Who Has The Best Special Forces

[the gentleman]

Interesting to know your views.

[davidm]

These days, "special forces" is a term which can be applied to too many military units, some of which are more "special" than others. The UK probably has the best, but then I'm biased. Royal Marines and SAS on one level. SBS several notches higher, then the BPT at the top.

I understand there are quite a few ex-South African and Rhodie special forces who would fit into most British or Australian units without many problems. Australia and New Zealand have some very good soldiers, too.

Israeli forces aren't as good as in the 70s and before. Russia has declined even more.

The septics are very good at spending money on weapons systems but the less said about their forces, elite or otherwise, the better.

I'll probably be heavily criticised for saying this, but the best soldiers in the world for the past 100 years or more have predominantly (but not exclusively) been white farmers. Not entirely sure why this should be, but there you go.

[Jeepz]

Very hard to say, and it would depend on what sort of "special forces" you are talking about. USA turns out some fairly serious players in this area, as does the British.

Debating which group is the best or toughest is simply an invitation to a bar fight (grin). Navy Seals probably have the highest failure rate "regularly constituted special forces". At least in the USA. The green berets of the US Army and certain units of the US Marines are also quite effective groups that fall under the "special forces" heading.

But Rhodesia/South Africa had some very serious players, particularly for their geographic area. Russian Spetsnaz were an effectively trained group of players too. In my youth, it was thought that the South Korean's fielded some extremely tough units, particularly the ROK black berets.

Bottom line is leadership and training. If they have effective leaders and train like they will fight, then the result is a very serious group of individuals.

Jeepz

[Bluecat]

Hmmm, does somebody really care about what country has the best special forces,...?

[Guest chingy]

i think the britsih is the creator of Special Forces

[Jeepz]

chingy~

I believe you are correct, particularly in the current definition of "Special Forces". Commando's were a feature of the Boer War, a highly mobile Boer strike force that proved very frustrating to the British.

Similar groups to a limited extent had existed during the American Civil war, notably Quantrill's Partizan Rangers, who were not particularly accepted as regular troops (particularly by the Union opposition).

But the development of a regularly constituted force does most likely belong to the British. The SAS is a well respected group all over the world.

Bluecat~

Obviously only those that respond to the thread. There are lots of threads I don't reply to because either it doesn't interest me or I don't have anything particularly worthwhile (in my own estimation) to contribute. Try it sometime.

Jeepz

[Bluecat]

Bluecat~

Obviously only those that respond to the thread. There are lots of threads I don't reply to because either it doesn't interest me or I don't have anything particularly worthwhile (in my own estimation) to contribute. Try it sometime.

Jeepz

Obviously,...

[Rinrada]

Without a doubt the Girl Scouts of America must be the elite.

Have you ever come up against such a well organised well trained regimented body of................ walls have ears.

[Guest chingy]

Hmmm, does somebody really care about what country has the best special forces

military is the second power in one country

is James Bond consider a Special Forces

[Bluecat]

Be careful, Rinrada, this thread is VERY serious, you CAN NOT joke.

But,..., was it a joke,...?

[Jeepz]

LOL yeah, you can joke! Geeze, sorry, didn't mean to seem like the cantankerous old fart that I really am.

Girl Scouts, uhmm, yeah ... I get accosted by them on the way into the store with their ubiquitous cookie thing. Or by their parents at work. Cute uniforms though. Though I think the girls on the field hockey team is my very fav! Something about those young women, short skirts and big clubs just makes me antsy!

Jeepz

[Georgie-Porgie]

Hmmm, does somebody really care about what country has the best special forces

military is the second power in one country

is James Bond consider a Special Forces

Now I've figured out who "the gentleman" was really training!

[Georgie-Porgie]

Debating which group is the best or toughest is simply an invitation to a bar fight (grin).  Navy Seals probably have the highest failure rate "regularly constituted special forces".  At least in the USA.  The green berets of the US Army and certain units of the US Marines are also quite effective groups that fall under the "special forces" heading. 

Navy Seals probably have the highest failure rate "regularly constituted special forces".

What this means, is that more people wash out (quit or are thrown out )of Navy Seals "Boot Camp" than from other Elite Units' initial training.

[Georgie-Porgie]

The UK probably has the best, but then I'm biased.

The septics are very good at spending money on weapons systems but the less said about their forces, elite or otherwise, the better.

I'm not trying to get into a tiff about something as silly as who has the "best" Special Forces, but just read Bravo Two Zero and all it's clones to see how often British f--- up missions; Getting lost seems almost required.

I doubt if they're all that much better than our guys.

[Axel]

Perhaps the best ones are those the average people on the street never heard about.

Once you hear of the forces it's when a foul-up happened.

[davidm]

but just read Bravo Two Zero and all it's clones to see how often British f--- up missions; Getting lost seems almost required.

There is an ancient tradition in the British Army to start every conflict with a <deleted> up. Don't know why this should be, and it's nothing to be proud of. Once that initial setback is out of the way, the military seems to perform much better and nearly always wins in the end. Bravo Two Zero was a classic case of misinterpreting intelligence material.

[Georgie-Porgie]

Yeah, but I loved the book, the Chris Ryan "sequels" and the clones (The Real Bravo Two Zero)!

[the gentleman]

i think the britsih is the creator of Special Forces

correct chingy - 1950's

[the gentleman]

Debating which group is the best or toughest is simply an invitation to a bar fight (grin).  Navy Seals probably have the highest failure rate "regularly constituted special forces".  At least in the USA.  The green berets of the US Army and certain units of the US Marines are also quite effective groups that fall under the "special forces" heading.  

Navy Seals probably have the highest failure rate "regularly constituted special forces".

What this means, is that more people wash out (quit or are thrown out )of Navy Seals "Boot Camp" than from other Elite Units' initial training.

Georgie, what is the name of the counter-terrorist unit for the SEALs ? and what were they called before?

[Georgie-Porgie]

Why don't you tell us? This thread is your chance to prove that you know something, about something, isn't it?

[the gentleman]

Ok I will Georgie, you probably wont find it in a book

The counter-terrorist unit for the SEALs is "DEVGRU", short for Development Group, which is part of U.S. Naval Special Warfare. It used to be called "SEAL Team 6", pioneered by Richard Marcinko. - hang around Ill teach you some more facts.

[the gentleman]

SAS/SBS have to be the most experienced SF unit in the world in terms of actual fighting - since being formed in WWII they have fought in Malaya, Borneo, Oman, Dhofar, Aden, the Radfan, the Falkands, Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone.

Those are just the wars where their prescence has been admitted to. Since the UK MoD is much more secretive about these things than most countries, it is a fair bet they have been used in many other places as well

British SBS (Special Boat Service) (Operators must have royal marine training PLUS prior SAS experience) (Actually the SAS was formed out of the Long Range Desert Patrol, the British "commando" unit which was tasked with assassinating rommel in North Africa.)

[Georgie-Porgie]

Very interesting. I don't know a lot about either one, other than what I found out in the books that I mentioned.

"The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat".

But, on the other hand, books improve your mind.

[the gentleman]

I cant believe you Yankees havent mentioned Delta, they are definately your best.

[davidm]

British SBS (Special Boat Service) (Operators must have royal marine training PLUS prior SAS experience)

Not so. The SBS is recruited exclusively from the Royal Marines whereas the SAS recruits from the army. There are rare cases where a member of the SAS has served in the Corps (which is a part of the Royal Navy) or someone from the SBS did a stint in the SAS, but the army-navy divide makes them the exception rather than the rule.

BTW, the first UK special forces were formed in the 1940s during WWII, although there is an argument that Lord Baden-Powell (founder of the boy scouts movement) should be given credit for his work in the late 19th century.

[Jeepz]

US Delta Forces is something of an enigma. The reason I didn't include Delta forces in my thumbnail was that it is not a regularly constituted unit. It does not have a uniform, it's members are drawn from various sources, not all are members of the military, but most are, and I'd guess that all most all of them have had prior military experience.

Delta Force is often tasked with hostage rescue. But obviously they are not limited to simply that role. The two snipers killed in Somalia (Blackhawk Down) were reportedly members of the Delta Force.

I mentioned earlier that different units have often focus on different areas of operation. There is often overlap between what they do, but comparing this bunch to that bunch usually ends up comparing oranges to apples.

Special Forces are not "shock troops" in the same sense as say, US Airborne Rangers.

Most of us, myself included, are not military historians or currently serving in a capacity that we would have a real overview of which units are rated "most effective". So ultimately we end up touting the ones we know the best, or have some sort of attachment to.

No one denigrates the British SAS or other various similar units. They have proven themselves many times. Not to say they are always successful, but no such group tasked with extremely hazardous assignments ever is. The same goes for any US unit or whatever country of choice you want to name.

Jeepz

[Georgie-Porgie]

Most of us, myself included, are not military historians or currently serving in a capacity that we would have a real overview of which units are rated "most effective". So ultimately we end up touting the ones we know the best, or have some sort of attachment to.

No one denigrates the British SAS or other various similar units. They have proven themselves many times. Not to say they are always successful, but no such group tasked with extremely hazardous assignments ever is. The same goes for any US unit or whatever country of choice you want to name.

Jeepz

As usual, Jeepz says it best.

[meadish_sweetball]

Nobody beats the supremely invincible Albanian task force, and that's a fact. They will all make you sorry you thought anything else.

The Spanish Inquisition were also pretty good in their day, but since nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, they were somehow bound to be left out of the discussion.