Pakistani SSG Ranked Among Top Elite Special Forces in the World

Most countries in the world have an elite special forces group which represent the best their military has to offer. They are the creme de la creme and capable of superhuman feats.

Pakistan’s own special forces group ranks among them. Here’s a list of top 8 special forces groups in the world. The rankings are based on their track records and their reputation.

8. Pakistan’s Special Services Group (SSG)

The SSG are also known as Black Storks since the commandos have unique headgear that sets them apart. Their training regimen includes a 36-mile trek in 12 hours and a 5-mile run completed in 50 minutes, done in full gear. Back in 2009, the SSG stormed an office building and rescued 40 hostages kidnapped by suspected Taliban militants.

7. Spain’s Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (Naval Special Warfare Force)

It was established back in 1952 as Amphibious Climbing Company and has since then become one of the most respected special forces in Europe. It’s not easy to join the Naval Special Forces, which have a candidate failure rate of 70% to 80%. It often even goes as high as 100%.

6. Russia’s Alpha Group

The Alpha Group was created by the KGB (Russian intelligence agency, known as FSB these days) and serves under them to this day. The Alpha Group received its share of criticism back in 2002 when 120 hostages died due to excessive shelling during the Moscow hostage crisis.

5. France’s National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN)

This specific group specializes in dealing with hostage situations and numbers around 200 in total. Since GIGN’s formation back in 1973, they have rescued more than 600 hostages. It is illegal to publish images of GIGN member’s faces.

4. Israel’s Sayeret Matkal

Sayeret Matkal unlike the GIGN, specializes in intelligence gathering and working behind the enemy lines. At their selection camps, the candidates are monitored by the doctors and psychologists when they’re undergoing intense training. Only the best are selected.

3. British Special Air Service (SAS)

One of the best in the world, the SAS are the infantry counterparts of the Special Boat Service. Their motto is “who dares wins”. SAS’s role was essential in the Iraq War according to the US Gen. Stanley McChrystal who said that they couldn’t have done it without them.

2. British Special Boat Service

The British version of US’s Navy SEALs unit. The hopeful candidates are selected after a hardcore endurance test involving training in the forest of Belize and combat survival training. The latter of the two includes grueling interrogation of candidates. You only get two chances to pass the tests.

1. US Navy Sea-Air-Land Unit (SEAL)

While most of the special forces units mentioned in this list specialize in one or two specific fields, the Navy SEALs specialize in all of the above. They have the best reputation in the world with many countries forming their special forces units based on them.

Via Business Insider