Navy SEALs using jet skies during night infiltration training (Photo: XY)
The list of the world’s most elite special forces in 2023 is based on the unit’s missions, numbers, training, and history. It is hard to decide who is the best among elite special forces. These guys are often the best that one country may offer in military view. They are some of the best-trained and most formidable warriors in the world. They usually go where other soldiers fear to tread or don’t have the required skills to accomplish needed objectives.
Special Operations Forces operators are scoping out potential threats, taking out strategic targets, and conducting daring rescue missions, often in the most dangerous and unfriendly environments worldwide. These are the best of the best that you can find worldwide.
Introduction
Although it’s challenging to judge and rank these special forces relative to one another because their mission is almost the same, some units rise above others. Elite soldiers rise in their track record and the fear they instill in their enemies. These warriors have been through rigorous selection and training exercises to find the best candidates and weed out those who can’t hit their exacting standards. And their standards are high, for many people too high.
In a world where the importance of the sheer size of a country’s military forces is no longer a guide to their effectiveness, these warriors are the ones states look to get the job done. In one way or another.
The list of the top 10 most elite special forces globally is based on the research conducted in 2020.
Unidad de Operaciones Especiales
Spain’s Unidad de Operaciones Especiales, or the Naval Special Warfare Force, has been renamed since 2009. They had for long been one of Europe’s best-respected special forces units, publicly relatively unknown. Naval Special Warfare Force was initially established as the volunteer Amphibious Climbing Company unit in 1952. Since then, they have followed the British SAS’s example to become an elite fighting force ready to perform all given tasks.
To become a member of UOE (Unidad de Operaciones Especiales), you need to earn the green beret. However, it looks almost impossible because the failure rate of candidates averaged between 70% and 80%, which means that only two are accepted for every ten candidates, only two are accepted. It’s not uncommon to reject all would-be new candidates in one year.
The Special Service Group (SSG)
The Special Services Group, abbreviated as SSG, is Pakistan’s most elite special forces unit. They are better known at home as the Black Storks. That nickname comes because of their unique headgear. Their Commando selection training reportedly includes a 36-mile march in 12 hours and a five-mile run in 50 minutes in full gear, and that is only one part of overall selection and training.
Their most successful action was in October 2009 when SSG commandos stormed an office building and rescued 39 people taken hostage by suspected Taliban militants after an attack on the army’s local headquarters.
Polish JW GROM
Polish JW GROM is one of five special forces units of the Polish Armed Forces. GROM was officially founded on July 13, 1990, and its name in Polish stands for Thunder. Their primary tasks are in various special operations and unconventional warfare roles, primarily counter-terrorism actions.
Polish JW GROM (Photo: XY)
Candidates applying to serve in JW GROM have to pass various psychological and durability tests, along with the so-called truth test, a physically and psychologically exhausting field test designed to filter out the weaker applicants.
Alpha Group
Russia’s Alpha Group is one of the best-known and best-trained special forces units in the world. This elite counter-terrorism unit was founded as a support unit for the KGB in 1974, and it remains under its modern-day counterpart, the FSB, until these days.
In particular, Russian special forces and the Alpha Group came under criticism a few times in the last decade. First, during the 2002 Moscow Theater hostage crisis, when 129 hostages lost their lives in the efforts to save hostages. The hostages died from the effects of the unknown gas used to knock out terrorists who had seized a theater building. Another criticism comes after the Beslan school hostage crisis because a large number of hostage casualties, but it doesn’t mean they did something wrong.
Delta Force (1st SFOD-D)
Among all the assets related to special operations of the US military, the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta or shortly 1st SFOD-D, more commonly known in public as Delta Force, is undoubtedly covered by the strictest confidence, especially when it is about direct action and urban warfare.
The 1st SFOD-D is a unit of “black,” and the Department of Defense Tier 1 unit (along with SEAL Team Six, the 24th Special Tactics Squadron and Intelligence Support Activity CIA) is placed directly under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC ). To become their member is often told to be “hard as hell.” There are plenty of candidates on every selection course, but only a few accomplish the course.
Delta Force Team (Photo: Pinterest)
In 2019, Delta Force just completed a glorious mission: the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi,at Barisha, north-western Syria, on October 28 2019. They blasted a hole in a wall while the inhabitants were asleep. Al-Baghdadi ran down a tunnel—in his panic, he picked the wrong one—at a dead-end, he detonated his suicide vest, exploding himself and two children. His body parts were dumped at sea, and the entire compound was reduced to rubble:
National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN)
Of all the counter-terrorism units in the world, related only to law enforcement tasks, only a few can compete with France’s top special forces team. The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) is a group official belonging to law enforcement. GIGN is around 200 men strong and trained specifically to respond to hostage situations and barricaded suspects. They claim to have freed over 600 people since they were formed in 1973 in more than 40 hostage-taking situations. Since their training, equipment, or members are protected by French law, which forbids publishing their pictures and identities.
French GIGN in the TOP 10 of the world’s most elite special forces in 2023 (Photo: XY)
One of the most extraordinary episodes in the GIGN’s history and the world of special forces and special operations was the seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 1979. Because of the prohibition on non-Muslims entering the holy city, a team of three GIGN commandos briefly converted to Islam before helping the Saudi armed forces plan the recapture of the militants’ mosque. In 2015, they had a few interventions which made headlines all over the World (Charlie Hebdo).
Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal is Israel’s most elite unit. Their primary purpose is intelligence gathering, and their members often operate deep behind enemy lines. During the selection camp (located in Gibbush), would-be candidates endure hardcore training exercises while being constantly monitored by a special team of doctors and psychologists. Only the fittest and toughest get in.
World’s most elite special forces: Israel’s Tier 1 unit is Sayeret Matkal (Photo: IDF)
One of their most successful operations happened in 2003 when Israeli taxi driver Eliyahu Gurel was kidnapped after transporting four Palestinians to Jerusalem in his cab. But the Sayeret Matkal unit located and rescued him from a 10-meter-deep pit in an abandoned factory in a suburb of Ramallah.
Special Air Service (SAS)
The Special Air Service worldwide, known as SAS, is the infantry counterpart to the Special Boat Service (SBS). Their motto, often found on insignia, bears the famous phrase “Who dares wins.” Asked about the importance of the SAS’s role in the fighting that followed the Iraq war, US Gen. Stanley McChrystal responded: “Essential. Could not have done it without them.”
SAS operators are among the world’s most elite special forces (Photo: Pinterest)
They got their name written in history books after Operation Nimrod, when they stormed the building of the Iranian embassy in London, killing all terrorists except one and rescuing hostages. National TV directly broadcasted the operation.
Special Boat Service (SBS)
The UK equivalent of the USNavy SEALS is the SBS which stands for Special Boat Service. Their primary work area is water, but they are not restricted to it. The challenging selection process involves a grueling endurance test, jungle training in the rainforests of Belize, and combat survival training, which involves intense interrogation of candidates. And you get only two attempts to pass. Sounds hard?
US Navy SEALs
As you might presume, the first place is reserved for the US Navy SEALS. They might one-up even the Marines. To join their ranks, you have to do a minimum of 42 push-ups in two minutes, 50 sit-ups in two minutes, and run 1.5 miles in 11 minutes. And that’s before training starts. Shortly after, they are directed to BUD/s, where the wanna-be candidates are driven through one of the most demanding military training in the world.
US Navy SEALs accomplished most US Special Operations publicly known in the recent decade. Their top mission was Operation Neptune Spear in 2011 when they eliminated the most wanted terrorist in the world, a leader of notorious Al-Qaeda, Usama Bin Laden.
33 thoughts on “The list of world’s most elite special forces in 2023”
Author forgot the Father of them all…India’s Para Special Forces.
Good luck
Who are the retards who write these articles are they retarded or what ffs the SAS and SBS are the special forces all others are based off so there the best in the world ffs the guy who wrote this actually wrong and knows fuck all
You a very wrong. We, in Macedonia, have much bether prepared special forces named Squad for special operations Tigar. Try to find some sources to make some conclusion before you publish.
Regards
Ljupcho Tanaskoski.
I am not sure about Tigers. I remember there was some serious encounter with rebel group where dozen Macedonian special forces operators were killed… I assume those were from the Tigers?
“Gibbush” translated literally from Hebrew is just (a) “formation” (of something), not a place. It’s usually the very first stage of selection into any special unit and most often takes place before you even enlist. If you enlist into a regular infantry brigade you have a period of a couple of weeks called “pre boot camp” prior to being assigned to a battalion. During that period if you so choose you can also take part in a several-days long “gibbush” for a spot in one of the more specialized units in the brigade.
There are some missing that would be in top 5. However Pakistans forces were better than Indians. Don’t know about now. Things can change drastically in few years.
Everyone is cool 😎 except India because India is shit did the right thing by not mentioning India in that list 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I guess the friend who made the news is unaware of the Turkish burgundy berets ????
The easy day was yesterday🔥🔥🔥🔥
The SAS and the SBS are the best special forces in the world because almost every single special forces are based on the SAS and SBS so they are the best and should be 1st so the person who wrote this does not know SHIT
WHO GIVES A FUCK
I agree SAS/SBS are some of the absolute best to ever do it but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are #1. Yes true just about everything is based off their training. But if “based on” SAS/SBS training that probably means that others found the holes or weaknesses in that particular forces training and tweaked some trainings and added other elements to put them above or be better prepared for what the original training had. Example what if we fought any modern military the exact way the Romans did just bc they were #1 in their time. Times change trainings change.
Here’s a far more thorough listing of SPECOPS units. And do I know which are based off which? Nope, but I know which is generally considered the best in the world. It has a trident as it’s insignia.
GHOST, ENGLAND ALSO INVENTED FOOTBALL BUT EVERYBODY ELSE PLAYS IT BETTER.
Spain and England has tbe most powerfull special forces in the world. But nobody know it
u forgot Sweden’s special force.
one of the worlds toughest training’s
u forgot Sweden’s special force.
one of the worlds toughest training’s
Like to join today
Like to advance like to be a office , see a lot of good I can do like to as far as one can go ,
Like to be a service officer do combat be combat officer
I am looking for peace officers
Just a few deep research, and you’ll find that Maldives Spec ops are the best among all. Although they rarely found in any news.. attack in silence as usual
As a Vietnam combat vet that served with 5th group SF as a communications sergeant, I found your article very enlightening. Things sure have changed in the S.F. families today. I didn’t want to go,
but the draft changed my mind. I had a dime dropped on me shortly after arriving at Ft. Gordon,
GA., I speak fluent French and was a ham radio operator since age 14. They didn’t waste any
time in getting to the jump towers at Ft. Benning, then off to NC for SF training.
Those who have seen war, never stop seeing it.
The ones, that are there, day in and days out, the ones, that chew up mud dirt, cold, heat, rain and some who are in a fighting hole all alone and thinking, will I ever see home
These are the men that are special, cause they stay still its done, no matter the weather or the task, they stay
We all gave some
And some gave all
I’m going to say this article was written by a yank, giving 1st place to seals?
the seals training isn’t even 1 third as tough as SAS, only the best can train the best which is why the SAS are used around the globe including by seals to train them in some areas.
The tests to join the SEALs ie 42 push ups, 50 sit ups and 11 min 1.5 mile run is less than the basic test for the regular British army 🤣 “50 press-ups, 55 sit ups and 1.5 miles in 10.30 as a bare minimum
Lol, mixed up Military SOFs and Police Special units and didn mention the PARA SF or MARCOS
You’re all stupid. The best forces in the world are also the most secretive. They are ghosts. Nobody knows they exist. If the tactical team you are thinking about never made this list, is because 90% of the population doesn’t know of their existence. Hence……….. CANADAS JTF2!
Who has the ultimate authority to actually decide which SPECOPS is best? It’s just subjective opinion surely? However the author seems to assume the role of the ultimate aficionado, so one can only presume he’s been through each of the selection courses and passed, therefore has the God given right to rank each of these units ;-) I also presume he’s been selected for all the other units not mentioned here, but disqualified them as shit based on his first hand experience. @palito papito SAS was actually formed by a Scotsman so your football analogy is bollocks. I suspect we’re all wrong and that the best SPECOPS are the ones that we don’t know about. If it’s named here then they’re probably not the best – like Will said…right up to the point that he named one!
others of note:
romania CIA dspi
indonesia marines jalara mengara
greek special paratroopers
denmark jager corps and navy special force
india SFF
french dragon paras/choc/gcm/gmm
Author forgot the Father of them all…India’s Para Special Forces.
Good luck
Who are the retards who write these articles are they retarded or what ffs the SAS and SBS are the special forces all others are based off so there the best in the world ffs the guy who wrote this actually wrong and knows fuck all
You a very wrong. We, in Macedonia, have much bether prepared special forces named Squad for special operations Tigar. Try to find some sources to make some conclusion before you publish.
Regards
Ljupcho Tanaskoski.
I am not sure about Tigers. I remember there was some serious encounter with rebel group where dozen Macedonian special forces operators were killed… I assume those were from the Tigers?
“Gibbush” translated literally from Hebrew is just (a) “formation” (of something), not a place. It’s usually the very first stage of selection into any special unit and most often takes place before you even enlist. If you enlist into a regular infantry brigade you have a period of a couple of weeks called “pre boot camp” prior to being assigned to a battalion. During that period if you so choose you can also take part in a several-days long “gibbush” for a spot in one of the more specialized units in the brigade.
There are some missing that would be in top 5. However Pakistans forces were better than Indians. Don’t know about now. Things can change drastically in few years.
Everyone is cool 😎 except India because India is shit did the right thing by not mentioning India in that list 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I guess the friend who made the news is unaware of the Turkish burgundy berets ????
The easy day was yesterday🔥🔥🔥🔥
The SAS and the SBS are the best special forces in the world because almost every single special forces are based on the SAS and SBS so they are the best and should be 1st so the person who wrote this does not know SHIT
WHO GIVES A FUCK
I agree SAS/SBS are some of the absolute best to ever do it but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are #1. Yes true just about everything is based off their training. But if “based on” SAS/SBS training that probably means that others found the holes or weaknesses in that particular forces training and tweaked some trainings and added other elements to put them above or be better prepared for what the original training had. Example what if we fought any modern military the exact way the Romans did just bc they were #1 in their time. Times change trainings change.
Here’s a far more thorough listing of SPECOPS units. And do I know which are based off which? Nope, but I know which is generally considered the best in the world. It has a trident as it’s insignia.
GHOST, ENGLAND ALSO INVENTED FOOTBALL BUT EVERYBODY ELSE PLAYS IT BETTER.
Spain and England has tbe most powerfull special forces in the world. But nobody know it
u forgot Sweden’s special force.
one of the worlds toughest training’s
u forgot Sweden’s special force.
one of the worlds toughest training’s
Like to join today
Like to advance like to be a office , see a lot of good I can do like to as far as one can go ,
Like to be a service officer do combat be combat officer
I am looking for peace officers
Just a few deep research, and you’ll find that Maldives Spec ops are the best among all. Although they rarely found in any news.. attack in silence as usual
As a Vietnam combat vet that served with 5th group SF as a communications sergeant, I found your article very enlightening. Things sure have changed in the S.F. families today. I didn’t want to go,
but the draft changed my mind. I had a dime dropped on me shortly after arriving at Ft. Gordon,
GA., I speak fluent French and was a ham radio operator since age 14. They didn’t waste any
time in getting to the jump towers at Ft. Benning, then off to NC for SF training.
Those who have seen war, never stop seeing it.
The ones, that are there, day in and days out, the ones, that chew up mud dirt, cold, heat, rain and some who are in a fighting hole all alone and thinking, will I ever see home
These are the men that are special, cause they stay still its done, no matter the weather or the task, they stay
We all gave some
And some gave all
I’m going to say this article was written by a yank, giving 1st place to seals?
the seals training isn’t even 1 third as tough as SAS, only the best can train the best which is why the SAS are used around the globe including by seals to train them in some areas.
The tests to join the SEALs ie 42 push ups, 50 sit ups and 11 min 1.5 mile run is less than the basic test for the regular British army 🤣 “50 press-ups, 55 sit ups and 1.5 miles in 10.30 as a bare minimum
Lol, mixed up Military SOFs and Police Special units and didn mention the PARA SF or MARCOS
You’re all stupid. The best forces in the world are also the most secretive. They are ghosts. Nobody knows they exist. If the tactical team you are thinking about never made this list, is because 90% of the population doesn’t know of their existence. Hence……….. CANADAS JTF2!
Who has the ultimate authority to actually decide which SPECOPS is best? It’s just subjective opinion surely? However the author seems to assume the role of the ultimate aficionado, so one can only presume he’s been through each of the selection courses and passed, therefore has the God given right to rank each of these units ;-) I also presume he’s been selected for all the other units not mentioned here, but disqualified them as shit based on his first hand experience. @palito papito SAS was actually formed by a Scotsman so your football analogy is bollocks. I suspect we’re all wrong and that the best SPECOPS are the ones that we don’t know about. If it’s named here then they’re probably not the best – like Will said…right up to the point that he named one!
others of note:
romania CIA dspi
indonesia marines jalara mengara
greek special paratroopers
denmark jager corps and navy special force
india SFF
french dragon paras/choc/gcm/gmm
COMSUBIN
X MAS
Italian Special Forces
;-)
what is the logic of this ranking?
you omitted the Nigerian Navy SBS