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This is a list of military special forces units, also known as special operations forces (SOF), currently active with countries around the world, that are specially organized, trained and equipped to conduct special operations.
These are distinct from special-purpose infantry units, such as the Royal Marine Commandos, found on the list of commando units, and also paratrooper units found on the list of paratrooper forces.
NATO currently defines "special operations" as:
Military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, trained, and equipped forces, manned with selected personnel, using unconventional tactics, techniques, and modes of employment.[1][2]
In 2001, as part of efforts to create a framework for consultation and cooperation between NATO and Russia, the NATO-RUSSIA Glossary of Contemporary Political and Military Terms further defined special operations and special operations forces:[3]
special operations military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, trained and equipped forces using operational techniques and modes of employment not standard to conventional forces. These activities are conducted across the full range of military operations independently or in coordination with operations of conventional forces to achieve political, military, psychological and economic objectives. Politico-military considerations may require clandestine, covert or discreet techniques and the acceptance of a degree of physical and political risk not associated with conventional operations.[4]
special-operations forces strategic formations and units of the armed forces, whose role is to conduct sabotage, reconnaissance, subversive and other special operations on the territory of foreign countries. In wartime they may also be assigned tasks such as intelligence-gathering, the seizure or destruction of key installations, the conduct of psychological operations or the organization of insurgencies in the enemy's rear area. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have separate special-operations forces brigades, battalions and companies which are integrated with the intelligence assets of military districts, fronts, fleets, armies or corps.[4]
The United States definition of special operations is:
Operations requiring unique modes of employment, tactical techniques, equipment and training often conducted in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and characterized by one or more of the following: time sensitive, clandestine, low visibility, conducted with and/or through indigenous forces, requiring regional expertise, and/or a high degree of risk.[5]
The Canadian definition of special operations forces is:
Organizations containing specially trained personnel that are organized, equipped and trained to conduct high-risk, high value, special operations to achieve military, political, economic, or international objectives by using special and unique operational methodologies in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive area to achieve desired tactical operational, and/or strategic effects in times of peace, conflict, or war.[6][7]
Algerian Land Forces (CFT)
- 104th Operational Maneuvers Regiment (104e RMO)[10]
- 116th Operational Maneuvers Regiment (116e RMO)[11]
Algerian Navy (AN)
- 1st Special Forces Regiment (Armenia) – Spetsnaz unit.[18][19]
- Special Operations Command[20]
- Special Forces Group[21]
- 1st Commando Regiment[22]
- 2nd Commando Regiment[23]
Incorporates the role of Tactical Assault Group (East)[24] - Special Air Service Regiment (SASR)[25]
Incorporates the role of Tactical Assault Group (West)[24] - Special Operations Engineer Regiment[26]
- Special Forces Group[21]
- 6th Aviation Regiment[27]
- Clearance Diving Branch[29][Note 1]
Divers serve with 2nd Commando Regiment as part of Tactical Assault Group (East)[29]
Special Operations Forces Command[36][37]
- 5th Spetsnaz Brigade
- 38th Guards Mobile Brigade – Brest[38]
- 103rd Guards Mobile Brigade – Vitebsk[38]
- Botswana Ground Force
- 1st Commando Regiment[40]
- Special Operations Command[41]
- 1st Special Forces Battalion (1º BFEsp)
- 1st Commando Battalion (1º BAC)[42]
- Special Operation Support Battalion[43]
- Royal Brunei Land Force
- Special Forces Regiment (SFR)[47]
- 68th Special Forces Brigade[48]
- Bulgarian Land Forces
- 101st Alpine Regiment[49]
- Bulgarian Navy
- 65th Seaborne Special Reconnaissance Detachment[50]
- National Defence Force
- 4th Commando Battalion[51]
- People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces[66][67]
- People's Liberation Army Ground Force
- People's Liberation Army Navy
- People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps
- 7th Marine Brigade[71]
- People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps
- People's Liberation Army Air Force
- People's Liberation Army Air Force Airborne Corps
- Airborne Corps Special Forces Brigade[72]
- People's Liberation Army Air Force Airborne Corps
- National Army of Colombia
- Special Forces Division (División de fuerzas especiales (DIVFE))[73]
- Agrupación de Fuerzas Especiales Antiterroristas Urbanas
- Colombian Air Force
- Special Air Commando Group (ECOEA)
- 391st Commando battalion URR[74]
- Black Wasp (Avispas Negras)
The Czech Republic Special Operations Forces [77]
- Ministry of Defence SOF Directorate
- 601st Special Forces Group[78][circular reference]
Special Operations Command (SOKOM)
Special Operations Command (CFE)[81]
Sa'ka Forces (Thunderbolt Forces)
- Agazi Commando Division[85]
- Coastal Brigade
- Naval Reconnaissance Battalion
- Special Operations Detachment[86]
- Naval Reconnaissance Battalion
Special Operations Command French Army
- Special Forces Command and Signal Company – (Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions des Forces Spéciales) (CCTFS)[87]
- 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment[87]
- 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment[87]
- 4th Special Forces Helicopter Regiment[87]
- Air Parachute Commando No. 10 (CPA 10)[87]
- Special Operations Division, Transport section (ET 03/61 Poitou)[87]
- Special Forces Command (KSK)
- No. 4 Squadron Helicopter Wing 64
- Ghana Navy
- Special Boat Squadron[92]
- 31st Search & Rescue Squadron (31MEED)[95]
- Underwater Demolition Command (DYK) – is organized into sections called Underwater Demolition Teams (OYK)[96]
- HDF 34th Bercsényi László Special Forces Battalion[97]
- HDF 25/88th Light Mixed Battalion[98]
- HDF 5/24th 'Gergely Bornemissza' Reconnaissance Battalion[99]
- Kopaska – Naval frogman commando
- Denjaka – Joint navy-marine special forces
- Taifib – Marine amphibious reconnaissance battalion
- Kopasgat – Air force special forces command
- Bravo Detachment 90 – counterterrorism unit of Kopasgat
- Army Ranger Wing (ARW)[109]
Military Intelligence Directorate
- General Staff Reconnaissance Unit 269 – Sayeret Matkal
- 13th Flotilla – Shayetet 13
- Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (GIS)[112][117] – in addition to special operations, is responsible for civil policing as a police tactical unit[118]
Joint Special Operations Command
- Special Forces Group[121] – "King Abdulah II"
- Special Unit I – Specializing in counter terrorism on the basis of the 71st Special Battalion
- Lebanese Armed Forces
- Counter-Sabotage Regiment (aka Moukafaha)[123]
- Lebanese Army
- Lebanese Commando Regiment (aka "Ranger Regiment")[124][125]
- Lebanese Navy
- Lebanese Air Force
- Airborne Regiment[127]
Lithuanian Special Operations Force[128]
Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces
- Special Operations Platoon (SOB)[129]
- Armed Forces of Malta
- Special Operations Unit (SOU)[139]
- Special Forces Company[142]
Netherlands Special Operations Command (NLD SOCOM)[143]
Armed Forces Special Forces (AFSF)[147]
- Special Boat Service[148]
- Deep Blue Special Intervention Forces (Maritime Security Unit)[149]
- 11th Army Corps ("Storm Corps")[151]
Army of the Republic of Macedonia
- Special Operations Regiment ("Wolves")[152]
- Special Forces Battalion – (Batallón Conjunto de Fuerzas Especiales)[158]
- Fuerza Delta[159]
- Jednostka Wojskowa Agat[170][171][172]
- Jednostka Wojskowa Formoza[173][171][174]
- Jednostka Wojskowa GROM[175][171]
- Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów[176][171][177]
- Jednostka Wojskowa Nil[178][171]
- Powietrzna Jednostka Operacji Specjalnych, commanded by Headquarters Special Troops Command, but part of Polish Air Force[179][180]
- Portuguese Air Police
- Core of Tactical Operations of Protection (NOTP – Núcleo de Operações Táticas de Proteção)[183]
- Special Forces Brigade[187]
Special Operations Forces Command[188][189][190][191]
- Special Purpose Center "Senezh"[189][191]
- Special Purpose Center "Kubinka-2"[189][191]
- 561st Emergency Rescue Center[192] (Naval component, Sevastopol)
- 344th Army Aviation Combat Center[189]
Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)
- Unit 29155 – based at the 161st Special Purpose Specialist Training Center
- Unit 54777 – alternately called the 72nd Special Service Center
- Unit 26165 – Fancy Bear, STRONTIUM
- Unit 74455 – also known as the Sandworm Team or the Main Center for Technologies
- Special Forces of the GRU
- Russian Ground Forces[193]
- 2nd Special Purpose Brigade in Promezhitsa, Pskov Oblast[193]
- 3rd Special Purpose Brigade in Tolyatti[193]
- 10th Special Purpose Brigade in Mol'kino, Krasnodar Territory[193]
- 14th Special Purpose Brigade in Ussuriysk[193]
- 16th Special Purpose Brigade in Tambov[193]
- 22nd Special Purpose Brigade in Stepnoi, Rostov Oblast[193]
- 24th Special Purpose Brigade in Irkutsk[193]
- Russian Airborne Troops[194]
- Russian Navy
- Naval Special Reconnaissance (OMRP)[195] – Reconnaissance divers under operational subordination to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)
- Counteraction Underwater Diversionary Forces and Facilities (PDSS)[196] There are PDSS units in all major Naval Bases.[196]
- Russian Ground Forces[193]
- Special Navy Security Units (SNSU)[citation needed][197]
- 64th Special Forces Brigade[198]
- ROK Army Special Warfare Command ("Black Berets")[203]
- Mando Conjunto de Operaciones Especiales (MCOE, Joint Special Operations Command)[218]
- Spanish Land Army
- Mando de Operaciones Especiales (MOE, Special Operations Command)[219]
- Manages four Special Operations Groups (Grupo de Operaciones Especiales, GOE)
- Mando de Operaciones Especiales (MOE, Special Operations Command)[219]
- Spanish Navy
- Special Naval Warfare Command
- Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial (FGNE, Special Naval Warfare Force) – formerly Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE, Special Operations Unit), until a 2009 merger with Unidad Especial de Buzos de Combate (UEBC, Special Combat Diver Unit) to form the FGNE.[220]
- Special Naval Warfare Command
- Spanish Air and Space Force
- Escuadrón de Zapadores Paracaidistas (EZAPAC, Paratrooper Sappers Squadron).[221]
- Spanish Land Army
- Life Regiment Hussars (K 3)
- 31st Ranger Battalion
- 32nd Intelligence Battalion
- 323rd Parachute Ranger Squadron (Fallskärmsjägarna)[226]
- Norrland Dragoon Regiment (K 4)[227]
- 193rd Ranger Battalion (Arméns jägarbataljon – AJB)[228]
- Blekinge Wing (F 17)
- Air Force Rangers (Flygbasjägarna)[229]
- Amphibious Corps
- 1st Marine Regiment (Amf 1)
- 202nd Coastal Ranger Company (Kustjägarna)[230]
- 1st Marine Regiment (Amf 1)
Special Forces Command[234]
Republic of China Military Police
- Royal Thai Army Special Warfare Command (RTASWC)
- 1st Special Forces Division (1st SFD)
- 3rd Special Forces Regiment, King's Guard (Airborne)[241]
- 1st Special Forces Division (1st SFD)
- Naval Special Warfare Command (Royal Thai Navy SEALs)[242]
- RTMC Reconnaissance Battalion
- Special Air Regiment (RAS)[246]
- General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces
- Special Forces Command (OKK) (aka Maroon Berets)
- Turkish Naval Forces
- Turkish Air Force[248]
- Combat Search and Rescue (MAK)
- Air Force Search and Rescue (AKIP)
- Northern Cyprus
Special Operations Forces – headquarters in Kyiv
- 3rd Special Purpose Regiment (Kropyvnytskyi)[251]
- 8th Special Purpose Regiment (Khmelnytskyi)[252]
- 140th Special Purpose Center (Khmelnytskyi)[253]
- Information Warfare & Psychological Operations[254][unreliable source?]
- 72nd Psychological and Information Warfare Center[255]
Ukrainian Navy units
- 73rd Naval Special Purpose Center (73 MTSSN) (Ochakiv)[256]
- 801st Anti-Diversionary Detachment (801 OZB) (Ochakiv)[257]
- 1st Special Purpose Brigade (Kalinivka Airfield, Vinnytsia Oblast)[259][unreliable source?][260][unreliable source?]
United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF)
- Royal Navy
- Special Boat Service (SBS)[261]
- Special Boat Service (Reserve)[262]
- British Army
- Special Air Service (SAS)
- Special Air Service (Reserve) (SAS(R))[268]
- Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR)[271]
- 18 Signal Regiment (Royal Corps of Signals)[272]
- Special Forces Support Group[273]
- Royal Air Force/British Army
- Special Forces Flight of 47 Squadron (Royal Air Force)[274][275]
- Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing[276]
- 7 Squadron (Royal Air Force)[276]
- 658 Squadron (Army Air Corps, British Army)[277][276]
United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
- Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)
- United States Army
- 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D or "Delta Force")
- Intelligence Support Activity (ISA)
- Aviation Technology Office (ATO) (formerly "Flight Concepts Division")[278]
- United States Navy
- Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU or "SEAL Team Six")
- United States Air Force
- 24th Special Tactics Squadron (24th STS)
- 66th Air Operations Squadron (66th AOS)[278]
- 427th Special Operations Squadron (427th SOS)
- 1st Joint Special Operations Aviation Component (1st JSOAC) (formerly the Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group/AVTEG)[278]
- United States Army
- Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)[279]
- 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) – 1st SFC (A)
- Special Forces Groups ("Green Berets")[279]
- Psychological Operations Groups
- 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne)
- 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne)
- 95th Civil Affairs Brigade
- 528th Sustainment Brigade
- 112th Special Operations Signal Battalion (Airborne)
- 389th Military Intelligence Battalion (Airborne)
- 75th Ranger Regiment[279][280]
- Army Special Operations Aviation Command (ARSOAC)[279]
- 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) "Night Stalkers"[279]
- Army Special Operations Command Flight Company[279]
- 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) – 1st SFC (A)
- Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC)[279]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 1[279]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 2[279]
- SEAL Teams 2, 4, 8 & 10[281]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 4[279]
- Special Boat Teams 12, 20 & 22
- Naval Special Warfare Group 8[282]
- Naval Special Warfare Group 11[279]
- SEAL Teams 17 & 18 (Reserves)
- Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC)[279]
- Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC)[279]
- Marine Raider Regiment[279]
- Marine Special Operations Support Group[279]
- "Scorpion" Battalion (14th Parachute Infantry Battalion "Escorpión")[283]
- 99th Army Special Operations Brigade[284]
General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army
- Vietnam People's Ground Force[286]
- Special Forces Arms[287]
- Special Forces Command at Thanh Trì District, Hanoi[288]
- 1st Special Operations Brigade (M1 Brigade) at Hanoi[289]
- 113rd Land Commando Brigade at Vĩnh Phúc Province[290]
- 198th Land Commando Brigade at Đắk Lắk Province[291]
- 429th Land Commando Brigade at Bình Dương Province[292]
- 5th Maritime Commando Brigade at Ninh Thuận Province[293]
- High Command of Capital Hanoi
- 1st Corp
- 2nd Corps
- 3rd Corps
- 4th Corps
- 1 Commando Battalion under Corps' staff at Bình Dương[298]
- 1st Military Region
- 20th Commando Battalion at Thái Nguyên[299]
- 2nd Military Region
- 3nd Military Region
- 4th Military Region
- 5th Military Region
- 7th Military Region
- 60th Commando Battalion at Bình Dương[304]
- 9th Military Region
- Special Forces Arms[287]
- Vietnam People's Navy[306]
- Naval Special Operations Force[307]
- 126th Naval Special Operations Brigade at Hải Phòng city[308][309]
- Naval Special Operations Force[307]
- General Department II
Miscellaneous Notes
- The Clearance Diving Branch does not have a dedicated special operations role as they also include clearance diving roles.
- The Japanese Special Forces Group is the current name of the former Japanese Special Operations Group, following a name change.
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