Special Operations Command | |
---|---|
Comando de Operações Especiais | |
Coat of arms of the Special Operations Command | |
Active | June 27, 2002 |
Country | |
Type | Special Forces |
Role | Direct action Airfield seizure Special reconnaissance Airborne & air assault operations Personnel recovery |
Part of | |
Garrison/HQ | Goiás |
Nickname(s) | C Op Esp |
Commanders | |
Current Commander | Brig.Gen. Mauro Sinott Lopes |
The Brazilian Special Operations Command (Portuguese : Comando de Operações Especiais - C Op Esp) is a part of the Brazilian Army Commands, specifically the Land Army Command. [1] Headquartered in Central Brazil, in Goiania, C OP ESP is positioned under the larger Planalto Military Command. [1] Specifically, it is linked to the Terrestrial Operations Command (COTER [1] ). Its motto; "any mission, in any place, at any time, by every way", [2] perfectly sums up the capabilities of C Op Esp.
Portuguese is a Western Romance language originating in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the sole official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe. It also has co-official language status in East Timor, Equatorial Guinea and Macau in China. As the result of expansion during colonial times, a cultural presence of Portuguese and Portuguese creole speakers are also found in Goa, Daman and Diu in India; in Batticaloa on the east coast of Sri Lanka; in the Indonesian island of Flores; in the Malacca state of Malaysia; and the ABC islands in the Caribbean where Papiamento is spoken, while Cape Verdean Creole is the most widely spoken Portuguese-based Creole. A Portuguese-speaking person or nation may be referred to as "Lusophone" in both English and Portuguese.
The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Armed Forces. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America during the 19th century. In the 20th century, it fought on the Allied side at World War I and World War II. Aligned with the Western Bloc, during the time of military rule in Brazil from 1964 to 1985, it also had active participation in the Cold War, in Latin America and Southern Portuguese Africa, as well as taking part in UN peacekeeping missions worldwide since the late 1950s.
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit for which a military commander is responsible. A commander is normally specifically appointed to the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed. Naval and military officers have legal authority by virtue of their officer's commission, but the specific responsibilities and privileges of command are derived from the publication of appointment.
C Op Esp traces its roots all the way back to 1957, when it was created as a parachute rescue group that conducted deep forest rescue operations. [3] Special operations were then disbanded for much of the 20th century, but in 2003, the Presidential Decree No. 4.289 created the Special Operations Brigade that Brazil employs today. [1] In 2013, the ordinance of Army Commander 142 changed the brigade's designation to Special Operations Command (C Op Esp). [1]
Today C Op Esp is a highly specialized and dynamic fighting force that operates all over Brazil. C Op Esp is trained in non conventional warfare, which means it is ready for any type of fight, against any fighting force. [4] C Op Esp is trained to deal with much larger forces, they typically operate in small teams. [4]
The C Op Esp uses a number of strategies to eliminate its enemies capabilities. Deploying its forces deep in enemy territory, including to the very rear of the enemy, is one of the many strategies C Op Esp employs. [4]
Some of C Op Esp's top level capabilities include; covert reconnaissance on the battlefield, the ability to perform search, destruction, neutralization and interdiction of targets of significant value, perform guided air strikes, rescue allies and high value targets, kidnap enemy personnel, and conduct operations classified as non conventional warfare. [4]
One of C Op Esp's most valuable capabilities is the ability to deter and destroy guerilla groups. C Op Esp has dealt with guerilla groups before, and is specially trained to move the group into a larger fighting force such as the Brazilian Army. This strategy in turn leads to the destruction of the guerrilla group. [4]
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which a small group of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars; use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility to fight a larger and less-mobile traditional military. Guerrilla groups are a type of violent non-state actor.
Another valuable capability that C Op Esp excels in is counterinsurgency and counterterrorism. Operations of this type include; rescuing hostages of any type, neutralization of explosives and other weapons used by terrorists, monitoring and spying on terrorist groups. [4]
The C Op Esp is the main arm of the Rapid Action Force which is supplemented by the following units: Brigade Parachute Infantry, 12th Light Infantry Brigade (Aeromovel) and the Army Aviation Squadron. [1] The Rapid Action Force is a national force, capable of operating in the Amazon as well as the Pampas in the south. [1] Equipped with the most technologically advanced equipment available to the Brazilian Military, the Rapid Action Force is proficient in land, water, and air operations. [1]
Recently, Brazilian Special Forces have taken part in domestic and international operations. [5] [6] During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Brazilian Special forces provided security teams for events, and conducted covert operations in order to thwart any possible attacks on the games. These domestic operations were conducted by the special operations police force of the Brazilian Military. [5] Brazilian Special Forces also were integral in the defeat of para-military groups in Haiti. [6] [7] Since the hurricane that devastated Haiti, the country has been unable to deal with paramilitary groups that have plagued their cities. [6] Brazilian Special Forces were an integral part of removing defeating these groups, while also providing peace keeping operations. [7]
C Op Esp is structured by the following subordinate units: [8]
Name | Origin | Type |
---|---|---|
Glock 19 | Pistol | |
Heckler & Koch USP | Pistol | |
ParaFAL | Assault Rifle | |
IMBEL IA2 | Assault Rifle and Sniper Rifle | |
Heckler & Koch MP5 | Submachine gun | |
Heckler & Koch UMP | Submachine gun | |
Heckler & Koch G36C | Assault rifle | |
Heckler & Koch HK416 | Assault rifle | |
Heckler & Koch HK417 | Assault rifle | |
Colt M4 | Assault rifle | |
Franchi SPAS-15 | Shotgun | |
Benelli | Shotgun | |
FN Minimi | Machine gun | |
FN MAG | Machine gun | |
Barrett M82 | Sniper rifle | |
Heckler & Koch PSG1 | Sniper rifle | |
SIG Sauer SSG 3000 | Sniper rifle | |
M24 Sniper Weapon System | Sniper rifle | |
Remington MSR | Sniper rifle | |
PGM Ultima Ratio | Sniper rifle | |
Carl Gustav M3 | Recoilless cannon | |
AT-4 | Rocket launcher | |
Commando mortar | Mortar | |
Flamethrower | Flame-thrower | |
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the unified armed force of Ghana, consisting of the Army (GA), Navy (GN), and Ghana Air Force. The GAF are supervised by the Ghanaian Ministry of Defence.
Special forces units in the Israel Defense Forces encompass a broad definition of specialist units. Such units are usually a company or a battalion in strength.
A commando is a soldier or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force often specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting or abseiling.
United States special operations forces (SOF) are components of the Department of Defense's United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
The United States Army Special Operations Command (Airborne) (USASOC) is the command charged with overseeing the various special operations forces of the United States Army. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, NC, it is the largest component of the United States Special Operations Command. Its mission is to organize, train, educate, man, equip, fund, administer, mobilize, deploy and sustain Army special operations forces to successfully conduct worldwide special operations.
Operation Uphold Democracy was a military intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The operation was effectively authorized by the 31 July 1994 United Nations Security Council Resolution 940.
Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command, also known as the Republic of Korea Army Special Forces "Black Berets"(R.O.K-Special Forces) is the military command of the Republic of Korea Army responsible for their special operation forces. ROK Special Forces brigades work in close relationship with their counterparts in the United States Army Special Forces "Green Berets". ROK Special Forces brigades were modelled after United States Army Special Forces.
The 5th Signal Command (Theater) was a European-based tactical and strategic communications organization of the United States Army specializing in command and control which supported theater-limited, joint-forces, and combined forces activities. The command's mission was to build, operate and defend network capabilities to enable mission command and create tactical, operational and strategic flexibility for Army, Joint and Multinational forces in the EUCOM and AFRICOM areas of responsibility.
The red beret is a military beret worn by many military police, paramilitary, commando, and police forces. The term is also used to refer to the British Parachute Regiment, although members wear the maroon beret.
The Albanian Support Command is a supporting command of the Albanian Armed Forces, which has as its primary mission the support of the Armed Forces in the areas of procurement and supply, maintenance, transport, inventory, medical supply, and supporting civil-military cooperation for these issues. The Support Command and logistic support units of the AAF should be able to accomplish all requirements to enable logistics sustainment of force operations in every kind of environment.
In the United States (US) armed forces, a beret flash is a shield-shaped embroidered cloth or metallic insignia that is usually attached to a stiffener backing of a military beret. Today, the attached flash is worn over the left eye of the wearer with the excess cloth of the beret folded and pulled over the right ear giving it a distinctive shape. The embroidered designs of the US Army beret flashes represent the approved distinctive heraldic colors of the unit to which they are assigned while the US Air Force's represent their Air Force specialty code (AFSC) or their assignment to a special unit, such as Combat Aviation Advisor (CAA) squadrons. Joint beret flashes, such as the Multinational Force and Observers and United Nations Peacekeeping flashes, are worn by all of the US armed forces on unique berets while assigned to a specific multinational mission.
The Brazilian Army Aviation Command is a component of the Brazilian Army containing the army's helicopter units.
The Planalto Military Command is one of eight Military Commands of the Brazilian Army. The Planalto Military Command or "Comando Militar do Planalto" (CMP), Planalto is Portuguese for high plain, is responsible for the defence of the state Goiás, most of the state of Tocantins, the Federal District with the capital Brasília, and the Triângulo Mineiro of the state of Minas Gerais.
The Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division is a combat aviation brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the 10th Mountain Division.
The 525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) is a unit of the United States Army specializing in the acquisition and analysis of information with potential military value. On 28 October 2014, the unit was reflagged from the "525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade" to an expeditionary military intelligence brigade, the first of its kind.
Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) are specialized United States Army units whose core mission is to conduct training, advising, assisting, enabling and accompanying operations with allied and partner nations. These units are composed primarily of Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and commissioned officers selected from regular Army units and trained at the Military Advisor Training Academy (MATA) at Fort Benning, Georgia. SFABs improve on the Army's ad-hoc solutions, which relied heavily on conventionally-organized Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) for the last 17 years. SFABs allow the Army to reduce, over time, the demand for conventional BCTs for combat Advising. This will allow BCTs to focus on readiness for fighting near-peer threats. SFABs are designed on the model of a standard infantry brigade combat team and are composed of roughly 800 personnel. The British military has emulated the SFAB model by creating Specialised Infantry Battalions (SIBs), albeit with less personnel and less capability, but in an attempt to achieve similar results.