There are many different special operation military units across the world. Different nations have their own set of Special Forces which are trained to perform in very volatile political or battle conditions.

These units indulge in some dangerous military operations, which are not usually undertaken by their Army or Naval bases. These Special Forces are smaller groups of specially trained personnel who perform a multitude of such activities on need basis.

Navy SEALs

The Navy SEALs are considered the elitist of the US Special Operation Forces. SEAL is an acronym which stands for Sea, Air and Land. This is because the Navy SEALs operate on all the three, under any given conditions. The Navy SEALs work in small units or teams. They are known for their ability to complete any operation, be it destroying or picking up targets, or completing rescue missions with minimal or no detection.

Note worthy foreign commando units

Many special military operation units from various nations have made a name for themselves, following their heroic accounts of success in countering terrorism, reconnaissance operations and courage under battle conditions. Some of world famous foreign commando units are the renowned “Parachute Regiment” as well as the Special Air Services unit of the UK Special forces and the British Army. The courageous Russian Spetznaz unit has also earned a name for themselves among the best Special Forces in the world. The Italian special force unit known as “9th Parachutist Assault Regiment” is also quite famous and is comparable to SAS in their overall operations.

Differences between the Navy SEALs and Foreign Commandos

All Special Forces have their own unique set of elements that make them different from one another. While some are different on aspects of training, others are different in their goals and mission. A couple of differences between the Navy SEALs and foreign commandos are cited below.

The selection age for a Navy SEAL recruit is under 28 years and can be extended to 30 years under special circumstances. Special Forces around the world have different age criteria. For example, the British Special Forces usually allow an upper age limit of 32 years for selection into any of its Special Force units.

The Navy SEALs only recruit Men. Other foreign commando units do at times recruit women. While the Navy SEALs are trained to carry out operations on land, sea and air, most foreign Special Forces train special groups of personnel to battle in specific conditions. Among the Russian Spetznaz, for example, while all recruits of the Alfa brigade receive training in Air Combat and Firearms, about one third are given rigorous training in mountaineering while the other third specialize in counter sabotage diving.

It is a well known fact that Navy SEALs’ fitness and training regime is the toughest by far. This is primarily, because, this unit focuses especially on physical and mental endurance, based on the operation goals. Comparatively other Special Forces like SAB of the Royal Marines have less exhaustive physical workout sessions since their mission is quite different.

The Navy SEAL recruit does not undergo language training; a couple of foreign commando units like the Britain based Special Forces recruited to fight Al-Qaida include language classes as a necessary part of their training curriculum.

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This Article is written by James Kara Murat from USNavySEALstore.com, the contributor of Special Forces Store. A longer version of this article is located at Navy SEALs vs Foreign Commandos - Differences and related resources can be found at US Navy SEALs Store.