United Kingdom Special Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| United Kingdom Special Forces | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1987 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Tri-service |
| Role | Special Forces |
The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a UK Ministry of Defence Directorate which also has the capability to provide a Joint Special Operations Task Force Headquarters. UKSF is commanded by Director Special Forces (DSF), a Major General.
Contents |
[edit] Formation
UKSF was formed in 1987 to draw together the Army's Special Air Service (SAS) and the Special Boat Squadron Royal Marines (SBS), which was renamed the Special Boat Service at the same time, into a unified command, based around the former Director SAS who was given the additional title of Director Special Forces. The Directorate has been expanded by the creation of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group.
[edit] Roles and tasks
UKSF assets undertake a number of roles, with a degree of interaction and interoperability:
- Counter-terrorism
- Covert reconnaissance
- Special reconnaissance
- Direct action
- Close protection
- Counter-revolutionary warfare
- Reconnaissance of the deep battlespace
- Offensive operations in the deep battlespace
- Battlespace preparation in transition to war
- Infrastructure disruption
- Capture of subjects of interest
- Human intelligence (HUMINT) collection
- Defence diplomacy
- Training of other nations' armed forces
[edit] Insignia
The badge of each UKSF unit shares a representation of the Sword of Damocles (or Excalibur) in common.
[edit] Special Force units
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[edit] Army
- 22 Special Air Service
- L Detachment
- 21 Special Air Service (Reserve)
- 23 Special Air Service (Reserve)
- Special Reconnaissance Regiment
[edit]
[edit] Support units
The UKSF is supported by a number of units:
[edit] Special Forces Support Group
- Special Forces Support Group
- 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
- F Company, Royal Marines
- RAF Regiment elements
[edit] Signals
- 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment
- 264 (SAS) Signals Squadron, attached to 22 SAS
- 267 (SRR) Signals Squadron, attached to the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR)
- 268 (UKSF) Signals Squadron, specialist sp to UKSF
- SBS Signals Squadron, attached to the Special Boat Service
- 63 (SAS) Signal Squadron, reserve unit attached to 21 and 23 SAS
[edit] Aviation
The Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing provides fixed-wing and rotary-wing support to UKSF. Four units of the Army Air Corps (AAC) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) are thought to have the task of supporting British Special Operations[1]:
- 8 Flight Army Air Corps, which has four Eurocopter AS 365N Dauphin light utility helicopters[2] and two Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopters. The aircraft are painted in civilian colours (which are regularly changed) and are rumoured to be used in counter-terrorist missions.
- 47 Squadron (RAF), operating special forces versions of the C-130 Hercules. These are six Hercules C.1 (C-130K), modified after the Falklands War (an RWR and AN/ALQ-157 infrared countermeasures device were added); three have been lost.
- Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW)
- 7 Squadron (RAF), uses Chinook HC.2 heavy-lift helicopters (equivalent to the CH-47D Chinook). This squadron took part in Operation Barras in 2000, and is earmarked as the operator of the eight Chinook HC.3s (intended to be equivalent to the US Army's MH-47E Chinook) ordered in 1995, but not yet operational.
- 651 Squadron (AAC), which uses Defender AL.1 fixed wing aircraft
- 657 Squadron (AAC), which uses Lynx AH.7 helicopters
Six Hercules C.3 (C-130H-30), upgraded in C.3A standard (with more countermeasures and navigation systems), were added to the "SF Flight" because of SF needs after 11 September 2001 attacks.[3][4]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official UKSF (Reserve) website
- Artists Rifles Advice & Training, a discussion forum for potential SAS Reserve (21 & 23) recruits
- Royal Civilian Special Forces, an organization for teenagers hoping to join UKSF
[edit] References
- ^ UKSF Air Support
- ^ Ripley, Tim (10 December 2008). "UK Army Air Corps received Dauphins". Janes Defence Weekly 45 (50): 10.
- ^ Lake, Jon (September 2006). "Herculean service". Air Forces Monthly.
- ^ Ripley, Tim (March 2006). "The doomed Hercules". Air Forces Monthly.
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