List of defunct special forces units explained

Afghanistan

• Democratic Republic of Afghanistan^[1]
  • Afghan Army
    • 26th Airborne Battalion
    • 37th Commando Battalion
    • 38th Commando Battalion
    • 84th Commando Battalion
    • 85th Commando Battalion
    • 242nd Parachute Battalion
    • 444th Commando Battalion
    • 455th Commando Battalion
    • 466th Commando Battalion
    • 666th Commando Battalion
  • Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Afghan Army (KhAD-e-Nezami)
    • 203rd Special Purpose Battalion (Kabul)
    • 212th Special Purpose Battalion (Kandahar)
    • 230th Special Purpose Battalion (Gardez)

ANA Special Operations Command^[2]

• National Mission Brigade (NMB)^[3]
  • 1st Ktah Khas Battalion^[4] (aka: Afghan Partner Unit (APU))^[5]
  • 6th Special Operations Kandak (SOK)^[3]
• Special Missions Wing^[3]
• Military Intelligence Battalion^[3]
• National Strategic Reserve Operations Battalion^[3]
• Afghan National Army Commando Corps^{[6] [7]}
  • 1st SO Brigade at Gardez

Australia

• No. 200 Flight RAAF
• Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV)
• Australian commandos
• Combined Field Intelligence Service
• Far Eastern Liaison Office (FELO)
• M Special Unit
• Rose Force
• Royal Australian Navy Beach Commandos
• Services Reconnaissance Department
• Z Special Unit
• Bushveldt Carbineers

Austro-Hungarian Empire

• Austro-Hungarian Stormtroopers

Canada

• 1st Special Service Force
• Special Air Service Company

Croatia

• Zrinski Battalion
• Frankopan Battalion

Ethiopia

• 103rd Commando Division - Derg government, active 1988-89^[8]

Empire of Japan

Empire of Japan

Japanese Special Attack Units

• Kamikaze ("divine wind")

Imperial Japanese Army

• Teishin Shudan ("Raiding Group")
• Giretsu ("Heroic Paratroopers")

Imperial Japanese Navy

• 1st Yokosuka SNLF
• 2nd Yokosuka SNLF
• 3rd Yokosuka SNLF

Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

• 1st Raiding Group
• 2nd Raiding Group

Germany

German Empire

• Sturmtruppen (17 battalions)

Nazi Germany

Abwehr- units later reassigned to Wehrmacht after expanding to divisional size:

• Brandenburg Lehr und Bau Battalion zbV 800 – December 1939
  • 1. Company - Baltic/ Russian
  • 2. Company - English/ North and South Africa
  • 3. Company - Sudeten German/ Balkans
  • 4. Company - Volkdeutshe/ Eastern ethnic German
  • Motorcycle platoon
  • Parachute platoon
• Brandenburg Lehr-Regiment zbV 800 – 1941–1943
  • 1st Battalion, at Brandenburg
  • 2nd Battalion at Baden
  • 3rd Battalion at Baden
  • Intelligence Battalion
  • Coastal Raiding Company
  • Sonderverbrand 287 - Arab volunteers with brandenburg volunteer core
  • Sonderverbrand 288 - All German

Wehrmacht from 1943- 1945HQ staff at Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg

• Verband 801, based in Brandenburg an der Havel
  • I. Battalion
  • II. Battalion
  • III. Battalion
• Verband 802 (Mountain), base in Admont, Steiermark
  • I. Gebirgsjäger Battalion
  • II. Gebirgsjäger Battalion
  • III. Gebirgsjäger Battalion
• Verband 803, based in Düren, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • I. Battalion
  • II. Battalion
  • III. Battalion
  • 13. Legionärs Company
    • Verband 804 (Legionärs), based in Langenargen, Bodensee I. Legionärs Battalion
  • II. Legionärs Battalion
  • III. Legionärs Bataillon
• Verband 805, based in Brandenburg an der Havel
• Intelligence Detachment 800
  • 5X Company
• Intelligence Support Detachment 800
  • 4X Company
• Coastal Rangers Detachment 800, based at Langenargen, Bodensee
  • 4X Company (1, 2, 3 and 4)
• Signals Detachment 800
  • 3X Company (1, 2 and 3)
• Training Unit, Gut „Quenzsee“ (or „Quenzgut“), based near Brandenburg

Kriegsmarine

• Lehrkommandos 200, 250, 300, 350, and 700

Luftwaffe

• Kampfgeschwader 200
• Jagdverband 44

Waffen-SS

• Sonderlehrgang z.b.V. „Oranienburg“ (18 April 1943 – 16 June 1943)
• Sonderverband z. b. V. "Friedenthal" (16 June 1943 – 17 April 1944)
• 500th SS Parachute Battalion
• 502nd SS Jäger Battalion (17 April 1944 – 10 November 1944)
• 500th SS Jäger Battalion
• 600th SS Jäger Battalion
• SS-Jagdverband
  • SS-Jagdverband Mitte
    • 150th SS Panzer Brigade (November 1944 - 25–28 December 1944)
    • Division Schwedt Kampfgruppe/Sperrverband Skorzeny (31 January 1945 – 3 March 1945)
  • SS-Jagdverband Nordwest
  • SS-Jagdverband Ost
  • SS-Jagdverband Südost
  • SS-Jagdverband Südwest

German Democratic Republic

• Diensteinheit IX
• Fallschirmjägerbataillon 40 "Willi Sänger"
• Luftsturmregiment 40 "Willi Sänger"

Germany

• Kommandokompanien B1 (Kommando)

Greece

• Sacred Band
• 3rd Special Forces Division (Greece)

Fiji

• Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit^[9] (1987-2000)

Indonesia

• Kopkamtib (1965-1988)
• Bakorstanas (1988-2000)

Ireland

• Free State Army Intelligence Department

Israel

• Palmach
• Unit 101
• Samson Unit
• Force 100
• Sayeret Haruv
• TAT'ZAM
• Sayeret Shaked
• Sayeret Rimon

Kingdom of Italy

World War I

• Arditi

World War II

• Regio Esercito : 10th Arditi Regiment (3 battalions, plus 1 combined parachutist battalion)
• Regia Aeronautica : A.D.R.A. Arditi Distruttori Regia Aeronautica (2 battalions)
• Blackshirts : Battaglioni M

Netherlands

• Korps Speciale Troepen

Poland

Second Polish Republic

• Wawelberg Group

Polish government-in-exile

• Cichociemni
• Independent Grenadiers Company^[10]

Polish Underground State

• Battalion Parasol

Polish People's Republic

• 1st Assault Battalion^[11]

Portugal

See also: Portuguese irregular forces in the Overseas War.

• Caçadores Especiais
• Flechas
• Grupos Especiais

Philippine Republic

• Philippine Revolutionary Army
  • Luna Sharpshooters

Rhodesia

• Selous Scouts
• Rhodesian Special Air Service
• Grey's Scouts

Serbia

See also: Special forces of Serbia.

• Counter-Terrorist Unit (PTJ), MUP, merged into Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ)
• Special Operations Unit (JSO), SDB, disbanded

South Africa

• South African Special Forces
  • 1 Reconnaissance Commando
  • 2 Reconnaissance Commando (Citizen Force)
  • 3 Reconnaissance Commando (consisting of former Selous Scouts)
  • 6 Reconnaissance Commando (consisting of former Rhodesian SAS)
• 31 Battalion "the Bushman Battalion" Originally "Alpha Group"
  • 31 Battalion Recce Wing
• 32 Battalion 'The Terrible Ones' Originally "Bravo Group"
  • 32 Battalion Recce Wing
• Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB)
• Hunter Group
• Koevoet
• 44 Parachute Brigade Pathfinder Company 'The Philistines'

Syria

• Defense companies
• Struggle Companies

Turkey

• Special Warfare Department (Turkish: Özel Harp Dairesi)

United Kingdom

British Army

• Army Commandos (1940 - 1946)
  • No. 1 Commando
  • No. 2 Commando
  • No. 3 Commando
  • No. 4 Commando
  • No. 5 Commando
  • No. 6 Commando
  • No. 7 Commando
  • No. 8 (Guards) Commando
  • No. 9 Commando
  • No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
  • No. 11 (Scottish) Commando
  • No. 12 Commando
  • No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
  • No. 30 Commando
  • No. 50 Commando
  • No. 51 Commando
  • No. 52 Commando
  • No. 62 Commando
  • Middle East Commando
• Long Range Penetration Group “The Chindits”
• Ferret Force
• Phantom
• Layforce
• Long Range Desert Group (LRDG)
• Popski's Private Army^[12] (PPA)
• Raiding Support Regiment (RSR)
• Special Interrogation Group (SIG)
• T-Force
• V-Force
• Z Force

Royal Air Force

• Royal Air Force Commandos

Royal Marines

• Royal Marine Detachment 385 (Small Operations Group)
• Sea Reconnaissance Unit (SRU)
• Royal Marine Demolition Unit

Royal Navy

• Royal Navy Commandos - 22 units each consisting of 10 officers and 65 ratings

Combined Operations

• 30 Assault Unit
• Combined Operations Pilotage Parties
• Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment (RMBPD) The “Cockleshell Heroes”

Directorate of Military Intelligence

• Special Operations Executive
  • Force 133
  • Force 136
  • Force 137
  • Force 266
  • Force 399
  • Norwegian Independent Company 1
  • Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) "62 Commando"

Other

• UK and the Royal Navy Volunteer Group (Korean War unit)
  • Special Reconnaissance Unit 14 Intelligence Company "The Det"
• The Increment

United States

See main article: Former United States special operations units.

The Civil War

• Jessie Scouts
• Mosby's Rangers
• Quantrill's Raiders

World War II

• 1st Air Commando Group
• 1st Special Service Force "Devil's Brigade"
• 2nd Air Commando Group
• 3rd Air Commando Group
• 6th Army Special Reconnaissance Unit "Alamo Scouts"
• Alaskan Scouts
• Army Ranger Battalions
• 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) "Merrill's Marauders"
• Marine Raiders
  • 1st and 2nd Raider Regiment
  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Raider Battalions
• Observer Group
• Sino-American Cooperative Organization
  • Naval Group, China (NGC)
• Naval Scouts and Raiders
• Navy Combat Demolition Units (NCDU)
• US Navy Beach Jumpers
• Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
  • 2641st Special Group
  • 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 2677th Office of Strategic Services Regiment
  • US Army Air Forces Carpetbaggers
  • OSS Detachment 101
  • OSS Detachment 202
  • OSS Detachment 303
  • OSS Detachment 404
  • OSS Detachment 505
  • OSS Jedburgh Teams
  • OSS Operational Groups (OG)
  • OSS Maritime Unit (MU)
    • OSS Maritime Unit, Operational Swimmer Group
  • OSS Weather Observers
• Special Allied Airborne Reconnaissance Force (SAARF)

Korean War

• Air Resupply And Communications Service (ARCS)
  • 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing (580th ARCS)
  • 581st Air Resupply and Communications Wing (581st ARCS)
  • 582nd Air Resupply and Communications Wing
• Airborne Ranger Companies
• Combined Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea (CCRAK)
  • 6167th Air Base Group
    • 6167th Operations Squadron
    • B Flight, 6167th ABG
• Detachment 1, 6160th ABG/22nd Crash Boat Rescue Squadron (CBRS), Korea Detachment
• Joint Advisory Commission, Korea (JACK)
• Special Activities Group (SAG)
  • GHQ 1st Raider Company (Provisional)/8227th Army Unit
• Unit 4 21st Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS), 5th AF/Special Air Missions (SAM) Detachment, 21st Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS), 5th AF
• United Nations Partisan Infantry Korea (UNPIK)
  • BAKER Section
  • Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment (PAIR)
• US Navy Special Operations Group, Korea

Vietnam War

• 46th Special Forces Company
• Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP)
• MIKE Force
• Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group(MACV-SOG)
• Phoenix Program
• Project 404/Palace Dog
• Project "Leaping Lena" (Vietnam War)
• Project DELTA
• Project GAMMA
• Project Sigma and Project Omega
• Raven Forward Air Controllers
• Tiger Force
• US Navy Boat Support Units (BSU)

Other

• 1st Battalion, 245th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
• 5th Force Reconnaissance Company
• 6th Special Forces Group
• 8th Special Forces Group
• 11th Special Forces Group
• 12th Special Forces Group
• 55th Special Operations Squadron
• 129th Air Commando Group
• 129th Special Operations Aviation Company (SOAC)
• 437th Combat Control Squadron
• 617th Special Operations Aviation Detachment
• 745th Special Operations Squadron
• 1730th Pararescue Squadron
• Army Aviation Support Element (AASE), US Special Operations Command
• Blue Light
• Detachment A (DET A, 39th SFOD)
• HAL-3 "Sea Wolves"
• HAL-4 "Red Wolves"
• HAL-5 "Blue Hawks"
• Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One (MCSOCOM-Det 1) (Operation Iraqi Freedom)
• Red Cell
• SEASPRAY
• Special Forces Groups Aviation Detachments
• Special Warfare Aviation Detachments (SWAD)
  • 22d Aviation Detachment (Special Forces)
  • 23d SWAD (Surveillance)
  • 281st Aviation Company (Assault Helicopter)(Airmobile Light)
• Special Boat Unit 11 (SBU 11)
• Special Boat Unit 13 (SBU 13)
• Special Boat Unit 24 (SBU 24)
• Special Boat Unit 26 (SBU 26)
• Special Operations Reconnaissance
• Task Force 5 (forerunner of Task Force 11)
• Task Force 11 (Operation Enduring Freedom)
• Task Force 20 and Task Force 121 (Operation Iraqi Freedom)
• Task Force 98
• Task Force 157 (Covert USN Intelligence unit)
• Task Force Bayonet (Operation Just Cause)
• Task Force Ranger (Operation Gothic Serpent)
• Underwater Demolitions Teams (UDT)
• US Air Force Special Operations Weather Teams (SOWT)
• US Army Special Operations Agency
• US Army Special Operations Division
• USAF Special Operations Combat Control Team (SOCCT)
• US Coast Guard Drug Interdiction Assist Team (DIAT)
• Yellow Fruit
• Naval Interdiction Forces ((Rose Units))

Republic of Vietnam

South Vietnamese Rangers At its peak there were 22 ARVN Ranger Battalions organized in 10 Groups.

• 1st Ranger Group - Da Nang (I Corps/CTZ)
• 2nd Ranger Group - Pleiku (II Corps/CTZ)
• 3rd Ranger Group - Biên Hòa (III Corps/CTZ)
• 4th Ranger Group - Chi Long (initially in the 44 Tactical Zone and later the IV Corps)
• 5th Ranger Group - Biên Hòa (III Corps/CTZ)
• 6th Ranger Group - Biên Hòa (III Corps/CTZ)
• 7th Ranger Group - Saigon, attached to Airborne Division
• 8th Ranger Group - Formed in 1974-75
• 9th Ranger Group - Formed in 1974-75
• 81st Ranger Group (Airborne) - Biên Hòa^[13]

Additionally, during the Vietnamization of the CIDG and MIKE Forces, former CIDG units were namely given Ranger status and organized into groups mostly of 3 battalions each, but they were largely local forces without any special forces capabilities.

• 21st Ranger Group
• 22nd Ranger Group
• 23rd Ranger Group
• 24th Ranger Group
• 25th Ranger Group
• 31st Ranger Group
• 32nd Ranger Group
• 33rd Ranger Group
• 41st Ranger Border Defense Group - Chi Long HQ
• 42nd Ranger Border Defense Group - Chi Long HQ

South Vietnamese Special Forces (LLDB), later reformed as South Vietnamese Special Mission Service

• Project DELTA
• Project SIGMA
• Project OMEGA
• Project GAMMA
• Project CHERRY

Frogmen Team (LDNN)

See also

• List of special forces units
• List of commando units
• List of paratrooper forces
• List of police tactical units

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2023-11-15 . «Пожарная команда» Кабула Warspot.ru . 2024-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231115223526/https://warspot.ru/21620-pozharnaya-komanda-kabula . 2023-11-15 .
2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-special-forces-expand-to-handle-night-raids-delicate-missions-but-training-takes-time/2011/12/25/gIQA1eWMHP_story_1.html Afghan special forces expand to handle night raids, delicate missions, but training takes time
3. Web site: ANA Special Operations Command (ANASOC).
4. Web site: Special Infantry - Ktah Khas (KKA) (Afghan Special Unit). Globalsecurity.org.
5. Web site: Ktah Khas - KKA. Afghanwarnews.info.
6. NPR: New Afghan Commandos Take to the Frontlines
7. Web site: Afghan National Army Special Forces (ANASF).
8. John Young (ed)., 'Peasant Revolt in Ethiopia: The Tigray People's Liberation Front, 1975-91,' Cambridge University Press, 2006,, 164.
9. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/fiji/1344426/Fijian-coup-colonel-took-part-in-SAS-blunder.html Fijian coup colonel took part in SAS blunder.
10. Web site: Komandosi Polskich Sił Zbrojnych . Interia. 23 May 2018 . 15 May 2018 . pl.
11. Web site: Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosow . SpecialOperations.com . December 13, 2013 . 15 May 2018.
12. Popski's Private Army, Vladimir Peniakoff, Nelson Doubleday publisjing
13. Previously 81st Ranger Battalion (Airborne). Officially upgraded to Groups status, but actually just an overstrength single battalion with 6 rifle companies.