Elite special forces can be found in most countries throughout the world. Although not all countries have elite special forces or even military, those that do can count these top forces as some of the finest. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed lists of such units from RankRed, Spec Ops Magazine, Business Insider, and the veteran-led digital publisher The Mighty to determine the world’s 20 top elite special operation forces. Further information on the type of unit and their principal roles was taken from the unit’s website or Wikipedia.
Many of the world’s most legendary military special operations teams originated during World War II. One of these is Great Britain’s Special Boat Service and Special Air Service, or SBS, which is comparable to the Navy Seals. (Also see: The US Military Special Forces With the Most Brutal Training.) The motto of the SAS is “Who dares wins.” The SAS gained worldwide fame in 1980 when in less than 20 minutes, they saved hostages being held by terrorists at the London Iranian Embassy, eliminating six terrorists and capturing one more in the process. Every hostage survived.
Frogmen, which were the precursor to the Navy SEALs, also got their start in World War II. Known officially as Underwater Demolition Teams, or UDT, these units were created to clear beaches for amphibious landings. Primarily intended for water work, the Frogmen were phased out during the 1980s, becoming the SEALs we know today. One of the most renowned units is SEAL Team 6 who was responsible for taking down Osama Bin Laden and is the most highly trained elite special forces in the United States.
Given the clandestine nature of their activities and the fact that the tasks between the units can vary, these forces cannot be ranked. But we know from media accounts and some declassified materials which ones are the best of the best in the world. (Also read: America’s 17 most elite special forces.)
Here are the world’s 20 top elite special forces
EKO Cobra
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: Austria
- Also known as: Einsatzkommando Cobra, Task Force Cobra
- Type: Police tactical unit
- Role: counterterrorism, law enforcement
New Zealand Special Air Service
- Country: New Zealand
- Also known as: 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, 1 NZSAS Regt.
- Type: Special forces
- Role: Surveillance and reconnaissance; combating terrorism; direct action, support, and influence
GSG 9
Source: Juergen Schwarz / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Country: Germany
- Also known as: Border Protection Group 9
- Type: Police tactical unit
- Role: Counterterrorism, law enforcement, hostage rescue
Special Air Service Regiment
Source: Ian Hitchcock / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Country: Australia
- Also known as: SASR
- Type: Special forces
- Role: Special operations, counterterrorism, special recovery operations, training assistance, long-range reconnaissance, precision strike, direct offensive action
Shayetet 13
Source: Public Domain / Israeli Defence Forces Spokesperson's Unit / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: Israel
- Also known as: HaShayetet (The Flotilla)
- Type: Maritime Sayeret (reconnaissance), special operation force
- Role: Counterterrorism; maritime sabotage; special reconnaissance; visit, board, search, and seizure; hostage rescue; sea-to-land incursions
Snow Leopard Commando Unit
- Country: China
- Also known as: 3rd Group, 13th Detachment, People’s Armed Police Beijing General Corps
- Type: Police tactical unit
- Role: Special forces, counterterrorism, law enforcement
Gruppo di Intervento Speciale
- Country: Italy
- Also known as: GIS
- Type: Special forces
- Role: Special operations, counterterrorism
United States Army Special Forces
- Country: USA
- Also known as: Green Berets
- Type: Special operations forces
- Role: Counterinsurgency, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, security force assistance
MARCOS
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: India
- Also known as: Marine Commando Force (MCF)
- Type: Special operations forces
- Role: Counterterrorism, airborne force, amphibious reconnaissance and warfare, direct action, hostage rescue, clandestine operations, unconventional warfare
Joint Task Force 2
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: Canada
- Also known as: JTF 2
- Type: Special operations forces
- Role: Special operations, counterterrorism, hostage rescue
Delta Force
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: USA
- Also known as: 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, 1st SFOD-D, Combat Applications Group (CAG), The Unit, Task Force Green
- Type: Special mission unit
- Role: Special operations including direct action, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, urban warfare, reconnaissance
Unidad de Operaciones Especiales
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: Spain
- Also known as: Naval Special Warfare Force, Special Operations Unit, UOE
- Type: Special forces
- Role: Maritime special operations, long-range reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, direct action, personnel recovery
Special Boat Service
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: UK
- Also known as: SBS
- Type: Special forces
- Role: Special operations, counterterrorism
JW GROM
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: Poland
- Also known as: Jednostka Wojskowa GROM im. Cichociemnych Spadochroniarzy Armii Krajowej (Military Unit GROM Named in Honor of the Silent Unseen of the Home Army)
- Type: Special forces
- Role: Special operations, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, direct action, unconventional warfare
Special Air Service
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Country: UK
- Also known as: SAS, The Regiment
- Type: Special forces
- Role: Special operations, counterterrorism, close combat, hostage rescue, covert surveillance
Special Services Group
- Country: Pakistan
- Also known as: SSG Pak, Black Storks, Maroon Berets
- Type: Special forces
- Role: Special operations, counterterrorism, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, personnel recovery
GIGN
- Country: France
- Also known as: Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group)
- Type: Police tactical unit
- Role: counterterrorism, law enforcement, special operations, hostage rescue,
Sayeret Matkal
- Country: Israel
- Also known as: General Staff Reconnaissance Unit 269 or 262
- Type: Sayeret (reconnaissance) field intelligence-gathering unit
- Role: Special operations, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, counterterrorism, military intelligence, sabotage, counterintelligence
Alpha Group
- Country: Russia
- Also known as: Directorate “A” of the FSB (main successor to the KGB) Special Purpose Center, Alfa Group
- Type: Spetsnaz (special operations forces)
- Role: Special operations, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, law enforcement, special reconnaissance, sabotage, military intelligence
Navy SEALs
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Country: USA
- Also known as: The Teams; Sea, Air, and Land Teams
- Type: Special operations force
- Role: Special operations, special warfare, direct action, counterterrorism, special reconnaissance, amphibious reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, hostage rescue, underwater reconnaissance and demolition
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