Mike
3 November 1999, 12:20
Great Britain does have a separate command for its special operations forces. Both the British Army and the Royal Navy maintain small special operations forces under their respective commands. The British Army has the Special Air Service (SAS), and the Royal Navy has the Special Boat Squadron (SBS)
under the Royal Marines. The SAS is organized into squadrons and teams with three squadrons currently on active duty in a single SAS regiment. There are also two SAS regiments that are a part of the Territorial Army (TA). In the event of general hostilities in Europe, all three active squadrons would be given over to Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) for support of NATO operations. The teams are trained both in pre-assigned wartime missions and in ad hoc assignments. In peacetime, the SAS concentrates mainly on counterterrorism operations. Soldiers are recruited from those already on active duty in elite infantry and airborne units.
The SAS is also known to use Longline
fast-attack vehicles and air-transportable Land Rover utility vehicles. Helicopter insertion is carried out almost exclusively by specially modified CH-47 Chinook
transport helicopters. Use of the French-built Puma helicopters ended in 1993 because load and range capabilities fell short of the SAS's requirements. The SAS currently has one active regiment, headquartered at Hereford. At least one squadron of the SAS is deployed in Northern Ireland. It is known that SAS units participated in tactical intelligence gathering and raids during the Falklands War in 1982 (including one in which 11 Argentine aircraft were destroyed on the ground), and that they were used to free hostages held in the Iranian Embassy in London in April 1980. SAS units were also very active in the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991). Among their missions were sabotage of Iraqi equipment and communication lines, SCUD hunting and using infrared light to
"highlight" important Iraq targets for airstrikes.
under the Royal Marines. The SAS is organized into squadrons and teams with three squadrons currently on active duty in a single SAS regiment. There are also two SAS regiments that are a part of the Territorial Army (TA). In the event of general hostilities in Europe, all three active squadrons would be given over to Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) for support of NATO operations. The teams are trained both in pre-assigned wartime missions and in ad hoc assignments. In peacetime, the SAS concentrates mainly on counterterrorism operations. Soldiers are recruited from those already on active duty in elite infantry and airborne units.
The SAS is also known to use Longline
fast-attack vehicles and air-transportable Land Rover utility vehicles. Helicopter insertion is carried out almost exclusively by specially modified CH-47 Chinook
transport helicopters. Use of the French-built Puma helicopters ended in 1993 because load and range capabilities fell short of the SAS's requirements. The SAS currently has one active regiment, headquartered at Hereford. At least one squadron of the SAS is deployed in Northern Ireland. It is known that SAS units participated in tactical intelligence gathering and raids during the Falklands War in 1982 (including one in which 11 Argentine aircraft were destroyed on the ground), and that they were used to free hostages held in the Iranian Embassy in London in April 1980. SAS units were also very active in the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991). Among their missions were sabotage of Iraqi equipment and communication lines, SCUD hunting and using infrared light to
"highlight" important Iraq targets for airstrikes.