The Irish Army Ranger Wing was established in the ‘80’s when Ireland had many issues with local terrorism. Although tthis special force of hard men still kick bott when dealing with these sort of problems, they now have a wider remit. Their members come from the Irish Army, Naval Service or Air Force and are utilized in war zones all over the world either to help keep the peace or for combat purposes.
The unit’s official name is Sciathán Fiannóglaigh an Airm translated into English as “Army Ranger Wing”. The word “Fiann” closely resembles the English word “Warrior” and refers to the ancient band of warriors known as Na Fianna in Irish mythology
French Commandos Marine
One of two entries from France in our top 10 and that’s not surprising as you really don’t want to get on the wrong side of these dudes. Apart from being one of the oldest special force units in the world, The French Commandoes Marine are also one of the most respected and highly skilled. Consisting of no more than 600 soldiers, they also go by the nickname of the Green Berets.
Put together in the United Kingdom during World War II, the French Commandos were initially modelled on the British Commandos. To commemorate this, the beret of the French commandos is worn to the opposite of all other French military units.
Russian Spetsnaz
Let’s be clear, Russia is most definitely a super power and it for sure has nothing to do with (cough cough) green energy or cheap health insurance. What it might be attributed to is it’s famous military might. Generally all special forces units under the umbrella of the Russian Military are referred to as the Russian Spetsnaz.
A Russian term, Spetsnaz (meaning special) is commonly associated with the military police units of Russia, although other post-Soviet states use the term as well when referring to their military police.
Indian MARCOS
Never heard of these guys? No wonder. Almost no information is known about this highly secretive unit. Despite this obscurity, the Indian Marcos are a highly thought of special forces unit. Established since 1987, because of their distinctive disguises they often go by the name of the Bearded Army.
Although proficient in combat on all types of terrain, the fearsome ‘Bearded Army’ are experts in amphibious warfare.
French Special Forces
Formed in 1992 following the end of the first Gulf War, the French Special Forces have a lot on their plate theses days as they are at the forefront of fighting terrorism at home and in the rest of Europe. Often the first to respond when acts of terror occur, the French Special Forces are constantly lert, highly skilled and extremely versatile.
On top of the various operational units, the French Special Forces also keeps support staff, a research and development branch, and a large group of reservists who specialize in conducting civil affairs operations.