The 8 most elite military units in the world

Elite special detachments are one of the most trained and impressive military units that the countries of the world can boast of. They go where other military personnel are afraid to step, overcome potential threats, eliminate strategic goals and conduct dangerous missions. They are the best of the best. And although it is quite difficult to create a comparative list of these detachments, there are units that are better than the rest, because their servicemen undergo rigorous training, during which most of the applicants are eliminated. In the modern world, where the size of the country's armed forces no longer speaks of their effectiveness, these military are the hope and support of the state.

In our issue you will find a description of eight of the world's most elite military units. The list is presented in ascending order.

In eighth place is the special forces group of Pakistan, better known as the "Black Storks" — because of the unique headgear of the commanders.

In October 2009, fighters of this special purpose group broke into an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage by Taliban militants after an attack on army units.

In seventh place are the Special Forces of the Spanish Navy (UOE), which have long remained one of the most highly respected special forces in Europe. Initially, the detachment was organized as a volunteer amphibious landing company in 1952, but since then it has grown into an elite special unit.

However, getting a green beret UOE is not an easy task, and the failure rate ranges from 70 to 80%. Often, all 100% of recruits fail testing.

In sixth place is the Russian Alpha detachment, one of the best and most famous special forces units in the world. This elite anti—terrorist unit was created by the KGB in 1974 and remains under the auspices of its modern "follower" - the FSB.

In 2002, the Russian special forces and, in particular, the Alpha unit were criticized after 129 hostages were killed during Operation Nord-Ost in the Moscow theater as a result of the use of soporific gas intended to eliminate militants.

Fifth place: of all the anti-terrorist services in the world, few can compare with the Intervention Group of the French Gendarmerie (GIGN). The group has 200 people trained specifically for hostage situations. Since its founding in 1973, the group has released 600 people. It is illegal to publish photos of their faces in France.

One of the most extraordinary episodes in the history of GIGN was the seizure of the Great Mosque in Mecca in 1979. Since non-Muslims are forbidden to enter the holy city, a team of three GIGN representatives boldly converted to Islam to help the Saudi armed forces liberate the mosque.

In fourth place is Sayeret Matkal from Israel, another of the most elite units in the world. Its main purpose is to gather intelligence, and it often operates far beyond enemy lines. During the selection process, recruits undergo rigorous training and are constantly monitored by doctors and psychologists. Only the strongest get into the squad.

In 2003, Israeli taxi driver Eliyahu Gurel was abducted after transporting four Palestinians to Jerusalem in his car. But the Sayeret Matkal detachment discovered his whereabouts and extracted him from a 10-meter pit on the territory of an abandoned factory in the suburbs of Ramallah.

The British Special Air Service opens the top three. Their motto is: "The brave wins." On the question of the importance of this unit in US General Stanley McChrystal responded to the Iraq War: "Principled. Nothing would have happened without them."

In second place is the English equivalent of "Navy Seals", a Special boat Service. The selection process includes a tough endurance test, training in the jungle of Belize and survival training in combat conditions, which includes the interrogation of candidates. Each test subject has only two attempts.

In the first place are the "Seals" of the United States. To join them, you need to be able to do at least 42 push-ups in 2 minutes, 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes and run 2.4 km in 11 minutes. And all this — even before the start of training.

Bonus: US Marines are tough guys. For example, one of them drinks cobra blood during jungle survival training.