About men 

The best special forces in the world. The ten most formidable special forces in the world were named in the United States

Special forces are the elite of the troops of any country, which take not just the best fighters, but the very best. Next, we will get acquainted with the special forces different countries of the world, we will find out what tasks the military personnel perform, and what requirements are imposed on them.

Alpha, Russia.

The Alpha squad is the elite of the Soviet and Russian special forces, known as one of the most effective and experienced power units in the world. The special unit is designed to conduct counter-terrorist operations using special tactics and means.

Prevention of terrorist acts.
Search, neutralization or liquidation of terrorists.
Release of the hostages.
Participation in special operations in "hot spots".

Requirements for candidates:

Active officers or cadets of military schools.
Recommendation from a current or former employee of Alfa or Vympel.
Age limit: no older than 28 years.
Height: not less than 175 cm.

Regulations:

Cross-country run: 3 km in no more than 10 minutes 30 seconds.
Sprint run: 100 meters in no more than 12.7 seconds.
Pull-ups: 25 reps.
Push-ups: 90 times.
Flexion and extension on the press: 90 times in no more than 2 minutes.
Barbell bench press with your own body weight: 10 times.
Complex strength exercise 7 cycles in a row, no more than 40 seconds each cycle:
15 push-ups from the floor;
15 flexion and extension of the torso in the prone position;
15 transitions from the “crouching emphasis” to “lying emphasis” and vice versa;
15 jumps from the "crouching" position.

Preparation features:

Three minutes after the physical test, skills must be demonstrated hand-to-hand combat. At the same time, the candidate speaks in a helmet, gloves and protective pads on the legs and in the groin. He is opposed by an instructor or an employee of the Center well trained in hand-to-hand combat. special purpose FSB. The fight continues for 3 rounds. Further: medical board, a special check to identify unwanted connections with the candidate himself or his relatives, an examination by psychologists and a polygraph. Based on the results of each study, the candidate is awarded points, which are then summed up and a final decision is made.

2. "Yamam", Israel.

Yamam is an elite unit of the Israeli border police. "Yamam" has the highest level of shooting training among all Israeli special forces. The Yamam fighters have been taking individual and team prizes for years at all shooting competitions of the security forces. The Yamam snipers are far more high level than their military counterparts.

Release of the hostages.
Conducting rescue operations and raids in civilian areas.
Recruitment and undercover work.

Requirements for candidates:

Age from 22 to 30 years.
Be an active member of the army, police or border troops.
Have at least a military service record three years.

Regulations:

Pull-ups: 25 reps.
Push-ups on fists with weight on the back: 100 times.
Flexion and extension on the press: 300 times.
Cross-country run in equipment 15-20 kg: 8 km in no more than 38 minutes.
Climbing a 7-meter rope: no more than 7 seconds.
Freestyle swim: 50 meters in no more than 35 seconds.
Swim underwater: 50 meters.
Swim with hands and feet tied: 50 meters.

Preparation features:
The course includes running on rooftops, climbing a building drainpipe, escape from captivity and survival, during which the reaction to stress is tested. Another exercise - a fight with guard dog from the canine division of the gendarmerie corps, specially trained to attack a person. Here they study the reaction of a fighter to an attack: whether he will be confused, how aggressive he himself will be.

SAS, UK.

As part of the UK Special Forces Special Air Service ground forces- SAS occupies a special place. SAS is one of the oldest and most highly professional special forces units in the world. The rich experience of anti-partisan and counter-terrorist operations of the SAS forced the special forces of various states to copy its tactics. Including: American "Green Berets" and "Delta".

Conducting reconnaissance and carrying out sabotage and subversive actions deep behind enemy lines.
Antiterrorist operations both within the country and abroad.
Training of special forces soldiers from other countries.
Release of the hostages.

Requirements for candidates:

Required service experience in other military units.
Age from 25 to 30 years.
Excellent physical and mental health.

Regulations:

Cross-country run: 2.5 km in no more than 12 minutes.
Forced march with full gear: 64 km in no more than 20 hours.
Fire Training: Hit 6 targets at least twice each with 13 rounds.
Parachute training: 40 jumps day and night with a load of 50 kg.

Preparation features:
Instructors greet candidates with the words: “We will not select you. We will give you such a load that you will die. The one who survives will learn more.” And words do not diverge from deeds. Approximately one candidate out of ten survives. What is worth only a month's course of training to resist special methods interrogation. Each cadet, in addition, passes compulsory training in the jungle.

4. GSG-9, Germany.

GSG 9 is a special forces unit of the German Federal Police. The special group is directly and solely subordinate to the Minister of the Interior of Germany, the commander of the special unit is ready to start operations around the clock. After a command from the German Minister of the Interior, the group is ready to go anywhere the globe where the incident took place. Such management helps to avoid unnecessary involvement of the GSG 9 in minor operations that lesser units are capable of responding to.

Release of the hostages.
Protection of high-ranking officials and especially important state facilities.
Operations to eliminate terrorists.
Implementation and development of methods and tactics for all of the above activities.

Requirements for candidates:

Average or higher education.
Citizenship of Germany or EU countries.
Age from 18 to 24 years.
Excellent knowledge of English or French.
Swimming class.

Regulations:

Five roll-ups in full gear.
Overcoming the obstacle course in 1 minute 40 seconds.
Forced march with full gear and additional weight of 25 kg: 7 km in no more than 52 minutes.
Swim: 500 meters in no more than 13 minutes.

Preparation features:
The peak of physical stress is the third week, when the candidates in groups make long marches for a while over the rugged terrain of the Black Forest. In this case, heavy objects are transferred to long distance, the wounded are transported, uphill and downhill with full equipment. All this is accompanied by a restriction of sleep and food. In conclusion, candidates pass various tests for psychological stability.

5. Chinese special forces.

To date, the ground forces of the Chinese army have seven groups ready to carry out special operations. Each military district has one such unit, which is directly subordinate to the chief of staff of the district.

Special Intelligence Activities.
Carrying out short, non-scale offensive operations behind enemy lines.

Requirements for candidates:

Age from 18 to 32 years.
Excellent physical and mental health.
Passing a fitness aptitude test.

Regulations:

Climbing the brick wall of the building to the 5th floor without improvised means in 30 seconds.
Swim in full gear: 5 km in no more than 1 hour 20 minutes.
Rise on the crossbar and push-ups on parallel bars: at least 200 times a day.
Lifting a dumbbell weighing 35 kg: 60 times, no more than 60 seconds.
Front push: 100 reps, no more than 60 seconds.
Throwing a grenade: 100 times at a distance of at least 50 meters.

Preparation features:
The process of physical training of China's special forces is very often called "descent into hell." Every day in the morning and in the evening cross-country running in full gear and an additional shoulder pack with ten bricks. At the same time, a distance of 5 kilometers must be completed in no more than 25 minutes. After passing the run, the fighters move on to the Iron Palm exercise. The fighter must inflict 300 blows on the bag, first with beans, then with iron filings. In exactly the same way, the standards for fists, elbows, knees and feet are further worked out.

GROM, Poland.

GROM - Polish military unit for special purposes. Prepared for special operations, including counter-terrorism, as in Peaceful time as well as during a crisis or war. Since its inception, the division has been completely professional.

Release of the hostages.
Antiterrorist operations.
Evacuation of civilians from the war zone.
Conducting reconnaissance operations.

Requirements for candidates:

Age from 24 to 30 years.
Excellent physical and mental health.
Stress tolerance.
Ability to drive a car.

Regulations:

Cross-country run: 3.5 km in no more than 12 minutes.
Climbing the rope without the help of legs: 5 meters twice in a row.
Bench press with your own body weight.
Pull-ups: 25 reps.
Push-ups: at least 30 times.
Swim: 200 meters in no more than 4 minutes.
Swim underwater: 25 meters.

Preparation features:
All candidates who have submitted applications first of all undergo a psychophysiological examination. After that, as a rule, no more than 10-15 percent of the total number of candidates are allowed to further pass the tests. People from both the country's police units and from civil structures. But civilians must first complete a basic police course before joining a special forces team.

Special Forces "Delta", USA.

By official documents, the Delta group is intended for covert combat operations outside the United States, on the territory of other countries. Tasks for Delta Force are to fight terrorism, popular uprisings, national intervention, although this group is also directed to carry out secret missions, including but not limited to saving civilians and invading.

Release of the hostages.
The release of American soldiers who were captured.
Fight against terrorists and partisans.
Capture or destruction of military and political leaders hostile to the United States.
Capture of secret documents, samples of weapons, military and other secret equipment.

Requirements for candidates:

Only US citizenship.
Age from 22 to 35 years.
Service experience in the American armed forces at least 4 years.
Excellent physical and mental health.
Skydiving experience.
Highly qualified in two military specialties.

Regulations:

Push-ups: 40 times in 1 minute.
Squats: 40 times in 1 minute.
Cross-country run: 3.2 km in no more than 16 minutes.
Crawl on your back 20 meters feet first in 25 seconds.
Overcoming an obstacle course of 14.6 meters in 24 seconds.
Swimming in clothes and combat boots for 100 meters without time.

Preparation features:
Candidates march with backpacks weighing from 18 to 23 kg and a rifle in their hands. Their path lies through hills, forests and rivers, and the distance of this path varies between 29 and 64 km. On the way, every 8–12 km there are checkpoints where candidates must go and where observers sit. To successfully overcome this test, it is necessary to maintain an average speed of at least 4 km per hour and to navigate well in unfamiliar terrain.

Talk about special forces units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces in recent times on the lips of many. Some military observers call them one of the most famous military units in Russia. There are legends about the GRU special forces, films are made, books, essays and articles are written. The GRU special forces are indeed considered the elite of the armed forces, but often what is shown in films has almost nothing to do with reality.

The real operations in which the army "specialists" participated, as a rule, are not advertised, they are not heard about on TV and they will not be written in the newspapers. Almost. Thus, the hype in the media can only mean the failure of certain missions. Although Grushnikov punctures are extremely rare. Nevertheless, in connection with the latest events in the world, here and there slips information about "some Russian special forces."

It is clear that only the best of the best can get into this special forces, because in order to be accepted into this unit, candidates will have to go through the most severe selection. And in general, the ordinary training of the GRU special forces can shock ordinary inhabitants, but in fact the special forces devote their training to Special attention.

Unlike other special units of other power structures, the GRU special forces do not have their own name. And, in general, these harsh guys do not have the habit of "lighting up" once again. So, for example, when conducting special operations, they may be given the uniform of one of the armies of the world, and the image of the globe on their emblems means that the area of ​​\u200b\u200boperations of the GRU special forces can be limited only to the globe.

The GRU special forces are the "eyes and ears" of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces behind enemy lines, and often effective tool to carry out a wide variety of "delicate" operations. So what is the main Intelligence Directorate, and also what is the history of the special forces included in its structure?

Main Intelligence Directorate: from the tsarist to the present day

The need to create some structures that would be engaged in intelligence activities for the military department arose with the formation of the Red Army. So the end of the autumn of 1918 is the creation of the Field Headquarters of the Revolutionary Council of the Republic. And the presence of the Registration Department in its composition spoke of serious intentions to collect and process intelligence. In general, this organization was engaged in ensuring the work of agents for the Red Army, as well as counterintelligence.

The field headquarters (together with the Registration Office) was established by order of November 5, 1918. From this date, the Soviet, and later its successor, Russian military intelligence counts.

However, this does not mean at all that in pre-revolutionary Russia there were no bodies involved in collecting information for military structures. However, as well as special military units engaged in the execution of special, specific tasks.

So, for example, in the 16th century, Tsar Ivan IV established a guard service. It selected Cossacks, distinguished by excellent health, excellent ability to handle any type of firearms and edged weapons. One of the tasks that were assigned to them was tracking the "Wild Field". From it, the Muscovite kingdom was constantly threatened by the raids of the Tatar and Nogai hordes.

Later, during the time of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the organization of the Secret Order took place. This body gathered not only military information about probable adversary but also about neighboring powers.

Under Alexander I (1817), a detachment of cavalry gendarmerie, an analogue of our SOBR, was formed. He was mainly involved in maintaining internal order in the state. In the 19th century, units were formed in the Russian army in which Cossacks-plastuns served.

Besides, Russian empire It also had units resembling the likeness of a modern army special forces. So, in 1764, Jaeger divisions were formed by Suvorov, Kutuzov and Panin. With their participation, special operations could be carried out independently without the main army forces. The huntsmen participated in raids, sat in ambushes, fought in hard-to-reach mountainous and forest areas, and in 1810 Barclay de Tolly created a Special Expedition (Expedition of Secret Affairs).

In 1921, a decision was made to form the Intelligence Directorate of the Red Army Headquarters. The order stated that the Intelligence Agency should be engaged in maintaining military intelligence. In the 1920s, the department carried out undercover intelligence, pro-Soviet partisan formations were created in neighboring states, and active subversive activities were carried out.

After several reorganizations in 1934, the Intelligence Department of the Red Army was subordinate to the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR. In the 1930s, Soviet saboteurs and military advisers had to successfully operate in the Spanish campaign. However, already at the end of the 1930s, political repressions inflicted serious damage on Soviet military intelligence officers, many of them were arrested and shot.

In February 1942, it was decided to form the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Red Army. Actually, under this name, the organization will exist for many more decades. In the post-war years, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff was abolished for several years, but in 1949 it was restored again.

In October 1950, according to a secret directive, special units (SpN) were created. Their tasks included conducting reconnaissance and sabotage behind enemy lines. Immediately, such units began to be created in all military districts (a total of 46 companies were created). Later, special forces brigades were formed on their basis. The first one was created in 1962. 1968 was marked by the formation of the first special forces training regiment in the Pskov region, and two years later the second in the Tashkent region.

At first, special forces units were prepared to counter the NATO bloc. So, with the beginning (or before the start) of hostilities, the special forces had to operate deep behind enemy lines. For example, to collect intelligence and transfer it to the Main Intelligence Directorate, to act against headquarters and other command posts, to commit sabotage and terrorist attacks, to sow panic, to eliminate infrastructure facilities. As always, special attention was paid to weapons mass destruction, namely, missile silos and launchers, airfields, submarine bases.

GRU special forces took an active part in the war in the DRA, in the suppression of North Caucasian separatism. GRU special forces were involved in civil war in Tajikistan, in the Georgian campaign. Many media outlets are trumpeting to the whole world that Special Forces units are now in Syria.

These days, the GRU is not just DRG groups. The GRU actively conducts undercover electronic and space intelligence, collects data from cyberspace. Russian military intelligence officers are successfully using information warfare technologies, working with foreign political forces, as well as some politicians.

Since 2010, the Main Intelligence Directorate has been renamed. It became the Main Directorate of the General Staff, however, the old name is still on everyone's lips.

Main Intelligence Directorate: main tasks

As soon as the special forces of the GRU of Russia were formed, before new structure serious challenges were

  • Organization and conduct of intelligence;
  • Destruction of any means of nuclear attack;
  • Identification of military formations;
  • Conducting special operations behind enemy lines;
  • Organization and conduct of sabotage activities;
  • Creation of insurgent (partisan) detachments in the enemy rear;
  • Fight against terrorism;
  • Search and neutralization of saboteurs.

Among others, the following tasks are performed:

  • Creation of radio interference;
  • Violation of power supply;
  • Liquidation of transport hubs;
  • Inciting unrest in the military and state structures countries.

Most of the tasks sound fantastic, to say the least. However, the GRU spetsnaz may well cope with them, because they have the appropriate technical means and weapons, along with portable nuclear mines.
In addition to the usual tasks for many special forces, the GRU special forces were engaged in the elimination of prominent political or public figures of enemy states. It is alleged that later these tasks were decided to be canceled. Although, most likely they were even more classified.

Main Intelligence Directorate: personnel policy

Since 1968 in Ryazan airborne school training of highly professional intelligence officers for special purposes began. Actually in those days they formed the legendary 9th company. Recent graduates The 9th company went to the troops in 1981, after which it was disbanded.

Soviet special forces officers were trained at the Frunze Military Academy, and future officers were trained by the intelligence department at the Kiev VOKU, although their specialization was more like military intelligence.

The total number of personnel of the GRU special forces is unknown. They talk about six to fifteen thousand fighters.

Preparation and training of the GRU special forces

It is rather difficult to get into the special forces, but not impossible. For the most part, candidates must be in perfect physical health. It is not at all so important to stand out with an impressive size, because for a special forces soldier his endurance is of no small importance. Scouts during raids during the whole day have to cope with many tens of kilometers, and all this is not done lightly at all. On their shoulders it is possible to carry more than a dozen kilograms of weapons, equipment and ammunition.

Applicants will have to submit necessary minimum, which includes:

  • Three-kilometer cross in 10 minutes;
  • Pull-ups - 25 times;
  • Run for a hundred meters - 12 seconds;
  • Push-ups from the floor - 90 times;
  • Rocking the press - 90 times in two minutes.

One of the standards for physical training includes hand-to-hand combat. It is clear that the most thorough medical examination of all candidates is carried out.

In addition to physical fitness, another important factor is the presence mental health candidate: special forces must be completely "stress-resistant" and not get lost even in the most difficult circumstances. Candidates for without fail interviews with psychologists must take place, after which polygraph tests will follow (this is a “lie detector”). In addition, all relatives of future intelligence officers are scrupulously checked by the relevant authorities. Parents will be required to give written consent for their son to serve in the GRU special forces.

If the servicemen still managed to get into the ranks of the special forces, then they will have long months of long and exhausting training. Soldiers are trained in hand-to-hand combat. This approach significantly enhances the morale and strengthens the character of any commando.

It is clear that all special forces must be fluent in hand-to-hand combat techniques. At the same time, be able to beat not only with bare hands, but also to use a wide variety of items in battle, sometimes not intended for combat at all. Recruits are often put up against stronger and more experienced opponents (and sometimes even several). In such cases, it will be more important for them not to win, but to stay in sparring as long as possible. With the beginning of training, future special forces are inspired by the idea that only they are the best.

The training of special forces soldiers may differ in increased intensity. It is usually carried out using an individual program. So, every three or four soldiers are assigned one officer. He watches over his subordinates around the clock. It is clear that the officers themselves were trained according to a much more intense program. After many years of training, it will not be difficult for each of them to independently become a replacement in any combined arms unit.

It is hardly worth saying that the GRU special forces were classified in Soviet times more than any nuclear developments. At least about strategic nuclear missiles, bombers with nuclear warheads on board and nuclear submarines knew absolutely everything. Whereas not every marshal could know about the GRU special forces, and then what can we say about the generals?

Future special forces soldiers are trained to endure the most severe hardships and hardships that will put ordinary person beyond his physical limits. The tests include prolonged sleep and food deprivation, as well as the addition of transcendent physical activity and psychological pressure. It is clear that in the GRU special forces, future fighters will be taught mastery of all types of firearms and edged weapons. Despite some specific tasks performed by the GRU special forces, its military personnel most often use standard Russian weapons.

Elite special squads are one of the most trained and impressive military units that the countries of the world can only boast of. They go where other military men fear to tread, overcome potential threats, eliminate strategic targets and carry out dangerous missions. They are the best of the best. And although it is quite difficult to create a comparative list of these units, there are units that are better than the rest, because their soldiers undergo rigorous training, during which they are eliminated most of applicants. In the modern world, where the size of the country's armed forces no longer speaks of their effectiveness, these military men are the hope and support of the state.

In our issue you will find a description of eight of the world's most elite military units. The list is presented in ascending order.

1. In eighth place is the Pakistan Special Forces Group, better known as the "Black Storks" - because of the unique headgear of the commanders.

2. In October 2009, members of this special forces force broke into an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage by the Taliban after an attack on army units.

3. In seventh place is the Special Forces of the Spanish Navy (UOE), which has long been one of the most respected special forces in Europe. The detachment was originally organized as a volunteer airborne company in 1952, but has since grown into an elite special forces unit.

4. However, getting a UOE green beret is not easy, and the failure rate ranges from 70 to 80%. It's not uncommon for 100% of recruits to fail the test.

5. In sixth place is the Russian Alpha squad, one of the best and most famous special forces units in the world. This elite anti-terrorist unit was created by the KGB in 1974 and remains under the auspices of its modern "follower" - the FSB.

6. In 2002, Russian special forces, and in particular the Alpha unit, came under fire after 129 hostages died in Operation Nord-Ost in a Moscow theater as a result of the use of sleeping gas designed to eliminate militants.

7. Fifth place: of all the anti-terrorism services in the world, few can compare with the French Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN). The group has 200 people trained specifically for hostage situations. Since its founding in 1973, the group has released 600 people. It is against the law to publish photos of their faces in France.

8. One of the most extraordinary episodes in the history of GIGN was the capture of the Great Mosque in Mecca in 1979. Since non-Muslims are forbidden from entering the holy city, a team of three GIGN representatives boldly converted to Islam to help the Saudi military liberate the mosque.

9. In fourth place is Sayeret Matkal from Israel, another of the most elite units in the world. His main goal is intelligence gathering, and often operates far beyond enemy lines. During the selection, recruits undergo rigorous training and are constantly monitored by doctors and psychologists. Only the strongest get into the squad.

10. In 2003, Israeli taxi driver Eliyahu Gurel was kidnapped after taking four Palestinians to Jerusalem in his car. But the Sayeret Matkal detachment discovered his whereabouts and removed him from a 10-meter hole in an abandoned factory in the suburbs of Ramallah.

11. The British Special Air Service opens the top three. Their motto is: "The brave wins." When asked about the importance of this unit in the Iraq War, US General Stanley McChrystal replied: “Principled. Nothing would have been possible without them.”13. The United States Navy SEALs are in first place. To join them, you need to be able to do at least 42 push-ups in 2 minutes, 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes, and run 2.4 km in 11 minutes. And all this - even before the start of training.

14. Bonus: US Marines are tough guys. For example, one of them drinks the blood of a cobra during jungle survival training.


Country: Brazil
Number: 400 people. 95% of recruits are weeded out at the training stage.

Habitat

Favelas, densely populated slums in the hills around Rio, founded 300 years ago by freed slaves. The favelas are divided into 950 districts, each of which has its own laws established by local authorities. A stranger, and even more so a white one, can easily be shot or cut here, unless, of course, he came to buy drugs. Streets one and a half meters wide exclude the passage by car. A lot of windows, doors and some holes on all sides do not make it clear where the shots came from. The police do not dare to show themselves in the favelas, only special forces come here. Any conflict with local population turns into melee urban combat with the use of firearms, which, by the way, can easily be bought from under the counter from the same policemen.


Weapon

Automatic Colt Commando. 800 rounds per minute. Light weight and short barrel are ideal for mobile urban combat. BOPE fighters are trained to shoot with both right and left hands, so that it is more convenient to maneuver in the slums.


Base

A rebuilt and fortified old casino on a hill high above the city. It rises in the very center of the favelas.

Workout

Running up hills and stairs with 30 kg of armor on the body and 5 kg of weapons. Close combat. Doom-shooting at a special range, simulating the slums.



Vehicle

Some streets of the favelas are still wide enough for a caveirao, a completely black armored special forces vehicle, affectionately nicknamed the "big skull", to drive along them. The only weak point of these armored cars is the wheels. Brazilian commandos joke that they can change tires faster than Formula 1 mechanics. Amnesty International has recently come out against the use of caveirao. The fact is that the special forces often practice "mobile cleansing" - the shooting of suspicious passers-by in the favelas right from the windows of the truck. Human rights activists consider this poaching.



Country: Colombia
Number: 500 people.

Habitat

Jungle. Eternal twilight under a thick hat of foliage. You can stand a meter from the enemy and not notice him. Reptiles, one hundred percent humidity and lack of roads are not even discussed: the locals have been used to this since childhood. In the impenetrable thickets in the center of the country are coca plantations, producing 700 tons of cocaine per year. As a result, the powder will settle in the nostrils of the inhabitants of the United States and Europe, powdering the noses of half of Latin America along the way. Since the mid-80s, the Americans and the British have been trying to block the great river at the very source and have allocated a lot of money and specialists from their own special forces to train "hunglas" - fighters with Colombian field laboratories, where they boil the purest 95% cocaine. The assault on these institutions is not only an exchange of 5 mm bullets, but also the prospect of losing a leg or two. Few people know that Colombia firmly holds the first place in the world in the number of incidents with anti-personnel mines. Drug lords love to throw a "hunglas" surprise.


Weapon

The good old Colt Commando in the M4 version - the shortest of all with a folding telescopic butt. Just right to carry it through the jungle. On the other side, the special forces are met exactly the same. This is generally the most popular weapon in Latin America.


Base

There are four divisions in the country. Their bases are at least an hour away from big cities, next to their native jungle.


Workout

Forced marches through thickets in full gear (weight of armor and weapons - about 20 kg). Shooting at targets hidden among foliage and vines.


Vehicle

American Black Hawk helicopters. The most luxurious gift from the northern uncle. With this reliable and compact machine, you can look out from above for coca plantations and throw "hunglas" anywhere in their mountainous, impassable country. You can also shoot from above if the battle on the ground takes a particularly unpleasant turn. Most amazing people in the Colombian special forces, these are helicopter pilots. It seems that they can easily land on the roof of a shabby village hut, smiling and virtuoso quarreling with someone they know on the air. Before our eyes, one sat down on a steep hillside, and the blades turned out to be twenty centimeters from the protruding stone.



Country: Poland
Number: 237 people. The best police officers who are tested for three years get here.

Habitat

Densely populated city blocks, built according to Soviet GOSTs. It is in small apartments on the outskirts of Warsaw and other cities that those whom the ZOA hunts live and hide weapons, prostitutes, heroin and so on. It all flocks here before being sent across Europe: Poland, with its seven borders and EU membership, is an ideal staging post. Special operations take place almost every week. Sometimes they are quite extreme, as, for example, in the small town of Magdalenka. Two Russian arms dealers then dug in in a private house, so that forty commandos could not storm them for 12 hours. Under the door, the “Russian mafia” laid a mine, grenades were dropped on the heads of attack aircraft, and fire was continuously fired from the windows. As a result, the criminals were taken dead, losing two fighters. However, initially the Polish special forces were created with an eye on even larger game. After 9/11, the small but proud Eastern European country decided that it, too, was threatened by terrorists. So far, fortunately, these ambitions have not materialized.


Weapon

Submachine gun MP5. German quality, caliber 9 mm, weighs only 2.5 kg, it is possible to use a silencer and a combat flashlight - what you need for quiet urban sweeps. The main disadvantage is the price. Still, you have to pay for the opportunity to snatch out of the holster the same as the British SAS. By the way, the holster of the Polish special forces, which, in addition to weapons, also contains a walkie-talkie and smoke bombs, is fastened high on the chest. On the side of the thigh is an additional holster with a Glock GmbH pistol. The outfit also includes a RoboCop Kevlar helmet, knee pads and body armor - all in non-marking black.



Workout

Operations in high-rise buildings require virtuosity in close combat, rappelling from rooftops, and the art of breaking windows with your feet. The Polish special forces constantly master all this in specially built "death houses". Since most of the operations, according to the old KGB tradition, are carried out between three in the morning and six in the morning, they also train in pitch darkness, using night vision devices.



Country: Mexico
Number: 87 people.

Habitat

Mexico City, the world's largest metropolitan area. Here South America meets North America and does its most unpresentable business. In a crowd of 25 million people, it's pretty easy. Nevertheless, the local police do not give up and tirelessly search for criminals in order to engage in a shootout with them - almost every day one of the law enforcement officers dies in the line of duty. Special forces also work in the Stakhanov regime - two or even three trips a week. However, not all of them end in a storm. In many areas, the power is held cocaine cartels who put special people at the entrance to the intricacies of streets, so that they know about the visit of GOPES in advance, and they prefer to leave. Some, however, take the fight. They have enough weapons and arrogance to meet the attack aircraft with a barrage of fire (up to rocket launchers!), and then what is happening reminds real war. Thanks to the investments of the northern neighbor, a lot of money and very serious people are circulating here. If someone decided to scare someone with the help of special forces, then you need to work it out for real.

Do you remember the old Soviet joke? At a meeting in NATO, the generals decide in which army of the world, which elite units are best trained. English green berets? Or American Navy SEALs? Or someone else? Finally, one old general says that the most terrible troops are in the Soviet Union. They are called strange word construction battalion, and due to the special savagery they don’t even trust weapons. The Soviet Union successfully collapsed. In the Russian army, the construction battalion was abolished (replacing it with more prosperous phrases " railway troops" and " engineering troops”), but still, it is interesting to know which country owns the strongest elite special forces.

Of course, these troops are difficult to compare with each other, since it is impossible to hold an Olympic system tournament between them in the manner of gladiator fights practiced in ancient Rome, but you can try to evaluate the entry requirements, training, and track record of these military units. So….


8. Detachment "Black Stork", Pakistan


A special forces group that got its name from its unique headgear. The fighters of this formation in the process of training must make a forced march of 58 km in 12 hours and with full gear run 8 km in 50 minutes. He fights mainly against the Afghans, including against the Taliban.

7. Special Operations Unit of the Spanish Navy


Created in 1952, initially only volunteers were recruited there. It was called the "company of mountaineers-divers" (the original name, isn't it?) Later it was transformed into an elite unit. The selection process for this unit is very tough. According to the results of the qualifying course, 70-80% of applicants are usually eliminated.

6. Russian special unit "Alpha"


Created in 1974, of course, under the KGB, later, after the collapse Soviet Union, came under the control of the FSB. After the collapse of the Union, this special unit of work clearly increased. All kinds of operations in the North Caucasus and beyond. Alpha fighters fight both terrorists and organized crime. And those and others, as you understand, in Russia are an order of magnitude more than in former USSR. What can you do, the world is changing.

For Beslan and Nord-Ost, "Alfa" is criticized to this day, presenting the security forces with unjustified a large number of victims. But, it must be said that in the same infamous Moscow theater, Alfa people corrected the mistakes of other people who showed phenomenal gouging and indifference. The result is 129 dead hostages, mostly from paralytic gas. Nevertheless, the professionalism and the highest fighting qualities of the Alpha fighters are beyond doubt. Suffice it to recall the storming of Amin's palace in Kabul in 1979, numerous operations in Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and other hot spots.

For example, the liquidation of the leader of Ichkeria Aslan Maskhadov and the representative of Al-Qaeda in Chechnya and adjacent regions Abu-Hawsa, release of hostages in Mineralnye Vody in 2001. As for criticism, apparently, the features of the Russian mentality are affecting. Criticize, look for the guilty, and sometimes even curse, accusing of all known deadly sins, but when it gets hot, tearfully beg for help.

5. Special forces of the French gendarmerie, the so-called intervention group. GIGN


Main combat missions- Operations to free the hostages, such is the specificity of the group. When seizing the Al-Kharak Mosque in 1979 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the special forces were faced with the fact that only Muslims could be allowed into the territory of the holy city. Then the three fighters of the group converted to Islam, and after that they immediately joined the Saudi Arabian troops, who liberated the mosque from terrorists.

In total, the group's combat account has more than 600 released hostages.

4. Special Forces Sayeret Matkal, Israel


The main tasks are reconnaissance, information gathering. Because the fighters of this unit spend a lot of time behind enemy lines. Not everyone is able to withstand the hard overload of the qualifying course (gibush). Trainings are conducted under the supervision of physicians and a psychologist. According to the results of the gibbush, only the best are taken to the unit.

One of the group's most memorable operations is the release of an Israeli taxi driver named Ilyahu Gurel, who was kidnapped by three Palestinians whom he took to Jerusalem. The kidnappers held him in a 10-meter shaft in an abandoned factory in the suburbs of Ramallah. However, the special forces soldiers found him there too. As for the terrorists, they were given what they deserved.

3. Special Air Service of Great Britain, or SAS (Special Air Service)


This is a kind of twin of a specially designed unit marines SBS. The motto of this unit is "The one who takes risks wins." The SAS took part in the fighting in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. As US General Stanley McChrystal noted, “Their participation was critical. We couldn't have done it without them." This statement perfectly characterizes the role of the SAS in those events, as well as the level of combat training.

2. A special unit of the British Marine Corps - SBS (Special Boat Service)


There is also a very tough selection and high intensity training. The training course includes all kinds of endurance tests, training in combat survival skills, training in the jungles of Belize, plus intensive interrogation of applicants for admission. You can take the test course no more than twice.

1. "Navy SEALs" (SEAL) - an elite unit of the US military


The main tactical unit of the special operations forces of the United States Navy. They are mainly engaged in reconnaissance, sabotage activities and the release of hostages, as well as solving other tactical tasks (demining, combating illegal border crossings).

The formation of the detachment began in 1962. First of all, fighters who knew how to swim well, shoot and wield edged weapons were selected for the detachment.

From 1962 to 1973, the SEALs fought in Vietnam, both as part of reconnaissance teams and as instructors for Vietnamese soldiers. They invaded Grenada (Operation Outburst, 1983). Participated in the Persian Gulf War (Operation "Main Chance"). Fought in Panama and Afghanistan. On May 2, 2011, the Navy Special Forces Detachment conducted successful operation to eliminate Bin Laden.
The specificity of training fur seals is that they perceive water not as an obstacle, but as natural environment. Service in the SEAL places high demands on the health of fighters, both physical and psychological, and therefore the training there is appropriate. What is the “hell week” worth, when for 5 days the fighters sleep only 4 hours a day, and the rest of the time they are busy with survival tests.

The motto of the SEALs - "the only easy day was yesterday" clearly indicates the progressive nature of the loads that are already to an ordinary person will seem overwhelming.