Special forces
(Redirected from Special operations forces)
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Garud Commandos of the Indian Air Force.[1] | |
Abbreviation | SOF |
Interest of | SOFREP |
Military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces. |
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct covert operations, which may include: assassinations, sabotage or hostage rescue, among other things. During the Second World War every major army involved in the fighting created formations devoted to special operations behind enemy lines. In Russian-speaking countries, special forces of any country are typically called spetsnaz, an acronym for "special purpose".
Capabilities
Special forces capabilities include the following:
- Special reconnaissance and surveillance in hostile environments
- Foreign internal defense: Training and development of other states' military and security forces
- Offensive action (like controlled demolition and sniper tactics)
- Support to counter-insurgency through population engagement and support
- Counter-terrorism operations
- Sabotage and demolition
- Hostage rescue
- Protection
- Naval boarding
- underwater operations [2][3]
In general a country will train it's special forces for any terrain that they can encounter, which may include alpine regions, desert, urban environment, jungle, or underwater missions.
Examples
Page name | Description |
---|---|
Paul Barril | French spook |
Four Reconnaissance Regiment | Apartheid-era special forces unit of the South African Defence Force, specialising in amphibious operations. |
French Foreign Legion | The Foreign Legion is what France uses to project power overseas |
SBS | A UK Special Forces Unit |
UK Special Forces | |
US/Army/Special Forces | Unconventional warfare US Army forces, used in peacetime as well as in times of war. Including Gladio-like secret domestic army. |
Orde Wingate |
Related Quotation
Page | Quote | Author | Date |
---|---|---|---|
US/Army/Special Forces | “"The Deltas are psychos...You have to be a certified psychopath to join the Delta Force", a US Army colonel from Fort Bragg once told me back in the 1980s.” | James Petras | 2009 |
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References
This page imported content from Wikipedia on 21 January 2021.
Wikipedia is not affiliated with Wikispooks. Original page source here
Wikipedia is not affiliated with Wikispooks. Original page source here