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.
Poland’s Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów (JWK)
One branch of the Polish Special Troops Command (DWS) is the JWK. Based in Lubilniec, they have a varied and wide skill set, comparable to the U.S. Army special forces like the Green Berets. Formed in 1961, it is Poland’s oldest special ops unit. Troops are trained for everything from air assault, helicopter and parachute operations to reconnaissance missions.
They are also trained for underwater and frogman attack missions. Recently the regiment provided support for NATO operations in the Kosovo conflict. Even more recently, troops deployed special reconnaissance missions in the War in Afghanistan.
Triple Canopy
Triple Canopy is a private military company based in Reston, VA. The private security and risk management company is a defense contractor that was established by former U.S. Special Forces like Rangers, SEALs, and MARSOC. Founded in Chicago, the company employs at least 5,500 former special-ops soldiers, police officers and other former military personnel. Triple Crown has provided services for government and multination agencies worldwide. Some of its clients are NGOs, oil and gas businesses, mining companies, financial organizations, and telecommunication companies.
Triple Canopy opened up shop in 2003 during the start of the War on Terror. By 2004, it had become a significant force. At the helm, are former elite special operations Delta Force soldiers.
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.
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.