Poland’s SOF Unit FORMOZA
The FORMOZA unit of the Polish Navy formed in 1975 as a Frogman division. Frogmen are military and police tactical underwater divers, trained in scuba diving and sometimes called combat divers. The FORMOZA (which means Special Forces Command), deploys special operations in times of peace, war or crisis. They perform onshore and underwater missions. In recent years, Polish forces have been building to defend against Russia’s growing threat by allying with the United Nations.
The SOF Unit FORMOZA provided reinforcement for combat missions in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. They are highly trained and well-respected in the military community.
Chilean Air Force Special Forces
Chilean Special Forces consist of commando, reconnaissance, counterterrorism, and support units. The Army, Navy, and Air Force each hold a group of these four special operation teams. Within the Air Force, there is an Air Counter-Terrorism Group, an Aviation Commando unit and a Parachute Search, Rescue, and Recovery unit.
The Chilean Air Force was formed in the early 1900s by training from French forces. It’s the fourth oldest arm of the military, established 17 years before the U.S. Air Force. In 2004, private military contractor Blackwater recruited 75 Special Forces commandos to fight in Iraq.
ACADEMI
Mercenary and private war contractor ACADEMI provides Special Operations military services to anyone. Commercial, NGO, state, federal and local governments, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies worldwide represent some of its clients. You’ll know the company best as Blackwater USA, established by ex-Navy SEAL Erik Prince in 1997.
The name change came in 2011 after private investors took over. Before that, it was called Xe Services LLC, rebranded to avoid bad press earned by its heavy presence in Iraq during the Iraq War. Prince stepped down as CEO of Blackwater Worldwide in 2009. It’s got a lot of names, but it’s still the same war contractor!
DynCorp International
“DynCorp International is a leading global government solutions provider in support of the U.S. and allied stability objectives.” So, DynCorp International says of its company’s objectives; a morsel of marketing found on the company’s website.
The Virginia-based firm commands a $3 billion annual revenue, almost all of it through U.S. government contracts. It supports U.S. forces worldwide. Dating back to the early 1950s, DynCorp provides aviation support, security, intelligence, and contingency ops. It also responded during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. It’s backed up military operations in Kuwait, Kosovo, Columbia, Haiti, Bolivia, Bosnia, Somalia, and Angola.
Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU)
All secret intelligence missions are the responsibility of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). As Russia’s highest intelligence organization, the GRU is believed to outsize the entirety of the U.S. military’s intelligence agencies, combined!
Before 1992, the GRU and the KGB worked together to provide any and all intelligence services to the state, but now the GRU provides exclusively military intelligence. It’s so secretive that the organization of the GRU and information about its superior leaders are state secrets. As one of the world’s oldest intel agencies, it was established in 1810.