Top 10 Special Forces Units in the World

Top 10 Special Forces Units in the World

Top 10 Special Forces Units in the World

Special forces- the elite of a nation's military, tasked with missions too delicate or difficult for large, conventional forces to undertake. These elite warriors operate in small unitizes and are specialized in a variety of tasks to include recon deep behind enemy lines, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, and direct-action missions such as sabotage or assassinations. But of all the world's elite forces, which are the best? Today we're going to look at the ten best special forces units in the world, ranked by not just their expertise, but past performance, overall capabilities, and training plus equipment. Some units listed here such as Germany's GS9are world-renowned as top counter-terrorism operatives, but we're looking for the total package, the best warfighters any nation on earth can field who can tackle a variety of missions, and come out on top each time.

10 – Sayeed Metal –Israel 

Israel is a nation born from conflict and surrounded by enemies, thus it's no surprise that some of the most elite warfighters in the world would come from this tiny, but a formidable nation. Winning stunning victory after stunning victory against superior forces across the second half of the 20th century, Israeli soldiers quickly developed a reputation for being amongst the world's best, and few IDF service members can match the skills of General Staff Reconnaissance Unit 269, otherwise known as Sayeed Matador to their enemies: The Unit. Founded in 1957, The Unit was originally tasked with reconnaissance and gathering intelligence behind enemy lines, a vital need for a nation surrounded on all but one side by hostile neighbors. Given their expertise operating behind enemy lines, The Unit soon was tasked with the proactive elimination of hostile enemy leaders before they could stir up trouble against Israel. In a practice still considered controversial to this day, operatives of Sayeed Metal penetrated Lebanon and other nations and assassinated or kidnapped top Palestinian terror leaders. The unit has also undertaken several successful hostage rescues, but one black mark on their elite record comes from a hostage rescue mission undertaken in an Israeli school in 1974, resulting in the deaths of twenty civilians. Capable of blending into any population and masters of reconnaissance, assassinations, and snatch-and-grabs, The Unit firmly clenches the top 10 spots amongst the world's most elite special forces.

9 – MARCOS – India

Formerly known as the Marine Commando Force, India’s MARCOS are amongst the world's most elite amphibious units. Born out of a need for a maritime special operations force, India's MARCOS have their roots in India's war against Pakistan in 1971, when a critical need for combat divers that could support amphibious landings was discovered by India's military forces. After the war, several infantry units were converted to amphibious units similar to America's Marines, and in 1987 India's fist MARCOS soldiers were sent to train with American SEALs and British SAS. Capable of operating in any terrain, MARCOS nevertheless are specialized in maritime operations, a critical need for a nation whose primary regional adversary- Pakistan- holds a large coastline with vital military targets to eliminate in the case of war. Starting in the 2000s through MARCOS began to undertake many counterterrorism operations, and their enemies began to call them the 'bearded army' for their bearded, distinctly non-military disguises as they hid amongst the civilian population. With close ties to American, British, and Russian special forces, MARCOS operatives are amongst the best in the world, and enjoy the benefit of training under three distinctly different SOF units from three different nations, adopting the best that each has to offer. Unfortunately, their relative lack of global experience and narrow operational focus versus some of the other units on this list though sees them rest at the number nine spot in our top ten of the world's best.

8 – Joint Task Force 2 – Canada

Canada, America's fashionable top hat and a land full of people always ready to respond with a polite word- but for all that politeness and civility, Canada operates one of the world's best counter-terrorism forces in the world. Known as Joint Task Force 2, or JTF2, these elite soldiers have their roots in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Special Emergency Response Team. Given the greater recruiting pool within the Canadian armed forces though, a request by Deputy Minister of Defense Robert Fowler to have a new counter-terrorism unit established within the military was approved, and thus the JTF2 was born. Since its inception, the JTF2 has operated alongside its American allies, and on its own, all across the world. During the Bosnia-Herzegovina war in the 90s, JTF2 operatives hunted for snipers targeting UN troops in the infamous sniper alley, where dozens of civilians and UN troops met their end at the hands of snipers. In Haiti, JTF2 supported the security forces of President Rene Prevail by providing training for the Haitian military and police in their conflict against revolutionary forces. They also assisted local SWAT teams and even lead operations against weapon smugglers in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. In Afghanistan, JTF2 worked alongside American special forces in neutralizing targets across the country, in missions so secret that even the Canadian prime minister was unaware of the details. Hands down one of the world's best counter-terrorism forces, JTF2's narrow focus nonetheless ultimately limits their position to number 8 on this list, though it doesn't make them any less fearsome a fighting force.

7 – New Zealand Special Air Service

New Zealand with its roots in the legendary Long-Range Desert Group in World War II, New Zealand's Special Air Service may be small in size, but its reputation is legendary. Back in World War II, their soldiers roamed the deserts of North Africa, carrying out recon and daring raids against German and Italian bases and airfields, often attacking in the middle of the night and disappearing back into the sands by sun-up. After the war, New Zealand formed their version of the British Special Air Service and assisted British efforts in counter-insurgency across their former colonies and commonwealths in Asia. During the Vietnam war, NZSAS operatives were working behind enemy lines, pinning down North Vietnamese and Vietcong lines of communication and supply routes. With a wide range of disciplines, NZSAS troopers are capable of carrying out any mission from reconnaissance behind enemy lines to counter-terrorism, and even asymmetrical warfare operations. They are however famously capable jungle warriors, with skills honed in the inhospitable and dangerous jungles of southeast Asia.

6 – Special Air Service Regiment – Australia

Training closely with their New Zealand neighbors, Australia’s very own Special Air Service Regiment has earned a fearsome reputation for its incredible flexibility and lethality both. The SASR was formed in 1957 and was, alongside New Zealand's SAS, modeled after the British SAS, even sharing their motto, “Who Dares Wins”. These elite troopers have seen combat everywhere from Borneo to Somalia where they fought alongside American troops, as well as Iraq and Afghanistan. The SASR specializes in long-range, on-the-ground recon, working in small groups and operating deep behind enemy lines, but also maintains specialized commando units capable of carrying out large-scale raids against fortified targets. While operating as recon elements, SASR commandos are experts in infiltrating enemy territory and are trained to remain unseen, operating invisibly behind enemy lines where they can call in devastating airstrikes against targets of opportunity and time-sensitive targets. Infiltration and camouflage specialists, thesis firmly clenches the number 6 spot as one of the world's deadliest fighting forces.

5 – Delta Force- the USA

There are few units in the world more feared, and more notorious, than America's Delta Force. Secretive warriors, Delta Force operatives are unique amongst global special forces, as they very often operate in plainclothes within the heart of hostile foreign cities. These highly skilled soldiers are amongst the best in the US Army and have a wide repertoire of skills to back their reputation. When General Norman Schwarzkopf needed bodyguards in the middle of a war zone during the first Gulf War, it was Delta Force that met that need. When one of Al-Qaeda's top recruiting and propaganda leaders was marked for elimination, it was Delta Force operatives who snatched him in a now-legendary operation that plucked the man from a busy street in mere seconds. Best known for operating amongst hostile populations, Delta Force training includes everything from land navigation at night to spycraft techniques, taught by CIA operatives. While a broad-spectrum capable force, Delta Force’s specialized operational scope nonetheless limits their spot on this list to number 5.

4 – Alpha Group- Russia

There is no more notorious and feared counter-terrorism unit in the world than Russia's Alpha Group. A famously aggressive unit of special forces operatives, Alpha Group has its origins in the old Soviet KGB as a response to the 1972Munich massacre. With terrorism on the rise globally, the Soviet Union saw a pressing need for an elite counter-terrorism unit along the lines of West Germany's GSG9. Primarily a counter-terrorism task force, Alpha Group has nonetheless been tasked with a variety of very high-profile missions outside of the scope of their counter-terrorism training. Just before The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Alpha Group operatives infiltrated President Shafiullah Amin's palace and killed him along with his mistress and young son- as well as many other Afghani nationals. Famous for disregarding civilian casualties, Alpha Group operatives have a brutal efficiency, but their inability to operate with subtlety has often caused unnecessary casualties and massive political fallout for Russia and the former Soviet Union, ultimately limiting Alpha Group to the number 4 spot.

3 – Shayetet 13 – Israel

Managing a feat only shared by one other nation on this list, Israel manages to land not one, but two elite units in our top 10 of the world’s most deadly special forces outfits. Sheeted 13 commandos are often compared to American SEALs, and are without a doubt the deadliest fighting force in the Middle East. With a wide range of disciplines, no mission Sheeted 13 can’t handle, and they have undertaken everything from hostage rescues to target elimination and even boarding actions against hostile vessels. Their most famous feat, however, is likely the hunting down and elimination of Black September terrorist leaders who had orchestrated and carried out the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes. Some of the world's deadliest hunter-killers, Shayetet 13 commandos are also fully capable of carrying out traditional direct-action missions during wartime, and in the Yom Kippur war, its commandos infiltrated Egyptian ports and sunk five Egyptian navy vessels while causing heavy damage to another. Known as the “people of Silence”, Shayetet13 is Israel's answer for any mission too dangerous, or too difficult for anyone else to undertake.

2 – SAS – United Kingdom

The grandfathers of modern special operations forces, Britain's SAS laid the groundwork for what special forces should be and became a model that every other nation on earth followed. Created in 1941, Britain's Accentuated reconnaissance and raids in Nazi-held territory and was given one simple task: raise hell for Jerry any way you can. And hell, they indeed raised. The exploits of Britain's SAS are by now the stuff of legend, and today they remain one of the most formidable special operations forces in the world, with operational expertise across the globe. Their incredible heritage and the long list of accomplishments should rightly place them at the number one spot on our list, and in truth, they are ultimately nearly neck and neck with our top special force’s unit in the world. Capable of operations across the spectrum of modern war, SAS troopers are as equally skilled at counter-terrorism operations as they are in direct-action missions. While the British military steadily shrinks in size and capabilities, the SAS nonetheless remains stalwart protectors of Britain's interests and deadly allies to her friends.

1 – Navy SEALs – USA

Britain's SAS has a historical legacy well known and feared by their enemies, but in the modern age, no military force is more feared than America's Navy SEALs. Their training is legendarily brutal, and they suffer the most casualties during the training of any American unit and sport a washout rate of 98%. For those that make it through initial training, they must still survive a year or more of training before being declared combat-ready to join an existing SEAL team. Operating from the sea, air, and land, there is no terrain on earth SEALs can't operate and thrive in, and their clandestine missions are so secretive, that little is known about their service record.