Italian Navy Operational Raiders Group – Comando Subacquei ed Incursori COMSUBIN
The Naval Operational Raiders Group (GOI) is a badass Italian force that invented special-ops divisions like Navy Seals way back when the SEALs were just pups. It was also the first special-ops force to use frogman techniques. COMSUBIN, Italian for Diver and Raider Command Group is an elite force that proved its chops in WWI. They were the first to use human torpedoes as well.
In WWI, astoundingly, they sunk the Austrian-Hungarian Battleship Viribus Untis, in part, by using human torpedoes. That 1918 victory brought special naval diving groups into naval forces worldwide. More recently, the group has performed specialized de-mining operations in the Persian Gulf, Albania, and the former Yugoslavia.
Syria’s 14th Special Forces Division
Out of the twelve special forces regiments in the Syrian military, the 14th Special Forces Division is the most formidable. The combat-ready al-Wahdat al-Khassa has a ferocious repute in the Arab world. Its tenacious commandos were trained in Lebanon while serving in the 1980s. At that time, it boasted the strength of about 15,000 elite commandos.
Trained in airborne and air assault operations, Syria’s elite fighters also serve as a light infantry force. The 14th Special Forces Division is commanded by President Bashar al-Assad directly and is preferred by the regime for its loyalty. By order of state intelligence, this special-op unit is often deployed to crush popular dissent and neutralize ringleaders.
Canada - Royal Canadian Navy Naval Tactical Operations Group
The Royal Canadian Navy Naval Tactical Operations Group (NTOG) is a relatively new division of maritime commandos. The specialized forces were established in 2014. It was designed for global counter-terrorism and anti-trafficking missions. The unit is trained in Maritime Interdiction Operations and Force Protection such as clandestine ship infiltration to fight ship pirating.
In April of 2019, aboard Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) “Regina,” the NTOG successfully infiltrated a drug-ring seizing 2,600 kilograms of cannabis derivative hashish. The drug bust was part of Operation ARTEMIS, a counter-terrorism effort in Middle Eastern and East African seas. Their investigation found over a hundred bags of hashish hidden in the ship.
Serbia’s Special Brigade –72nd Reconnaissance Commando Battalion
Formed in 1992 and headquartered in Pančevo, the 72nd Reconnaissance Commando Battalion of Serbia is also known as the 72 Special Brigade. It includes a counterterrorism unit that has been called the “Hawks” Battalion. The Special Brigade primarily conducts reconnaissance and demolition missions.
Training is intensive. The commandos need to be competent in tactical, fire, and physical training. Included are martial arts, parachuting, diving, climbing, swimming, rescue, and weapons training. They use a range of weaponry from sniper rifles to grenade launchers. Armor-piercing rocket systems and silencers or suppressors are also employed.
Iran’s 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade
Trained by the U.S. Army in the 1960s, the Iranian 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade holds onto at least one relic of that past. The green beret. The specialized unit conducts psychological operations, hostage rescue, unconventional warfare, and counterterrorism training missions within the Islamic Republic and outside it. Nicknamed the “powerful ghosts” for once taking out two buildings near Tehran in under two hours, the formidable force operates today as advisers to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s presence in Syria.
A vigorous training regimen includes endurance and survival in environments like desert, jungle, and mountain, plus freefall training and parachute skills. It’s very similar to the Green Beret training it received when it was established in 1959 as part of the Imperial Iran Special Forces.