List of defunct special forces units

Last updated March 20, 2025

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

Austro-Hungarian Empire

Jagdkommando

Canada

Croatia

Cambodia

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- 1945

HQ 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

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

Germany

Kommandokompanien B1 (Kommando)

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

Laos

Netherlands

Korps Speciale Troepen

Poland

Second Polish Republic

Wawelberg Group

Polish government-in-exile

Cichociemni
Independent Grenadiers Company^[10]
1st Independent Commando Company - as No. 6 Troop of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando ^[11]

Polish Underground State

Parasol Battalion

Polish People's Republic

Polish Independent Special Battalion
1st Assault Battalion^[12]

Portugal

Philippine Republic

Philippine Revolutionary Army
- Luna Sharpshooters

Rhodesia

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

Turkey

Special Warfare Department (Turkish : Özel Harp Dairesi)

United Kingdom

British Army

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 ^{[ citation needed ]}
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

The Civil War

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
Green Light Teams
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^[14]

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)

References

↑ "«Пожарная команда» Кабула | Warspot.ru". 2023-11-15. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
↑ Afghan special forces expand to handle night raids, delicate missions, but training takes time ^{[ dead link ‍]}. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2012-01-01.
1 2 3 4 5 "ANA Special Operations Command (ANASOC)".
↑ "Special Infantry - Ktah Khas (KKA) (Afghan Special Unit)". Globalsecurity.org.
↑ "Ktah Khas - KKA". Afghanwarnews.info.
↑ NPR: New Afghan Commandos Take to the Frontlines
↑ "Afghan National Army Special Forces (ANASF)".
↑ John Young (ed)., 'Peasant Revolt in Ethiopia: The Tigray People's Liberation Front, 1975-91,' Cambridge University Press, 2006, ISBN 0521026067, 164.
↑ Fijian coup colonel took part in SAS blunder. Retrieved on September 19, 2008.
↑ "Komandosi Polskich Sił Zbrojnych". Interia (in Polish). 23 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
↑ Gnaś, Herbert (May 16, 2024). "Polscy komandosi w Anglii". Ciekawostki Historyczne (in Polish). Retrieved November 4, 2024.
↑ "Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosow". SpecialOperations.com. December 13, 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
↑ Popski's Private Army, Vladimir Peniakoff, Nelson Doubleday publisjing
↑ Previously 81st Ranger Battalion (Airborne). Officially upgraded to Groups status, but actually just an overstrength single battalion with 6 rifle companies.

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[1] "«Пожарная команда» Кабула | Warspot.ru". 2023-11-15. Archived from the original on 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2024-01-20.

[washingtonpost1-2] Afghan special forces expand to handle night raids, delicate missions, but training takes time ^{[ dead link ‍]}. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2012-01-01.

[globalsecurity.org-3] 1 2 3 4 5 "ANA Special Operations Command (ANASOC)".

[4] "Special Infantry - Ktah Khas (KKA) (Afghan Special Unit)". Globalsecurity.org.

[5] "Ktah Khas - KKA". Afghanwarnews.info.

[6] NPR: New Afghan Commandos Take to the Frontlines

[7] "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, ISBN 0521026067, 164.

[History-9] Fijian coup colonel took part in SAS blunder. Retrieved on September 19, 2008.

[Interia-10] "Komandosi Polskich Sił Zbrojnych". Interia (in Polish). 23 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.

[11] Gnaś, Herbert (May 16, 2024). "Polscy komandosi w Anglii". Ciekawostki Historyczne (in Polish). Retrieved November 4, 2024.

[12] "Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosow". SpecialOperations.com. December 13, 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2018.

[13] Popski's Private Army, Vladimir Peniakoff, Nelson Doubleday publisjing

[14] Previously 81st Ranger Battalion (Airborne). Officially upgraded to Groups status, but actually just an overstrength single battalion with 6 rifle companies.

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