Special forces attract a level of fascination that few other military units inspire. They are often spoken about with mystery, sometimes misrepresented in headlines, and occasionally misunderstood as regular troops stationed in faraway garrisons. In reality, units such as the British SAS and SBS, the French GIGN, and the US Navy SEALs are not built for routine deployment. They are highly trained for specific missions that demand precision, secrecy, and extraordinary skill. Their role is never about sitting idle. It is about stepping in at the exact moment when the stakes are highest.
The Special Air Service, or SAS, was born in the sands of North Africa during the Second World War. A small band of men trained to operate behind enemy lines, striking at German airfields and supply chains with speed and surprise. That blueprint of small, agile teams carrying out daring missions shaped the modern concept of special forces. In the decades that followed, the SAS became central to counter-terrorism and irregular warfare. Perhaps the most famous example was in 1980 when gunmen stormed the Iranian Embassy in London. After six tense days, the world watched live as black-clad SAS troopers abseiled down the building, rescued hostages, and ended the siege in minutes. That moment demonstrated what they exist for: not permanent deployment, but decisive intervention.
Alongside the SAS stands the Special Boat Service, the maritime special forces unit of the UK. Its history also stretches back to the Second World War when small teams carried out daring raids from the sea, often using canoes and submarines. Their skill is infiltration by water, whether slipping undetected onto hostile shores or gathering intelligence under the cover of darkness. In the Falklands conflict they carried out reconnaissance deep inside enemy territory, and in more recent years they have operated in Iraq and Afghanistan. The SBS exemplifies the reality of special forces: silent, precise, and used only where the impact will be greatest.
In France, the creation of the Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale, or GIGN, came in 1973 after a wave of violent attacks in Europe. Unlike military special forces, the GIGN is part of the national police structure, but its role is every bit as demanding. Its expertise is counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and tackling threats too dangerous for regular policing. Their most famous mission took place in 1994 when terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 8969 in Algiers and forced it to land in Marseille. With passengers’ lives in immediate danger, GIGN stormed the plane in a matter of minutes, killing the hijackers and saving everyone on board. It was a textbook demonstration of what specialist intervention looks like, swift and decisive, carried out only when there is no other option.
The US Navy SEALs, perhaps the most widely recognised of all, were formally established in 1962 but trace their roots back to naval combat demolition teams in the Second World War. Their remit is broad, covering land, sea, and air operations. SEALs are trained to adapt to the harshest conditions and to operate in small units where precision is everything. They fought in Vietnam, conducted daring raids in Panama, and played key roles in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The mission that captured the world’s attention was Operation Neptune Spear in 2011, when SEAL Team Six located and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. It was the very definition of a targeted mission, carefully planned, carried out by a small elite team, and concluded within minutes.
What all these forces share is the same principle: they are not designed to be stationed indefinitely in foreign bases or left in garrisons waiting for orders. That is the job of regular troops. Special forces are scalpel, deployed sparingly and only when the situation calls for skills that no one else can deliver. Whether rescuing hostages, striking at terrorist leaders, or gathering vital intelligence behind enemy lines, they are always sent with a clear and specific purpose.
Recent history provides clear examples of this. In 2019, British SAS soldiers helped end a terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya, when Al-Shabaab gunmen stormed a hotel complex. Their intervention was swift and coordinated with local forces, a classic example of specialists being deployed only when absolutely necessary. The SBS has been reported in operations against Somali pirates, boarding hijacked ships in the Gulf of Aden to free hostages. These missions highlight that their work is global, but always targeted.
The GIGN has remained active in France and abroad, most notably during the 2015 Paris terror attacks, when they were deployed in operations to secure sites and neutralise attackers. Their presence in such crises shows how they are activated not for routine duties, but for moments where lives hang in the balance.
For the Navy SEALs, missions in Iraq and Afghanistan have continued to demonstrate their versatility, from capturing high-value insurgent leaders to dismantling terror networks. Beyond the bin Laden raid, they have been at the sharp edge of countless missions, many of which remain classified, but serve the same principle of being short, specific, and vital.
It is important to understand this distinction, because public perception shapes how these units are spoken about in the media. Too often, reports make it sound as if they are permanently deployed somewhere, when in fact their presence is temporary, mission-driven, and almost always concealed until long after the event. Their effectiveness relies on secrecy, on careful planning, and on being used as a last resort.
From the deserts of North Africa to hijacked planes in Europe, from the jungles of Vietnam to the mountains of Afghanistan, special forces have been called on to deal with the kinds of threats that demand speed, surprise, and unshakable resolve. They are not a blunt instrument of war. They are highly specialised teams whose purpose is to protect lives, dismantle threats, and achieve results where others cannot.
By remembering their history and recognising their unique role, we can speak about them with the accuracy and respect they deserve. Special forces are not defined by where they sit. They are defined by what they do, and by the fact that they only appear when they are truly needed.
