Full Description
Using rare and previously unpublished images from around the world, The Elite: The A-Z of Modern Special Operations Forces is the ultimate guide to the secretive world of modern special operations forces.
This book sends the reader back in time to operations such as Eagle Claw in Iran and the recapture of the Iranian Embassy in London and then forward to recent operations against al-Shabaab and Islamic State. Entries also detail units ranging from the New Zealand SAS Group to the Polish GROM, and key individuals from Iraq counter-terrorism strategist General Stanley McChrystal to Victoria Cross recipient SASR Corporal Mark Donaldson.
Answering questions such as how much the latest four-tube night vision goggles worn by the SEALs in Zero Dark Thirty cost, which pistol is most widely employed by special operators around the world and why, and if SOF still use HALO jumps, this book is the definitive single-source guide to the world's elite special forces.
Contents
Introduction
UNITS
1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment (New Zealand)
1st Special Forces Group (USA)
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (USA)
2nd Commando Regiment (Australia)
3rd Special Forces Group (USA)
5th Special Forces Group (USA)
5th Special Forces Regiment (Slovakia)
7th Special Forces Group (USA)
10th Special Forces Group (USA)
22nd Special Air Service Regiment (UK)
24th Special Tactics Squadron (USA)
25th Commando Brigade (Kuwait)
64th Special Forces Brigade (Saudi Arabia)
75th Ranger Regiment (USA)
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (USA)
Afghan National Army Special Operations Command (Afghanistan)
Agrupación de Fuerzas Especiales Antiterroristas Urbanas (Colombia)
Brigada 6 Operatii Speciale (Romania)
Canadian Special Operations Regiment (Canada)
Comando Conjunto de Operaciones Especiales de las
Ff.Aa. de Filipinas (Philippines)
Comando de Operações Especiais (Brazil)
Comando Interforze per le Operazioni della Forze Speciali (Italy)
Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (USA)
Commandement des Opérations Spéciales (France)
Counter Terrorist Service (Iraq)
Directorate of Special Units (Belgium)
Echo Squadron/Seaspray (USA)
Einsatzkommando Cobra (Austria)
Emergency Response Unit (Ireland)
Fuerza Especial de Reacción (Mexico)
Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (Germany)
Group d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (France)
Groupement d'Intervention Spécialise (Algeria)
Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno Manewrowego (Poland)
Grupo de Operações Especiais (Portugal)
Grupos de Operaciones Especiales (Spain)
Hostage Rescue Team (USA)
Intelligence Support Activity (USA)
Jægerkorpset (Denmark)
Japanese Special Forces Group (Japan)
Joint Special Operations Command (USA)
Joint Task Force 2 (Canada)
Jordanian Joint Special Operations Command (Jordan)
Komando Pasukan Khusus (Indonesia)
Komandovanie sil spetsial'nalnykh operatsii (Russia)
Kommando Spezialkräfte (Germany)
Korps Commandotroepen (Netherlands)
Lietuvos Specialiuju Operaciju Pajegos (Lithuania)
Marine Special Operations Command (USA)
National Mission Units (Afghanistan)
National Security Guard (India)
Naval Special Warfare Development Group (USA)
Norwegian Special Operations Forces (Norway)
Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza (Italy)
PLA Special Operations Forces (China)
Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion (France)
Regimental Reconnaissance Company (USA)
Särskilda Operationsgruppen (Sweden)
Sayeret Matkal (Israel)
Sea-Air-And-Land Teams (USA)
Special Activities Division (USA)
Special Air Service Regiment (Australia)
Special Boat Service (UK)
Special Forces Command (Turkey)
Special Forces Group (Belgium)
Special Forces Support Group (UK)
Special Operations Command (Ukraine)
Special Operations Command (United Arab Emirates)
Special Operations Group (Czech Republic)
Special Operations Regiment (Kenya)
Special Operations Task Force (Singapore)
Special Reconnaissance Regiment (UK)
Special Service Group (Pakistan)
Specialist Firearms Command (Specialist Crime &
Operations 19) (UK)
Spetsgruppa A (Russia)
Spetsnaz (Russia)
Takavaran (Iran)
Task Force 777 (Egypt)
Terrorelhárítási Központ (Hungary)
Tiger Force (Syria)
Unit Interventie Mariniers (Netherlands)
Yamam (Israel)
Yekîneyên Antî Teror (Syria)
WEAPONS
Accuracy International AWM
Barrett M82A1
Blaser R93 Tactical 2
Colt Canada L119A1/A2 (C8 Special Forces Weapon)
Colt M4A1
Fabrique Nationale Minimi Para
Fabrique Nationale P90
Fabrique Nationale SCAR-H (Mk17)
Glock 17
Heckler & Koch 416
Heckler & Koch 417
Heckler & Koch G36
Heckler & Koch M320
Heckler & Koch MP5
Heckler & Koch MP7A1
Heckler & Koch PSG1
Heckler & Koch USP
Israeli Weapon Industries Tavor
Kalashnikov Concern AK-103
Knight's Armament Company SR-25
Manurhin MR73
PGM Mini Hecate
Remington M870
Remington M2010
Saiga-12
Sako TRG-22
SIG-Sauer MCX
SIG-Sauer P226
EQUIPMENT
Body Armour
Camouflage
Counter-IED
Grenades
Helmets
Less than Lethal
Method of Entry
Military Working Dogs
Night Vision Goggles
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Unmanned Ground Vehicles
VEHICLES 263
CV-22 Osprey
M1126 Stryker
M1165A1 GMV
M1288 GMV 1.1
MH-6/AH-6 Little Bird
MH-47G Chinook
MH-60 Black Hawk
Non-Standard Commercial Vehicle/Non-Standard Tactical
Vehicle
Oshkosh M1245
Pandur Armoured Ground Mobility System
Polaris MRZR
Supacat HMT 400
Swimmer Delivery Vehicle
TACTICS
Advanced Force Operations
Aerial Vehicle Interdiction
Building Clearance
Climbing
Combat Search and Rescue
Counter-insurgency
Counter-narcotics
Counter-proliferation
Direct Action
Foreign Internal Defence
Hostage Rescue
Kill or Capture
Parachuting
Sniping
Special Reconnaissance
Unconventional Warfare
Visit-Board-Search-Seizure
OPERATIONS
Air France Flight 8969
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Enduring Freedom/Freedom's Sentinel
Operation Gothic Serpent
Operation Inherent Resolve
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Neptune Spear
Operation Nimrod
Operation Octave Shield
Operation Row/Paradoxical/Crichton
Operation Yukon Boulder/Viking
Acronyms
Index
