The involvement of British forces in the Multinational Force was agreed by the UK Government on 15 December 1982. The American request for UK military support posed a dilemma for Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who was wary of entanglement in the complex conflict in Lebanon. However, she agreed to a small, limited commitment as a token effort to support the UK-US 'special relationship'. The contingent of BRITFORLEB, codenamed Operation Hyperion, was limited to an armoured reconnaissance squadron equipped with Ferret armoured cars with, at most, 115 deployed personnel. British Forces were based in the East Beirut district of Regie Hadath. The contingent did not suffer any fatalities and was withdrawn, with the other multinational contingents, in February 1984.[19] BRITFORLEB consisted of three squadron-sized rotations from armoured reconnaissance units: C Sqn (Feb-Aug 1983) and A Sqn (Aug-Dec 1983) from the 1st Queens Dragoon Guards, and A Sqn (Dec 1983-Feb 1984) of the 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers.[20]
The unit is one of the most secretive in the Israeli military. The details of many missions and identities of active operatives are kept highly classified. The unit is respected as among the best of the world's special forces,[2] and is compared to the US Navy SEALs and Britain's Special Boat Service.[3] Unlike many other Israeli Special Forces Units which take men only for their 36-month mandatory service, volunteers for Shayetet 13 must agree to service at least four and a half years (18 months over and above the normal commitment).[4] Unit's Motto: "As the bat emerges from the darkness, As the blade cuts through with silence, As the grenade smashes in rage." In addition the unit is also referred to as "people of silence".
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Shayetet 13 is a veteran Israeli special forces unit. It was formed in 1949 by Yohai Ben-Nun with men drawn from the ranks of the Palyam, the naval branch of the Palmach, the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the ancestor of the Israel Defense Forces. The need for such a dedicated unit was a matter of debate during the early years of the IDF, and the unit subsequently suffered size and budget restrictions. Upon its foundation, the existence of Shayetet 13 was a state secret, and its members wore general Israeli Navy insignia rather than their own unique one.[5]
Shayetet 13 took part in Operation Spring of Youth in 1973, in which Israeli special forces raided Beirut and killed several members of Black September, the terrorist group which carried out the Munich massacre of Israeli athletes in the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics.[13] The Shayetet 13 force that participated in the operation landed in north Beirut and destroyed a small Fatah explosives workshop.
Toward the end of their training, Shayetet 13 recruits go through a course in enduring enemy captivity which recruits from other special forces units and pilot cadets must also go through. Following a surprise mock kidnapping, they are held in prison-like conditions for two weeks, during which they subjected to threats, interrogation, and physical violence, and are forced to perform humiliating activities.[52]
Even after their induction into active service, Shayetet 13 commandos continue to take part in training exercises, and participate in cross-training with foreign special forces units such as the US Navy SEALs.[49][50][53]
The Special Boat Service is the maritime special forces unit of the United Kingdom Special Forces and is described as the sister unit of the British Army 22nd Special Air Service Regiment (22nd SAS), with both under the operational control of the Director Special Forces. In October 2001, full command of the SBS was transferred from the Commandant General Royal Marines to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet.[8] On 18 November 2003, the SBS were given their own cap badge with the motto "By Strength and Guile".[1][8] The SBS has traditionally been staffed mostly by Royal Marines Commandos.
In September 1999, about 20 SBS members contributed to the Australian-led International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) in East Timor.[37] Together with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and the New Zealand Special Air Service they formed INTERFET's special forces element, named Response Force.[38][39] Response Force departed from Darwin by C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and flew into Dili tasked with securing the airport, a seaport and a heli-port to enable regular forces to land and deploy. The SBS were filmed driving a Land Rover Defender out of a Hercules.[38][39][40] Response Force was then used to perform a variety of tasks including direct action and special reconnaissance throughout East Timor. The British forces, including the SBS, withdrew in December 1999.[38][39] Sergeant Mark Andrew Cox was awarded the Military Cross after his patrol came under fire from pro-Indonesian militia.[41][42]
On 18 February 2008, Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Matin and one of his sub-commanders, Mullah Karim Agha, along with several bodyguards were travelling through the desert near Gereshk, Helmand province on motorbikes when they were ambushed and killed by an SBS unit dropped into his path by helicopter.[69][70] In February 2009, members of the SBS took part in Operation Diesel, which resulted in the seizure of 50 million of heroin and the killing of at least 20 Taliban insurgents.[71] On 29 August 2009, Sergeant Lee Houltram of the SBS was killed by an IED during a Special Forces operation to destroy a bomb factory near Gereshk in Helmand province.[72][73] On 9 September 2009, an SBS team supported by the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) rescued Times journalist Stephen Farrell from a Taliban safe house in Char Dara District, Kunduz Province after he and his Afghan interpreter had been captured by the Taliban while reporting on the Kunduz airstrike. The British special forces were forced to act when intercepted communications of the Taliban leader showed them discussing moving the hostages into Pakistan. They were inserted before dawn by 160th SOAR helicopters directly onto the target building. While the SFSG set up a cordon, the Afghan interpreter was accidentally shot and killed, and two civilians were killed by an explosive breaching charge on the compound. Although an SFSG soldier was killed, Farrell was successfully rescued.[74][75][76] On 1 July 2010 during an operation against insurgents in Haji Wakil, Helmand Province, Corporal Seth Stephens of the SBS was killed during a heavy firefight while clearing a compound, as a result of his actions during that operation, he was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.[77]
In the 2003 invasion of Iraq, M Squadron deployed to Jordan as Task Force 7, which was part of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - West (CJSOTF-West) and were earmarked for a heliborne assault on several Iraqi oil facilities that had their own desert airstrips that once captured would be used for special operations forces' staging areas. In northern Iraq in early March, a small reconnaissance team from M Squadron mounted on Honda All-terrain vehicles inserted into Iraq from Jordan, its first mission was to conduct reconnaissance of an Iraqi air base at al-Sahara. The team was compromised by an anti-special forces Fedayeen unit and barely escaped thanks to a US McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle that flew air cover for the team and the bravery of an RAF Chinook that extracted the team under the Fedayeen's 'noses'.[81]
The Ministry of Defence does not comment on special forces matters, and there is consequently little verifiable information in the public domain.[93] The SBS is under the Operational Command of Director Special Forces and are based in Hamworthy barracks, Poole, Dorset.[43]
Originally the SBS had its own independent selection programme to qualify as a Swimmer Canoeist, but its selection has now been integrated into a joint UKSF selection alongside candidates for the Special Air Service. In the past, the SBS was staffed almost entirely by the Royal Marines; now, all members of His Majesty's Armed Forces can be considered for special forces selection,[nb 2] approximately 40% of all UK Special Forces are recruited from the Royal Marines.[107] There are two selection courses per year, one in winter and the other summer.[106] Candidates wishing to serve with the Special Boat Service must have completed at least two years regular service and are only accepted into the SBS after completion of the selection process.[108] 2ff7e9595c
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