NationMaster - Encyclopedia: United Kingdom Special Forces

The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is an umbrella directorate overseeing the Special Forces units of the British Armed Forces. The head of the UKSF is the Director of Special Forces (DSF), who is often eligible for COBRA meetings. It comprises: The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majestys Armed Forces, officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. ... COBR (for Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms) is a UK government coordination facility which is activated in cases of national or regional emergency or crisis, or during events abroad with major implications for the UK. It is often referred to as COBRA (or Cobra; see initialism), in apparent confusion with the...

It has been suggested that SAS Troops be merged into this article or section. ... The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the British Royal Navys Special Forces unit. ... (Another meaning of SRR is Search and Rescue Region. ... The Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) is a unit of the United Kingdom Special Forces. ...

Special Air Service

The SAS is the main Special Forces organisation of the British Army and one of the most famous military organisations in the world, because of its outstanding success in many world wide operations. The SAS was formed in 1941 to conduct raids behind German lines in North Africa, it today serves as a model for similar units fielded by many other countries. The regular army SAS Regiment is the most secretive in the British Army, but attracts a disproportionate amount of media coverage. There is one regular army regiment within the SAS and two Territorial Army (TA) regiments: Image File history File links Sas_badge. ... Image File history File links Sas_badge. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... It has been suggested that SAS Troops be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that SAS Troops be merged into this article or section. ... Special forces or special operations forces are military units which are formed and trained to conduct missions involving unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, direct action and foreign internal defence. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... It has been suggested that SAS Troops be merged into this article or section. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... It has been suggested that the section RAID parity blocks from the article Parity bit be merged into this article or section. ... Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... It has been suggested that SAS Troops be merged into this article or section. ... A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ... It has been suggested that SAS Troops be merged into this article or section. ... In the United Kingdom the Territorial Army is a part of the British Army composed of reserve units, or part-time soldiers. ...

The 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Volunteers) is a special forces regiment of the British Territorial Army. ... 23 SAS (23 Special Air Service regiment) is one of the Territorial Armys special forces regiments. ...

Special Boat Service

The SBS is the Naval Special Forces unit. Formerly recruiting solely from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, the SBS now accepts applications from all branches of the armed forces. The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the British Royal Navys Special Forces unit. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services being the oldest of its three branches. ... Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the United Kingdoms amphibious force and Naval Infantry. ...

Special Reconnaissance Regiment

The SRR is a Special Forces Regiment of the British Army, specialising in Counter-Terrorist surveillance. (Another meaning of SRR is Search and Rescue Region. ... A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ...

Special Forces Support Group

The SFSG is a unit of the United Kingdom Special Forces whose primary task is to provide large scale infantry support for the SAS and the SBS. Because of the initial similarity to the US Army Rangers, the unit was dubbed the British Rangers. The Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) is a unit of the United Kingdom Special Forces. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. An infantry is a body of soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other... It has been suggested that SAS Troops be merged into this article or section. ... The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the British Royal Navys Special Forces unit. ... Official force name 75th Ranger Regiment Rangers Other names Airborne Rangers Army Rangers Task Force Ranger U.S. Army Rangers Branch U.S. Army Chain of Command USASOC Description Special Operations Force, rapidly deployable light infantry force. ...

Other special operations units

The following forces are not part of UKSF, but are considered to be Special Forces and elite units:

British Army: The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

Royal Navy/Royal Marines: The Pathfinder Platoon is an elite unit within the British Armys 16 Air Assault Brigade and is a part of the Parachute Regiment. ... The 148 (Meiktila) Commando Forward Observation Battery is an elite, highly trained Naval Gunfire Support Forward Observation (NGSFO) unit within 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery. ... 8 Flight Army Air Corps is an independent flight within the British Armys Army Air Corps. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services being the oldest of its three branches. ... Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the United Kingdoms amphibious force and Naval Infantry. ...

The following forces are officially regular units however their exceptional levels of training and unique capabilities are often comparable to those normally only found in Special Forces, and they are considered to be elite units. The Brigade Patrol Troop is the medium-level reconnaissance unit of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. ... Fleet Prtection Group Royal Marines Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines Security of nuclear weapons at Faslane, HM Naval Base Clyde is part of the Groups responsibilities The Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines (FPGRM), formerly Comacchio Company Royal Marines (1980-1983) and Comacchio Group Royal Marines (1983-2001), is a... Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre is the another wing within the Royal Marines. ...

Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the United Kingdoms amphibious force and Naval Infantry. ... The Parachute Regiments display team, the Red Devils at an American airshow The Parachute Regiment is the main body of elite airborne troops of the British Army. ... Gurkha Soldiers (1896) The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for British Army units that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. ...

Support units

These units are also sometimes considered Special Forces support units and are needed to provide communications, artillery, engineering, air support and transportation.

29 Commando Regiment is the Commando trained unit of the British Armys Royal Artillery Regiment. ... The 59 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers is the commando trained unit of the British Armys Royal Engineers. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) is a component of the British Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. ...

Former Special Forces

A specialist unit whos members were drawn only from the Royal Marines Commandos. ... 14 Intelligence Company is or was a UK special forces unit, operating in Northern Ireland from the 1970s onwards. ... The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a British Army unit during World War II. The unit was founded in Egypt following the Italian declaration of war (June 1940) by Major Ralph A. Bagnold with the assistance of captains Clayton and Shaw, acting under the direction of General Wavell. ... The British Commandos were first formed by the Army in June 1940 during World War II as a well-armed but unregimented raider force employing unconventional and irregular tactics to assault, disrupt and reconnoitre the enemy in mainland Europe and Scandinavia. ... There have been several regiments in the British Army numbered as the 95th Regiment of Foot. ...

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