover.... Don’t be fooled!!! Those guys (and girls) could stalk into a SEAL reunion, that Delta was providing security for, just as a warm up, before commandeering Air Force One on their way to take over the subterranean nightmare levels of Area 51. Laugh at these elite warriors at your own peril!!!


35 posted on 05/13/2015 9:19:41 AM PDT by Carthego delenda est
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To: SeekAndFind
While this article does make the Navy SEALs #1, one thing that arouses my 'suspicions' is the public acknowledgement of SEAL Team 6 as the lead in so very many operations of late. My guesstimate is that there could be many units from SEALs to Delta to some very black operators that have no interest is claiming 'coup' and so the PR goes to #6.

Just a suspicion - definitely no knowledge!

In that light, I would say that the best of the best is a group you have never heard of but really want at the point when the excrement hits the air circulating device! "As George Orwell pointed out, people sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." [Richard Grenier - 1993 Washington Times]

36 posted on 05/13/2015 9:23:09 AM PDT by SES1066 (Quality, Speed or Economical - Any 2 of 3 except in government - 1 at best but never #3!)
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To: SeekAndFind

If they think the Rangers are not even in the top 8, they must have never faced them.


37 posted on 05/13/2015 9:23:39 AM PDT by armydawg505
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To: SeekAndFind

I’m sure these are all tough, very tough guys. That said, you really don’t want to be what the Marines are looking for. Track record and all that.


38 posted on 05/13/2015 9:32:02 AM PDT by muir_redwoods ("He is a very shallow critic who cannot see an eternal rebel in the heart of a conservative." G.K .C)
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To: SeekAndFind
...a five-mile run in 20 minutes in full gear.

Five four minute miles? Not likely. Five kilometers (3.1 miles) maybe. When I was in my late 30s-early 40s I used to average low 17 minute times for 5K, with a personal best of 16:48, and I'm not highly talented. So I can see elite troops trained to their max doing a 20 minute 5K in full gear.

39 posted on 05/13/2015 9:33:24 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & Ifwater the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: Old Retired Army Guy

It is a weird article, put together by some clueless writer.

He doesn’t even know the difference between Special Operations units and regular troops.


40 posted on 05/13/2015 9:45:07 AM PDT by ansel12
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