While we all respect the army, navy and air forces, when it comes to being in the field of danger, there is a force which takes it one step ahead. They eliminate potential threats and do things which are feared by the bravest of souls. These are the Special Forces. There are various bravehearts who risk their lives in service and are known to be the sharpest of the lot.
Ranking or comparing these Special Forces around the world is an extremely difficult task, but there have been a few that have always stood out in the interesting, challenging and extremely dangerous field. Take a look at 11 of the most feared Special Forces from around the world.
1. MARCOS, India
MARCOS is the short name for ‘Marine Commandos’. Trained in HALO and HAHO, equipped with the best assault rifles, sniper rifles and real time war equipment, Indian MARCOS are one of the deadliest Special Forces in the world. They are primarily trained along the pattern of the US Navy SEALs, with further training with the British SAS and compulsory training at CIJW (Guerrilla warfare) in Vairangte. One of the best parts about their training regime is the high motivation that is found in the members and their emotional training in addition to their physical training. Operating under extreme secrecy, MARCOS has carried out numerous notable tasks like the Kargil War, Operation Leech, Operation Swan, Exercise Balanc Iroquois 03-1/Vajrstormehar and many more. Nicknamed the “Dadhiwalee fauj” (bearded Army), MARCOS are the only Special Force after US Navy SEALs that can fight in water bodies with full-fledged weaponry.
2. Special Services Group (SSG), Pakistan
Imagine marching 36 miles in twelve hours and running five miles in full gear in just fifty minutes. These are some of the tasks that Pakistan’s Special Forces undergo in their trailing regime. The group came to light when they marched into a building and rescued more than thirty five people who were taken hostage from the army headquarters.Their involvement in the historic Indo-Pakistan wars and the Soviet Afghan War is well talked about. During the infamous Pan Am Flight 73 hijack, SSG showed courage in rescuing passengers and minimalizing the damage. Another notable operation which saw SSG commandos was when they rescued hostage children from a hijacked Afghan school bus in just 20 seconds. Yes, it took seconds for the SSG to finish three terrorists.
3. National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), France
4. Special Forces, USA
Also known as the Green Berets because of their characteristic service headgear as requested by President Kennedy in the 60s, their official motto is De oppresso liber (To Liberate the Oppressed), while their insignia bears an arrowhead with a saber and three lightning bolts.The unit is full of rough and ready soldiers but it’s their snipers who are regarded as the deadliest assassins. This group within the Green Berets trains for seven weeks with the best in the USA. They head operations related to the coalition support, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping and counter drug operations.
5. Sayeret Matkal, Israel
This is an Israeli Special Force and is trained to bring down terrorism. The members of this force are renowned for their high physical as well as intellectual characteristics. In the selection camp called Gibbush, would-be recruits endure hardcore training exercises under constant monitoring by doctors and psychologists. They have played a vital role in reducing the tension for Israel in the Palestine terror attacks. One of the famous incidents highlighting the Sayeret Matkal’s work is that of rescuing Israeli taxi driver Eliyahu Gurel in 2003 after he was kidnapped transporting four Palestinians to Jerusalem in his cab. The unit located and rescued him from a 10-meter-deep pit in an abandoned factory in a suburb of Ramallah.
6. Joint Force Task 2 (JTF2), Canada
7. British Special Air Service (SAS)
They are the basis for Special Forces all around the world. Even USA’s Delta Force was formed after the founder spent some time with SAS. They are the number one fighting force in the world and are trained to perform equally well in all other fields.
8. Navy Seals, USA
There are eight “Teams” of Navy SEALs – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10. They also have SEAL Team 6 but it is not numbered. They have everything, from high end technology to the best in field trainers.
9. GIS, Italy
The Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (GIS) is one of the most elite operations to counter terrorism. Created in 1978, this unit is a part of the Italian military police, and is known for its marksmanship.With almost a hundred soldiers, they are aimed with anti-terrorism operations, security services and also provide training.
10. Alpha Group, Russia
An arm of the well known and feared Spetsnaz, the alpha group is the fiercest in their group. This well known task force started out in the mid 1970s and came to the limelight during the invasion of Afghanistan. They are known for their brutal vengeance and heartless taking down of the opponent.Due to their unique operational strategies, the unit is also known as Spetsgruppa “A”. The unit did come under heavy criticism during the 2002 Moscow theatre hostage crisis, when in order to knock out militants, FSB’s Alpha group used chemical gas which led to the killing of 129 hostages as collateral damage.
11. Polish GROM
he Polish elite counter-terrorism unit, GROM means “Thunderbolt” and justly describes their tactics – speed, precision and deadly force. In the same league as the British SAS, this special force was created with the same principle. Having worked with SEALs many times, they are rumoured to have given special training ideas to the SEALs as well. The GROM force is estimated to have between 270 and 300 soldiers, and each has to pass a gruelling series of psychological and physical durability tests, as well as the “truth test”
12 OPC Oodua Peoples Congress
The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) is a Yoruba nationalist organization in Nigeria. The Yoruba people, who live in the southwestern part of Nigeria, and in neighbouring countries such as Benin, are a large ethno-linguistic group; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (ede Yorùbá). The Yoruba constitute approximately 35 percent of Nigeria's total population,[1] and around 50 million individuals throughout the region of West Africa.
It is also known as the Oodua Liberation Movement (OLM) or the Revolutionary Council of Nigeria (RCN)
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