5th Special Forces Regiment (Slovakia)

The 5. pluk špeciálneho určenia, 5. PŠU (5th Special Forces Regiment), is based in Zilina. Slovakia's premier Counter-Terrorism and special operations unit. The unit is directly attached to the Armed Forces General Staff, but works for the Operational Reconnaissance Bureau.

It has a strength of 400 personnel, organised into six companies: four special reconnaissance companies, one signal company and one support company. Each special reconnaissance company has four ten-man reconnaissance teams. These teams will then be specialised in communications, medicine, or demolitions/heavy weapons.

The 5th PSU regularly trains with western special operations units, including the American 10th Special Forces Group and the French 1er RPIMa. Since the unit's creation in 1994, 5th PSU has increasingly adopted western Special Forces techniques and equipment, and has, in recent years, been a participant in the War on Terrorism.

Equipment

• Glock 17
• Heckler & Koch MP5
• Heckler & Koch UMP
• vz. 58
• Heckler & Koch HK416
• Heckler & Koch HK417
• Heckler & Koch G36
• FN Minimi