Poll: Who do YOU think has the most elite military unit in the world?

[sharkinz]

U.S.M.C Force Recon

Though now that I think about it there really isn't a best answer for this question because all special operations military units are designed and trained for different things. Delta force does hostage rescue and extraction, U.S.M.C scout snipers are the worlds best snipers, Force Recon operates ahead of the main force either gathers intel or sabotages defences, SEALS are quick strike raiders (Rangers are as well but they aren't as good as SEALS), and Green Berets work with/train local military forces and run missions with other military units. I don't know what the SAS do but all the units that are listed are among the best in the world at their job, but none of them are the single greatest operations group.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Delta Force, but I'm kind of obligated to say that...my father was a member. I grew up scared to shit of his giant goddamned Delta knife hanging on the wall.

I'm not totally sure why the SEALs in general are listed on here...they'd get laughed out of the room by every other unit mentioned.

SEAL Team 6, on the other hand...

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

SAS. The SEALS and such are good, but half their training regime is borrowed from the SAS most of the time so they don't get full credit for it.

Mate, there has been special forces in this planet for at least 3k years, why do the SAS get gredit for their training regime and the SEALS don't?

Ill go with seals, they are at least in the ballpark of badassness of the SAS AND they do that having utter morons in the government, while the British government is only half moronic

I was referring to specific techniques devised by the SAS that have since revolutionised Special Forces training and operations worldwide, such as the 'Killing House'.

 

[The Shade]

Have you faced an Asari commando unit before? Few humans have...

My vote goes to Thessia for this one.

 

[Dirzzit]

I think that it's the French Foreign Legion.Their training course is simply brutal and they always get sent to the places where things are the most fucked up!ALL IN THE NAME OF FRANCE!

Definitely them, hardest training and widely succesful. That or US Rangers, they get shit done.

 

[The Man With the Soap]

I'm not sure if the GSG 9 belong up there. Don't get me wrong. They're great at what they do, but they are more of an counter-terrorist group than an actual military unit. They are more in the same category as the American SWAT.

Also, why aren't the Commandoes of the IDF represented in this poll? That is terrible. You should also include the Army Rangers, Marine Force Recon, Marine Scout Snipers, and the USAF Spec Tac.

 

[yayforgiveaway]

I know that I'm raining on your parade but all those SF are basically the same.
But as I don't want to be eaten alive: GROM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GROM
at least they got the coolest logo

Spoiler: Cool logo

EDIT
Forgot about FORMOZA (our SEALS)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formoza
They got the coolest hideout/HQ - former torpedo test platform

Spoiler: Cool hideout

 

[let's rock]

SEALS and SAS are about tied, but why was MSOR not mentioned on here? Basicly the marine's equivelent of the SEALS, and often go in alongside the SEALS

 

[BristolBerserker]

SAS with out a doubt, then SBS followed by either the russians or israelis. The Royal Marines aren't special forces, they are elite infantry. The SBS is Britain's naval special forces.

 

[oktalist]

Israel's Sayeret Matkal is probably pretty badass. Otherwise SAS/SBS or SEALs.

BTW Royal Marines is not a special forces unit.

 

[Xan Krieger]

As an American I say Israel. In every other country mentioned people are trained and then go to war. In Israel you're born right into the war. Britain, the U.S. and Russia have elite units but at least they get to enjoy peacetime. Israel doesn't have peace thus they're special forces are always out killing someone.

 

[ecoho]

USMC. First one the ground and im just going to say as evidence of their badassness, Battle for Guadalcanal. They kicked ass when out numbered 10 to 1. Then again I don't know much about other foreign forces such as the SAS. I think I will have to do some research.

Okay, Im American, I respect the hell out of the Corps(they're arrogant as shit but they back it up most of the time) but thats just wrong for two reasons.

1. USMC is not a Special Operations unit, they are a military branch in nearly all but name.

2. If we meant man by man they would still get the crap kicked out of them by any Special Operations unit mentioned so far.

he might mean the force recon which is the sniper unit, they are very selective of their operators.

OT: the seals they have the best operational record of all mentioned. As for the Israelis while they have very good special forces their intelligence operators from MASOD (i think thats how its spelled) are the bigger threat. SAS are good but they tend to have a lot more casualties then the seals (might be that they have been around longer and thats why they have so many more deaths)

 

[DeathChairOfHell]

Well, there is the canadian sniper who blew the head of a taliban at 2.5 km range. That takes some skill at least.

 

[T8B95]

Controversial as this may seem, I would say the IRA were probably the best guerrillas fighters and tacticians of their time.

Possibly of all time.

Anyways, I'm pleased to say that the rest of this site shares my enthusiasm for the British SAS. My uncle used to be in the SAS, and he was told us what it was like. It's basically the training that the rest of the world's special forces uses as a guide.

 

[SilentCom]

I voted other because the topic is completely based on opinion and very much subject to bias. I would have voted for either SEALS or SAS being American here. Truth be told, I really don't know which special forces are the best because I am not a soldier much less a bad ass one who has trained with any of the special forces groups.

 

[teh_Canape]

Spoiler

Argentinian Grupo Halcon

nah, I think the Spetsnaz are pretty pimp

 

[Tanakh]

I was referring to specific techniques devised by the SAS that have since revolutionised Special Forces training and operations worldwide, such as the 'Killing House'.

Humm, interesting reads about the Killing House, but it doesn't seem that innovative right away.

I am not that familiar with the concept, but give me a while and if i don't get distracted by shiny objects i will probably have a good reply sometime this week

Ohh, a gold block! /mine

 

[Mr Thin]

I don't know much about any of them, so I'm gonna go the patriotic route and say the Australian SASR (Special Air Service Regiment).

Wikipedia tells me that 'Since their beginnings in 1964, the SASR has lost more men in training than in combat due to the nature of their training regime.'

Which means they're either really bad-ass, or really incompetent. As they are a Special Forces unit, I'm leaning towards the former.

 

[Avayu]

It depends on what their mission is. If I want a good sized group of troops that can generally fuck shit up I would choose the US Army Rangers, Spetznaz and Royal Marines as being about on par. If I want to run a Counter-Terror Op Ill send in the SAS, GSG9, or Delta. If I want to extract my guys from behind enemy lines Ill send in the US Air Force Pararescue. If I want to open the door to bring in more guys to a remote spot I want some Combat Control. If I want to run a hit and run OP who better than the SEALs?

Basically it all depends on what I want done, they are called Special Forces for a reason. Some call their members living weapons, and every situation has a weapon that is best suited for dealing with it.

Basically this. Certain teams specialise in certain types of missions. There isn't one to beat them all.

Also, since the topic asks for the most elite military unit, you might want to take the GSG9 off the poll, as they aren't military but police. The GSG9 belongs to the German federal police, formerly federal border police, which explains the name "Grenzschutzgruppe 9" (border guard group 9).
If you want to have the German equivalent of the SAS or Seals, try the KSK (Kommando Spezialkräfte).

 

[an_luas]

The RSI are actually the most badass in the world. They are so badass that they don't even exist since I made them up on the spot