1er RPIMa

History

The 1er Régiment Parachutiste d’ Infanterie de Marine, is part of the french special forces, depending on the COS (commandement des opérations spéciales), since 1960.

Like many French special forces, the group was created in 1940 during WWII, in England. This is the reason for their motto: who dares wins, in honor of the English SAS who trained them.

They are part of Armee de Terre, but were first part of the British SAS, called “the French Squadron”.

After WWII, they fought mainly in French colonies, like Indochine, or Algeria.

Organization

The 1er RPIMa is based in Bayonne, and is composed of 900 operators. They are divided into Sticks d’Action Special (SAS). In total, there are 27 sticks.

They have 6 main missions, divided into 4 main groups.

Missions:

  • CTLO=counter-terrorism
  • THP=sniping
  • GDC=body guard
  • PATSAS=motorised action
  • Chuteurs OPS=high-altitude parachuting
  • SAS PO=diving action

Groups

  • 1er Regiment=SAS PO
  • 2eme Regiment=specialized in extreme environments (mountain, jungle,etc..)
  • 3eme Regiment=PATSAS, doing reconnaissance
  • 4eme Regiment=specialized in urban environment

Recruitment

To be a 1er RPIMa’s operator, there are some basics conditions:

  • Between 18 and 27 years old
  • Have the french nationality
  • A very good physical condition
  • measure at less 1,65m
  • Have the Baccalaureate Diploma
  • Be strong mentally

The formation lasts 20 months, with 8 of basic formation and selection, and 12 of specialized formation.

Equipment

The 1er RPIMa, as all the special forces, has high-tech equipment. The main shotgun is the HK-416, and the secondary gun is the Glock 17

HK-416
Glock-17

Shayetet 13

History

Shayetet 13 is the special unit of the Israeli Navy, and it is one of the 3 most important special force of Israel.

The unit has been created in 1949 by Yohai Ben-Nun, an Israeli Navy officier. Firstly, it was secret, but around 10 years after, they began to training with the French Commandos Marine, so the existence of the Shayetet 13 was made public.

Organization

The Shayetet 13 is divided into 3 units:

-Haposhtim: reconnaissance, conter-terrorism

-Above water unit: boats attack, conter narco-traffic

-Underwater unit: sabotage, reconnaissance

Location

They are based in Atlit.

Recruitment

The selection and the training lasts 20 months. During this period, they will have 5 stages in total wich are:

-Selection:This part occurs twice a year. All soldiers have to be males. It lasts 4 days with hard physical exercices and an important psycologic pression.

-6 months of basic training like: target shooting, marches…

-3 months of higher level training, like parachute training, maritime warfare…

-1 month of hard training with subaquatic exercices like underwater fights, ship sabotage…

-And finally, 9 months of rigourous training where most of the soldiers give up, with underwater demolition, advanced parachute training, sea-to-land incursions…

Weapons

-TAR-21

-M4

-X95

-UZI

MARCOS

History

MARCOS means “Marine Commandos Force”.

In april 1987, the staff of the Indian Navy decided to create a new unit able to realise missions like reconnaissance and conter-terrorism. The first leaders were 3 officiers from a diving unit created by the English in 1955. Then, the militaries joining the unit were selected and trained by American Navy Seals. Firstly, they were called the Indian Marine Special Forces (IMSF), but changed as “Marine Commandos Forces” in 1991.

Location

The MARCOS are based in:

-Mumbai

-Visakhapatnam

-Goa

-Port Blair

-Kochi

Recruitment

The recruitment program consists of two years of selection and training. They go through:

  • Three days of physical selection
  • The “hell week”
  • 3 months of selection
  • And then, the rest is the formation where they will:
  • learn how to use and fight with every weapon(crossbow, knives, sniper rifle…)
  • learn to dive
  • have an airborne training
  • learn the techniques of sabotage have an intelligence training
  • learn to fight (urban warzone, desert warzone…)

Weapons

AK-103
  • AK-103
  • 9mm 1A
  • Beretta 92
  • MP5
  • IWI Tavor

SAS

History

The SAS (special air service) have been created during the WW2 in Egypt during the year 1941 by the lieutenant David Striling. This unit is considered as a reference in term of special forces. They have inspired a lot of other special forces, and they created the French commandos’ marines in 1942. All began when Striling decided to create a unit with few men but well formed to fight against the German general Rommel in North Africa. British Staff did not agree with this idea but Striling did it. But in 1943, Striling is being captured by Nazis and the send him to Germany judging him too dangerous. At the end, we count more than 80 operations effected by the SAS during the second world war.

After this, the SAS are engaged in 1969 in the Irish Independence war. At first, they only start as spies to get information, but after, they begin to act as real special forces. And now, they fought almost everywhere and are considered as the best special forces in the world with the American Navy Seals.

Organization

-The 21 Special Air Service Regiment based in London.

-The 22 Special Air Service Regiment based in Credenhill.

-The 23 Special Air Service Regiment based in Birmingham.

Recruitment

Each year, 150 people try to integrate this unit. The first week is to eliminate the candidates without the good fitness. So, there are basic stuffs like:

-push-ups

-tractions

-running

-etc.…

After this week, the “survivors” will have to pass the Infantry Battle Fitness Test. A walk of 13 km with a backpack of 25 kg in the Walsh mountains’ Brecon Beacons with a limit time.

The other weeks, the candidates will have to do other hikes alone, in pair, or in group with a limit of time in the mountain.

Finally, they will have to walk 64km in the mountain with a 25kg backpack and a rifle to finish in 20h. The futures SAS will have walked a total of 445 km in the mountain.

After doing this test, they will have a formation and a journey in the jungle of 6 weeks in Borneo or in Belize.

The third and last phase is a traineeship called Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Extraction of 4 weeks including an interrogatory of 24 hours.

Weapons

-C8 carbine

-UCIW.

-M16

-HK G3

SAS badge

Guardia Civil

History

In 1814, after the independence war against Napoleon, there are a lot of thieves in Spain. To solve this problem, Fernando VII create a new army to fight inside the country, but it did not work so well, because the soldiers had other things to do than arrest “guerillos”.

Finally, the 13 of May 1844 (30 years later), under the reign of Isabel the II, a “Cuerpo de Guardias Civiles” is created. This new group of special forces of the Police depends on the ministry of the war (salary, organization…) but receives his orders from the Interior Ministry. At the cost of numerous losses, they succeed to stop the rural crime. They are welcome by the population because they bring peace and security. Encouraged by this success, the Government decides to give a pay increase and their deployment in all the territory and even in the colonies.

The 17 of July 1936, the Spanish’s civil war begins. The Guardia Civil has 33 500 men but only the half stay loyal to the government. At the end of the conflict in 1939, in total, 2714 Guardias Civiles died and 4117 were seriously injured.

Recruitment

The recruitment of the Guardias Civiles is quiet easy comparing to the other special forces, but you will need to be part of Spanish army, have a good fitness and good values.

Weapons

HK G36

-MG 4

-40 SB

-Gun HK

-Sniper Barret

Badge of the Guardia Civil

Spetsnaz GRU

History GRU

Spetsnaz means more or less: special forces. In Russia, GRU is the Special Forces of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

At first, the military intelligence had created some “special forces” in 1918, but it was not well organized and so efficient. But at the end of the WW2 and the beginning of the cold war(50s), seeing that the Americans have nuclear weapons and good tactics, the Russians create the Spetsnaz to destroy the American’s nuclear weapons.

In 1962, other Spetsnaz brigades are created with the job to spy and sabotage. Around the years 80s, the Spetsnaz are not considered as today because they were poorly trained.

During the Afghanistan war in 1979, a new brigade of Spetsnaz is created to serve in Afghanistan, called “the muslim brigade». They have to protect the palace of the Afghan President: Hafizullah Amin. But Russia decides to overthrow Amin. So the “muslim brigade” support during the operation the other Russian special forces.

Recruitment

The selection is extremely rude and a great emphasis is placed on the hardiness. During the formation, they will have:

-to use weapons from Russia and other countries.

-have a perfect fitness like all special forces but with on emphasis placed on the mental and the resistance.

-to know how to fight with hands and knives.

-to be strong mentally because they will have some oral examination in a kind of torture.

-and for sure to know or they will learn many bases of languages like English, French, Spanish and some oriental ones.

Weapons

AK-47

This is the pricipal one but their are a lot of others like:

-AKS-74

-AKS-74U

-Dragunov SVD

-PKM

-RPG-7D

Navy Seals

History

American special forces: navy seals, have been created during the WWII in 1942. At first, they were created to prepare the D-Day and covert the reconnaissance of the landing beaches with the name of Scout and Raiders. They also did the Viet-Nam war, Afghanistan one, Persian Gulf and Irak war. They also killed Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden.

Organisation

  • Team 1: Coronado
  • Team 2: Virginia
  • Team 3: Coronado
  • Team 4:Virginia
  • Team 5: Coronado
  • Naval special warfar group: Virginia
  • Team 7: Coronado
  • Team 8: Virginia
  • Team 10: Virginia
  • Seal vehicle team 1: Peael Harbour
  • Seal vehicle team 2: Virginia

Troops

Lot of people want to be a navy seal from special forces, they are actually 8 000 guys without the civilian staff, and 10 000 with the civilian staff. Navy Seals are special because they are train to fight everywhere(desert, in the sea, under the water…).

Weapon

M4

Bin Laden operation

Bin Laden base
  • 1: the CIA situate bin-Laden in 2010 at Abbottabad
  • 2: During the night of the 2nd of May, 2 helicopteres Black Hawks, with 33 Navy Seals from special forces take off from Jalalabad protected by two other heavy helicopters Chinoo.
  • 3: above a wall, a Black Hawck crash into it. Navy Seals, alive, continue their mission.
  • 4: A first group protect the annex killing the messager Ahmed al-Kuwaiti.
  • 5: A second group go inside the main building. They first kill the Ahmed-al-Kuwaiti’s brother, and after a Bin-Laden son.
  • 6: At the last stage, they kill Bin-Laden by a headshot.
  • 7: Special forces take his body and many documents .
  • 8: After his identification at Bagram, they throw the body in the sea from the carrier Carl Vinson.

Results

33 navy seals deployed

5 people killed

40 minuts of action

54 years old, age of Bin-Laden

Commandos marines

History

Commando marines have been created in 1942 during the WWII, by the commander Kieffer. They have been trained in the Highlands by the english special forces: the SAS. They were the own French to land during the D-Day.

Organisation

  • commando Hubert: sub marin actions, hostage release
  • commando de Penfenteyo:observation, neutralisation
  • commando Trepel: sea assault, hostage release liberation
  • commando de Monfort: observation, neutralisation
  • commando Jaubert: sea assault, hostage release
  • commando Kieffer: cyber war, drones
  • commando Ponchardier: operational support

Recruitment

Twice a year, 200 soldiers from french navy,try to be one of the french special force commando marine. The 3 months of recruitment are divided into two parts. First one(STAC), eliminates during 3 weeks by the physical and psycologic tests. During these 3 weeks, they will only have to be running with their 15 kg backbag, and their 4 kg weapon.

“la cuve” is a big circle of 7° water where they will have to train them inside a lot.

For the final step of the first part, they will have to run 40km with their 15kg backbag and their weapon. After this 3 selection weeks, only the 20 best of them will stay, and will learn all the techniques and everything to be a good commando marine in the french special forces.

Weapon

HK 416

So, basically…

Commandos marine are 625 soldiers specializated in water fight. They have been trained by English SAS so they keep apparent signs from the English special forces. They are like, French SAS.