Many people have heard the expression “elite troops” in Russia, but not everyone has an idea of what this expression actually means. There are no clear criteria that would help classify this or that special unit as more prestigious. As a rule, such a title is usually earned by troops that are in full combat readiness every minute and have the greatest combat capability. deserve honorary title Among the people, troops can also be honored for displaying heroism and high professionalism in combat operations. IN elite Russian troops list, which are located below, included the most prestigious divisions based on the surveys conducted.
Opens a list elite troops Russia. The main task special unit anti-terrorist measures are taken. The detachments are engaged in the release of hostages, eliminate riots, and also eliminate illegal armed groups. Also in the competence of the Troops national guard includes the neutralization and detention of criminals who pose a particular danger to society. The special forces of this detachment celebrate their official day on March 27th.
Belongs to the most prestigious troops of the fatherland. The creation of the Armed Forces took place in 1992 of the 20th century. The main function of the special unit is to protect the territory of the country and its integrity. The aircraft has one of the largest reserves military equipment, as well as weapons mass destruction, including nuclear. As of 2017, the number of special forces military personnel was just over a million people, and the mobilization resource was over 60 million. Recruitment of the Armed Forces occurs in two ways - conscription through the army and contract service. The state spends more than 3 trillion rubles annually on the development of the Armed Forces.
rightfully belongs to the most prestigious troops of the Russian Federation. He stands guard over the country, protecting it from attacks outside the land zone. The Navy is designed to conduct combat operations on water spaces. The Navy has been guarding our country for more than three hundred years. In addition to the main tasks, the competence of the special unit includes ensuring the safety of maritime activities in the vastness of the World Ocean. The Navy has high firepower and high range destruction, which allows you to destroy the enemy at a great distance - up to several thousand meters.
The FSSP of Russia certainly belongs to the elite troops of the Russian Federation. It includes rapid response units, which are required to undergo special training. The FSSP is armed with automatic weapons and ensures the safety of the vessels, as well as personally guards the management Federal service bailiffs.
Included in the list of the country's elite troops. The main tasks of the special forces are to detect and eliminate terrorist groups. Other goals of the troops include carrying out special events on enemy territory.
They are considered one of the most elite troops of the Russian state. Airborne troops are engaged in carrying out special activities behind enemy lines. Also, the tasks of the special forces include capturing enemy targets and capturing the enemy. Selection for the landing force is strict in all respects. The future paratrooper must have not only good physical characteristics, but also have a stable psycho-emotional background, since airborne troops have to perform quite complex tasks. The official creation of the special forces occurred in 1992. Airborne Forces actively participated in the Afghan war, Chechen war, and also took part in hostilities with Georgia.
is elite special forces, which is in service with the Russian state. Refers to troops that are in constant and full combat readiness. The Strategic Missile Forces are armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles with warheads. The formation of the special forces occurred in the middle of the last century. Today, the missile forces include 3 armies, which include 12 missile divisions. Rocket Forces strategic purpose They are armed with more than three hundred complexes of different types.
Unlocks the top three most elite troops of the Russian Federation. The armed forces are designed to conduct naval operations, which include combat operations with the capture coastline enemy. In addition, the special unit also carries out other operations, including the protection of coastal areas. Main tasks Marine Corps the conquest of coastal territories and their retention until the main forces arrive. The special unit is part of the Russian Navy.
The elite without any doubt includes, whose main tasks are the defense of the state in the aerospace field, the detection and complete destruction of the enemy, as well as repelling military operations from ballistic missiles. Also, the competence of the Aerospace Forces includes identifying possible combat missile attacks and being in full combat readiness. The components of videoconferencing are Space Force Russia. The main tasks of the latter special unit are monitoring objects in space, as well as timely detection and combat defeat of space threats.
Completes the rating of the elite troops of the Russian Federation. The competence of the military unit includes solving problems of ensuring the protection of the presidential residence, namely the Moscow Kremlin. Also, the FSO component participates in protocol events and takes part in honor guards. The Presidential Regiment was formed in 1993, the official day of which is May 7.
Who are engaged in carrying out the most complex tasks. This post will introduce you to the five most famous and prestigious special forces in the world.
Special Air Service, UK
Britain's Special Air Service gained worldwide fame after the storming of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. Britain's colonial past guaranteed wide application SAS divisions in various countries and in various conflicts. The history of this structure dates back to the Second World War on the North African front of combat operations in Libya and Egypt. These paratroopers Nazi troops no mercy. They were subject to a special order from Hitler for immediate destruction. Thus, in 1944, 55 British operatives were shot.
SAS patrol in North Africa during the Second World War.
Modified and heavily armed SAS jeep
In April 1980, six Arab terrorists broke into the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London and took 26 people hostage from among the visitors and staff of the diplomatic mission. They demanded the release of almost a hundred of their comrades from Iranian prisons. Otherwise they threatened to blow up the embassy. The first to arrive on the scene were SAS soldiers, who set up their headquarters in a nearby building. Negotiations began, and within a couple of days several hostages were released from the embassy, but on May 5, when the terrorists’ demands were not met, the lifeless body of the diplomatic mission’s press attache was thrown out of the building.
For several days, SAS soldiers practiced the assault on a full-size mock-up. On May 5, Operation Nimrod was broadcast on live. It took 15 minutes, and only one of the invaders survived. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but was released in 2008 and helped to start life under a new name. No SAS soldiers were injured. Among the hostages, one person was killed and two more were seriously injured.
Margaret Thatcher with SAS soldiers who stormed the Iranian embassy
Selection for SAS takes place twice a year: in winter and summer. Only military personnel can join the British special forces. Historically, people with a background in the Commandos or the local equivalent of the Airborne Forces have been welcomed there. In addition to the physical exercises inherent in SEAL selection, British candidates are screened out by a two-hour, 13-kilometer march carrying 25 kilograms on their shoulders. Each day the distance increases and ends with a 65-kilometer march over an 886-meter-high hill.
The fighters are then sent to learn survival, navigation and jungle fighting techniques. Most last test- this is hide and seek in the jungle with the participation of tracking “hunters”. But even candidates who are not caught will have to endure interrogation and torture that lasts for 36 hours. The fighters are starved, thirsty and deprived of sleep, and they, in turn, must repeat: “I cannot answer this question.”
The mountain that British Special Forces candidates so often storm
Sayeret Matkal, Israel
One of the most secret Israeli special forces of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), Sayeret Matkal, primarily specializes in deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines. However, the unit is also tasked with combating terrorism and rescuing hostages outside of Israel. It is alleged that it was created in the image and likeness of the British SAS.
In the 50s of the last century, the structure was formed with an eye to uniting the best physically and intellectually developed youth in Israel. With the growing threat of Palestinian terrorism in the late 60s, the Sayeret Matkal unit began to develop the world's first methods and techniques for releasing hostages and countering terrorism.
One of the first such operations for Israeli fighters was the release of hostages of passenger flight 571 Vienna - Tel Aviv in May 1972. Terrorists from the Palestinian Black September organization hijacked a Belgian plane, more than a hundred passengers and staff, and threatened to blow them all up unless Israel released more than 300 Palestinians from prison. The Sayeret Matkal fighters trained on a similar vessel in a closed hangar, while the main one had its wheels flattened and the fluid drained from hydraulic systems. The terrorists were then assured that the Boeing needed maintenance.
Men in White - “Sayeret Matkal”
The operation to free the hostages involved 16 disguised fighters, among whom was the current Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. He was wounded, as were two other hostages. Two terrorists and one passenger on the plane were killed. It is noteworthy that the commander of the assault group was also the future Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak, and negotiations with the terrorists were conducted by Shimon Peres, who at that time was the Minister of Transport, and later became... yes, the Prime Minister of Israel.
Four years later, the Sayeret Matkal unit caused a stir in Uganda, where terrorists brought about a hundred Israelis on a hijacked plane. Their release was complicated by the unfriendly government of Uganda, which required the transfer of hundreds of military personnel 4,000 km away. While Sayeret Matkal fighters stormed the airport terminal, two more units held back the Ugandan military. As a result, three hostages were killed and ten more were wounded. On the Israeli side, only the unit commander was killed, while the terrorists and Ugandans lost a total of 52 people and several dozen helicopters.
The old Entebbe airport, where the Israeli special operation was carried out, later named after the deceased Jonathan Netanyahu, commander of Sayeret Matkal
Return of passengers to their homeland.
GSG 9, Germany
The special forces of the German Federal Police were formed six months after the tragic events at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Then, as a result of an unsuccessful attempt to free the hostages, Palestinian terrorists killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team. Germany realized that without specially trained fighters it would be impossible to resist a new type of threat. Therefore, it was decided to create a unit called Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (“Border Protection Group 9”).
The main challenges for GSG 9 were hostage taking, terrorism, and kidnapping. Also, the division’s specialists are involved as consultants both within Germany and abroad.
A real baptism of fire for German special forces was Operation Magic Fire to free hostages from the Landshut plane of the German airline Lufthansa in 1977. The terrorists wandered in the sky for a long time (from Rome through Dubai to Mogadishu in Somalia) and demanded the release of their accomplices from German prisons, as well as the payment of a multimillion-dollar ransom. But their journey ended in a Somali city, where GSG 9 fighters arrived. Under the cover of darkness, in black uniforms and with painted faces, three groups of special forces stormed the plane, shot two terrorists, mortally wounded a third and captured a fourth. More than 80 passengers were rescued.
Hostages return home
After the Landshut incident, GSG 9 was able to tell the German government that it would never negotiate with terrorists again.
Behind successful operation followed by another storming of a plane with hostages in Düsseldorf, which took place without a shot being fired, and the arrest of terrorists in a town in the north of the country. One of the latest incidents that required the intervention of GSG 9 fighters was mass kill at a McDonald's restaurant in Munich this summer.
Only German police officers who have served in the force for at least two years can join the ranks of the special forces. In addition to medical and psychological testing, they take 5K run, 100m sprint, jumping, pull-ups, bench press, etc. They also need to pass pistol and submachine gun shooting. The best are selected for a 22-week training, and only one out of five successfully completes the course.
United States Navy SEALs, USA
Over the years of their existence, American Navy SEALs have acquired almost mythical status. Largely thanks to cinema. Just look at Steven Seagal, who played a former SEAL soldier in the action films Under Siege and Under Siege 2. This abbreviation stands for SEa, Air and Land (“Sea, Air and Land”), and is translated as “seal” or “fur seal”. Bruce Willis (Tears of the Sun) and Michael Biehn (The Rock, The Abyss) played SEAL team commanders on multiple occasions.
The Navy SEALs were created in 1962 with the signature of then US President John F. Kennedy. This decision was influenced by the tense situation in relations with the Soviet Union, the Cuban crisis and the Vietnam War. The tasks of the newly formed unit included sabotage and counter-guerrilla activities on the territory of the mock enemy.
To a greater extent this concerned the Vietnamese theater of military operations. In particular, Navy SEALs participated in the Phoenix program under the auspices of the CIA. Its essence was to eliminate key people in the Vietnamese army and people sympathetic to the Viet Cong - the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam.
Subsequently, the SEALs participated in all major US military conflicts: in the invasion of Grenada, where the group was unable to rescue the local governor general from house arrest; in the Iran-Iraq conflict of the late 80s, where the unit distinguished itself by capturing the Iran Air, which was mining the waters of the Persian Gulf; in the invasion of Panama, where the main sabotage task of the SEALs was the destruction of the local army's watercraft and the plane of General Noriega, who was overthrown as a result of the intervention.
In modern history, the most significant operation was the destruction of the number one terrorist Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Operation Neptune Spear, developed by the CIA, involved 40 SEALs from DEVGRU, formerly known as SEAL Team Six. A unit in Black Hawk helicopters with M4 assault rifles, night vision goggles and pistols approached the terrorist’s house on May 2, 2011, where they began clearing the premises. In addition to the terrorist, four more people were killed who resisted the special forces. The country's top leadership watched the operation live.
Bin Laden's hideout. He and his wives lived on the second and third floors behind a high fence
Before a SEAL candidate can begin training, he must pass a series of psychological and physical tests. The latter include swimming 450 meters in a minimum of 12 and a half minutes; 42 (optimally 100) push-ups and 50 (100) squats in 2 minutes, 6 (25) pull-ups and a 2.4 km run in 11 minutes. Naturally, candidates with best results more likely to end up in training camp. However, 80% of all those selected still break down and do not complete the training.
Alpha Group, USSR (Russia)
Like the German GSG 9, the anti-terrorist special unit in the USSR was created after the terrorist attack at the Munich Olympics. Six years before Summer olympic games In 1980, in Moscow, the chairman of the KGB initiated the creation of division “A”. Only KGB officers passed through strict selection criteria there. The first squad was recruited to those fit for service in the Airborne Forces, and therefore both physical data and psychological endurance were strictly taken into account.
Most of the Alpha Group's operations were carried out on the territory of the Soviet Union. IN track record units - the capture of deserters in Sarapul, who took local schoolchildren hostage in 1981, the storming of a Tu-134 plane in Tbilisi with Georgian terrorists trying to escape from the USSR, as well as not the most unpleasant tasks in the union republics during the slow collapse of the country.
A group of fighters who were to storm Amin's palace
The most high-profile episode in the history of Group “A” was the storming of Amin’s palace (special operation “Storm-333”) in December 1979, which involved Soviet Union into the long and grueling war in Afghanistan. 24 Alpha fighters, in parallel with 30 KGB special reserve soldiers, dressed in Afghan uniforms with a white bandage on their arms and cleared the palace floor by floor, while other special forces provided them with external cover.
As a result of the operation, Afghan President Hafizullah Amin was killed, on whose orders Prime Minister Nur Taraki was removed from office in September of the same year. Amin's repressions threatened the fall of the regime of the local ruling party, which could lead to a change in the country's political course.
Since the 90s, the unit has been part of the Russian FSB, where it specializes in anti-terrorism activities. Separate Alpha groups existed in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Based on them, they formed national special forces these countries. Belarusian "Alpha" was created in March 1990. It was part of the structure of Group “A” of the 7th Directorate of the KGB of the USSR as Group No. 11 with a deployment in Minsk.
The well-being of absolutely any state directly depends on the national army. The more combat-ready it is, the fewer threats there will be to the country's security. But one should understand the fact that the army is a systemic concept that has internal features and specific structural components. Each of these elements is assigned a number of specific functions necessary to ensure the defense capability of the state. It must also be remembered that the army performs important tasks both in war time, and in peaceful times. In the classic version, it consists of several main elements, namely: naval, ground, and air forces.
In particular developed countries There are other troops, for example, in the Russian Federation there are space troops. Secretly, special elite troops are allocated, which are assigned special functions. It is these national military formations of the Russian Federation that will be discussed in the article below.
The essence of the concept
To get into the most elite troops in Russia, you need to train hard and for a long time. Many experts advise starting physical training even before the offensive. Both conscripts and officers who graduated from special universities enter the Airborne Forces. Knowledge of any martial arts or military sports training is welcome. This genus troops is the most promising in the Russian Federation, because it recruits personnel for the GRU, FSB and other secret special forces units.
Conclusion
We looked at Russia's elite troops. Please note that this list may change over time. Nevertheless, the rating is based on facts of combat effectiveness and detailed surveys of the population. The article also answers the question of how to get into Russia's elite troops. In conclusion, we would like to add that the army is the destiny of strong and purposeful people. If you are one hundred percent confident in yourself, then the elite armed forces The Russian Federation is waiting!
These units are involved in the most difficult situations, where conventional power structures are usually powerless. They are called the special forces elite. They are available in many countries, but this review includes only the best of the best.
Sayeret Matkal (IDF Special Forces) Israel
The special squad was formed in 1957 by an officer named Abraham Arnan. When creating the Israeli “unit 269,” they were guided by the methods of preparing and carrying out operations of the British SAS special forces. (more on them later). The number and location of Sayeret Matkal are strictly classified. Not available in open press accurate information about the structure of the detachment. The list of functions of the unit includes: counter-terrorism, reconnaissance and hostage rescue.
Israeli specialists are true masters of their craft. In order to join the ranks of such elite unit countries, conscripted soldiers undergo a long training course, which lasts 18-19 months. There are the following stages of preparation:
- four month basic course
- two-month advanced infantry training course
- three week parachute course
- five-week anti-terrorism training
The rest of the time is spent training under the Sayeret Matkal program with an emphasis on acting alone, in isolation from the main forces, deep behind enemy lines.
One of the most high-profile operations of “unit 269” was the release of passengers from an Air France plane hijacked by terrorists from the PFLP organizations in Uganda. As a result, 102 out of 106 hostages were rescued. The casualties were the detachment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu.
SAS(Special Air Service) Special air service. Great Britain
The SAS is one of the oldest and most highly trained special forces units in the world. The unit was formed on 24 August 1941 by Lieutenant David Stirling of the Scots Guards. It was he who was able to convince the British command to drop special forces behind enemy lines using parachutes, hence the name.
SAS is based on three individual shelf(21,22 and 23rd), which in wartime are transferred to the operational subordination of the command of the British Armed Forces. Each regiment corresponds to a battalion in size. Specifically, the 22nd Regiment = “Increment” works in the interests of the notorious Secret Service MI-8. In fact, SAS specializes in military operations of increased complexity, but the special company “Squadron E” settled within the 22nd Regiment. It is she who is focused on anti-terrorist operations.
The most famous SAS operation was the release of hostages at the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. The entire operation took no more than 17 minutes. As a result, 1 hostage was killed, 1 was wounded, the rest were successfully rescued. All terrorists except one were destroyed.
I would like to add that SAS soldiers love to “play around with gas”, as a result of which a gas mask is an integral part of their equipment.
GSG 9 (Germany)
GSG 9 was formed in September 1973, exactly one year after the Munich Massacre, where Olympic athletes tragically died at the hands of terrorists. It was this event that prompted the German authorities to create GSG 9.
The name GSG 9 means "Grenz Schutz Gruppe 9" - border security group, and the number nine was chosen simply because the then border security group in Germany already had eight regular border groups at that time.
GSG 9 is divided into several subgroups, each of which has its own specialization:
1st subgroup – regular operations
2nd subgroup - maritime operations
3rd subgroup - airborne operations
4th subgroup – technical and technological support
As for preparation, everything is serious here. The 22-week training course includes 13 weeks of basic training and 9 weeks of advanced training. In addition to the medical tests, there are also minimum physical requirements, such as running 5,000 meters in 23 minutes and jumping at least 4.75 meters. According to statistics, only one out of five candidates successfully completes the training course, which is not surprising.
One of GSG 9's most famous operations is the rescue of plane hostages in Somalia, Operation Magic Fire. The operation took 7 minutes. As a result, all the hostages were rescued, the terrorists were eliminated, and the German special forces were left without losses.
ST-6 (Seal Team Six) (USA)
The ST-6 team, or better known to us as the “Navy Seals”, was created after the failure of the April 1980 operation in Tehran. Eagle Claw", the purpose of which was the release of hostages from the US Embassy in Tehran. The main area of activity of the team is conducting special operations to free hostages and capture criminals suspected of committing crimes against humanity, war crimes, as well as members of terrorist organizations.
The ST-6 squad is used only in the most difficult missions, where ordinary special forces are simply powerless. The fighters are distinguished by good training and the necessary cruelty.
One of ST-6's most famous operations was the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011.
Most information regarding ST-6 is classified, and the details of its activities are usually not commented on at the official level.
Alpha. Directorate "A" (Russia)
The Alpha special unit was originally created in the 7th Directorate of the KGB of the USSR on the initiative of Yuri Andropov himself after the tragedy at the Munich Olympics. The special unit is designed to carry out counter-terrorism special operations using special tactics and means.
Alpha fighters undergo a rigorous selection process in order to join the ranks of the elite unit. Only officers with higher education and the highest physical fitness are enrolled in the group:
- Pull-ups on the bar: 25 times
- Push-ups: 90 times
- Press: 100 times
- Running: 100 m - 12.7
- Bench press: 10 times (body weight)
- Cross: 3000 m - 11.00 min
- Demonstration hand-to-hand combat(stand for 3 minutes against a trained employee or instructor)
- Jumping up with changing legs: 90 times
Among other things, fighters undergo a special psychological preparation, which is comparable, perhaps, with the training of specialists from the Israeli Sayeret Matkal.
Among the most high-profile operations of the group are the capture of Amin's palace in Kabul in 1979, the release of more than 750 hostages at the Dubrovka Theater Center in 2002 (41 terrorists were killed), the liberation of a school in Beslan in 2004 (27 terrorists were killed, 1 was captured alive).
I would like to note that the Alpha group has significant combat experience in operations involving mass hostage-taking. Not a single special unit in the world can boast of the same.
The fighters of these well-equipped and technically equipped units are ready to carry out the most difficult combat missions to free hostages and destroy terrorists, for which they received the meaningful name “Special Forces”.
Almost every self-respecting country has its own units used to carry out sensitive tasks, and in the DPRK this direction military service The Motherland was even assigned a separate branch of the military. Today we will talk about the five best special forces in the world according to the website and in person Roman Zablotsky. Let us immediately make a reservation that the fame of a special forces unit is not always equal to its effectiveness - many operations require silence.
5. ST-6 (USA)
SEAL ( S.E. a, A ir and L and) Team 6 (ST-6) is better known as the unit " Seals" It was founded in 1980. The main task of this special unit is to free hostages and eliminate terrorists committing crimes against humanity.
The soldiers of this detachment are used to perform particularly difficult tasks that are beyond the capabilities of ordinary special forces soldiers. During selection, special emphasis is placed on professional skills and “necessary cruelty” towards the enemy.
In 2011, ST-6 fighters landed on the territory of their ally Pakistan without the consent of its leadership. They kidnapped the permanent leader of a group banned in Russia terrorist organization Al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden and took him to an unknown direction. Subsequently, it was officially announced that bin Laden had been shot, his body burned and his ashes scattered over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
4. Sayeret Matkal (Israel)
Sayret Matkal (Hebrew: סיירת מטכ"ל) is a special unit of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, better known as “Detachment 269.” It was organized in 1957 in the image of the British SAS unit.
The number and location of the fighters of this unit are strictly classified. But it is believed that it consists of up to a company of military personnel, each of whom has experience in parachute landing and has several military specialties. The fighters are trained in diving techniques with underwater breathing apparatus and are capable of storming ships on the open sea.
In order to get on the staff of this elite special forces, the applicant must undergo a special training course lasting more than 18 months, after which he must demonstrate his professional capabilities.
The most famous operation of Sayeret Matkal was the release of passengers from an Air France plane hijacked by terrorists in Uganda. Then, as a result of a lightning attack, 102 out of 106 hostages were saved. In total, the fighters of “detachment 269” carried out more than 1,000 operations, none of which ended in failure.
And they don’t hire fools into this unit. IN different years Prime ministers of Israel served in the Sayeret Matkal Benjamin Netanyahu And Ehud Barak, Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz, Secretary of Homeland Security Avi Dichter, director of the Mossad intelligence service Dani Yatom and other famous politicians who subsequently determined the country's development strategy.
3. Special Air Service SAS (UK)
The special unit was founded in August 1941 by Lieutenant David Sterling, who managed to convince the country's leadership of the advisability of throwing paratroopers-saboteurs behind enemy lines. It was the saboteurs trained by the SAS and sent to the Czech Republic who destroyed the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia in May 1942 Reinhard Heydrich. The subsequent Hitlerite repressions against the Czechs subsequently provoked the intensification of the people's liberation movement in the country most loyal to the Germans.
Today the unit includes three separate parachute regiments, each of which does not exceed the usual strength motorized rifle battalion. The fighters obey operational command The Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, and their 22nd Regiment in Peaceful time works closely with British intelligence MI6.
They carry out particularly sensitive assignments around the world, including the release of hostages, as well as the elimination of the leaders of criminal and terrorist groups. Soldiers of this special unit took part in combat operations in Afghanistan.
The most famous is the special operation to free hostages held in the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. It lasted less than 17 minutes. One hostage was killed, another was injured, and the rest were rescued. The exact number of operations carried out by SAS soldiers still remains unknown to the general public.
2. GSG-9 (Germany)
The special unit of the German Federal Police was formed in 1973 after tragic death athletes from Israel who were attacked by Islamic terrorists during the Munich Olympics. The name stands for “Border Protection Group”, and the number 9 was chosen because by that time there were already 8 German border protection groups.
The special forces training course is 22 weeks, during which military personnel receive several military specialties and gain skills in providing professional medical care.
Numerous physical standards are required, including covering 5 kilometers over rough terrain in 23 minutes and long jumping at least 475 cm. Typically, only one out of five fighters who complete the preliminary training course meets these requirements.
The most famous special operation is the release of hostages from a Lufthansa plane hijacked in Somalia in 1977. In just 7 minutes, all the terrorists were eliminated, and none of the hostages were injured.
1. KGB/FSB group “Alpha” (Russia)
"Alpha" is a special forces detachment formed under the KGB of the USSR in 1974 on personal initiative Yuri Andropov. The group was created from the best officers who are capable of conducting anti-terrorist operations using special means and special tactics.
Alpha officers undergo a rigorous selection process. They learn to withstand successive hits of several bullets on their body armor, after which they must return fire to destroy the enemy. The detachment consists exclusively of persons with higher education and excellent physical fitness.
Mandatory standards for admission to Alpha:
- Pull-ups on the bar – 25 times;
- push-ups from the ground – 90 times;
- press swing – 100 rfz;
- 100 meter run – 12.7 seconds;
- jumping up with changing legs – 90 times;
- bench press with body weight – 10 times;
- cross-country 3 km needs to be run in 11 minutes;
- The applicant must stand in confrontation with a trained officer for 3 minutes.
Among the most famous operations are the destruction of terrorists who mined the theater center on Dubrovka in 2002, as well as the release of hostages held by terrorists in high school Beslan in 2004.
Unfortunately, the latest special operations were accompanied by big amount casualties among the civilian population, which significantly damaged the reputation of the Alpha fighters. Nevertheless, they continue to remain leaders among the world's special forces due to huge amount military operations that ended with the destruction of terrorists and the release of hostages.
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