United Kingdom Special Forces Selection
Encyclopedia
United Kingdom Special Forces
Selection is the selection and training process for members of the United Kingdom's three Special Forces
formations: 22 Special Air Service
, Special Boat Service
, and Special Reconnaissance Regiment
. Members of the SAS and SBS undergo common selection up to the award of a sand-coloured beret
to SAS Troopers whereupon SBS candidates undergo further selection to qualify as Swimmer Canoeists and SAS personnel undergo further specialist training. The Selection process for the SRR is not known.
Until the late 1990s candidates for the SAS and SBS underwent selection under the auspices of the prospective unit, the merger created efficiencies and encouraged a greater degree of interoperability between the units.
Selection is reported to be the most demanding military training course in the World with a reported pass rate of less than 10%. It is a test of strength, endurance, and resolve over the Brecon Beacons
and Elan Valley
in Wales
, and in the jungle of Brunei
, taking around 6 months to complete.
Selection is held twice a year regardless of conditions. Personnel must have a level of prior regular or reserve military experience and for regulars must have at least 39 months of service remaining on completion of selection as well as not exceeding 32 years of age. Candidates are limited to a maximum of two attempts with personnel failing being Returned to Unit.
Selection is broken down into a number of phases, commencing with a Briefing Course several weeks in advance of commencement.
conditions are demanding, and unpredictable.
Initial tests are common to the rest of the British Armed Forces
with the Personal Fitness Test (PFT), a 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) run in under 9 minutes 30 seconds preceded by a minimum of 44 pressups and 50 situps in two minutes each.
The first week of selection consists of runs in the Brecon Beacons, up and down hills with a loaded bergen
. These exercises, such as the "Fan Dance
", are further complicated by navigation
and map reading exercises. Navigation runs in small groups in woodland areas and night tab
s follow shortly, steadily increasing both the physical and mental load on the prospective operator. Loads increase over the period, while the individual's personal weapon has to be carried unsupported; candidates are required to keep the rifle in their hands as they climb slopes and jog down again.
In the third week individuals navigate from a grid reference
to other points on the map. Directing staff at each rendezvous ("RV") require the candidate to indicate location before instructing the next reference point.
The final stage of the "hills" phase of selection is known as "Test Week" which consists of six marches on consecutive days with ever increasing bergen weights and distances. The second to last day involves covering 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) with a hand-drawn sketch map rather than a printed map. Test week concludes with "Endurance
", a 65 kilometres (40.4 mi) march across the Brecon Beacons, completed in less than 20 hours loaded in excess of fifty five pounds plus water, food and rifle.
.
of Borneo
with candidates allocated to four man patrol
s, each patrol supervised by a member of the Directing Staff (DS). Damp and rain are persistent, potentially demoralising the candidate, and skin contusions, insect bites, cuts and blisters must be cared for due to the risk of infection.
Training includes jungle survival, patrol techniques, navigation, boat handling, camp and observation post techniques, contact drills and medicine.
The final test encompasses these skills, where all things that have been learned must be applied correctly in a tactical environment.
training. The test stage for this training phase requires the candidates to undergo an evasion exercise, dressed in greatcoats
to restrict movement and operating in small groups. A Hunter Force from the Special Forces Support Group
provides a capture threat.
All personnel are required to undergo a Tactical Questioning stage; should a candidate reach the objective without capture he will still be subjected to this element.
and petrol blue stable belt
of the Regiment.
Soldiers revert to the rank of trooper
, however, the original rank at entry to selection is held in records as a shadow rank and the Trooper remains a member of their original unit. The first 12 months of service in the Regiment is probationary and a candidate could still be Returned to (their previous) Unit (RTUd) should the need arise. Personnel normally serve at least one 36 month tour with the Regiment and may be RTUd, or choose to RTU, on completion. Personnel who serve for more than two tours with the Regiment are formally transferred to the permanent Cadre and become eligible for promotion as Senior NCOs.
Personnel who elect to RTU, or are involuntarily RTUd will regain their previous rank, plus appropriate seniority.
Officer candidates are required to hold at least the rank of Lieutenant (Royal Navy)
, Captain (Army and Royal Marines)
or Flight Lieutenant (RAF)
and do not revert, they are however required to return to the parent unit on completion of their first three year tour. Officers are permitted to return to the Regiment and may become permanent cadre after a second tour.
After completing selection SBS candidates transfer to the SBS headquarters at Royal Marines Poole to undergo further selection.
, instead retaining the green beret of a Commando
. Further selection activities are undertaken at Poole, including diving, small boat operations, beach and shallow water reconnaissance.
and Royal Marines) who volunteer for 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment are employed alongside Special Forces Operators and are required to undergo a correspondingly rigorous selection process.
Signal Squadron candidates undergo a four week physical and tactical navigation stage based at Credenhill identical to that of potential SAS and SBS Operators. With the final two weeks run by DS from SAS Training Wing alongside potential SAS and SBS Operators. Personnel then undergo extensive training in the deployment, use and maintenance of the specialist communication systems used by special forces. Candidates go on to a three week SAS infantry skills package, followed by the same SERE
training. In addition to this, technicians are required to pass 'Trade Week', an academically and technically demanding course done under sleep deprivation and with a high degree of time pressure.
Finally, SFC's complete the same Military Parachuting course as the Operators, culminating in the award of Special Forces parachute wings. On completion of the SFC selection course, successful candidates are then awarded the sand-colored beret
of the SAS and the stable belt bearing the famous flaming Excalibur sword (mistakenly called "winged dagger") of the SAS. They are awarded Special Forces Communicator pay.
Royal Marine SFC's continue to wear the Commando
green beret. They come under command of the SBS Signal Squadron, which in turn falls within the ORBAT (ORder of BATtle) of 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment. They are still required to complete the entire SFC selection course, despite having already undergone the arduous Commando Course
.
United Kingdom Special Forces
The United Kingdom Special Forces is a UK Ministry of Defence Directorate which also has the capability to provide a Joint Special Operations Task Force Headquarters...
Selection is the selection and training process for members of the United Kingdom's three Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
formations: 22 Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
, Special Boat Service
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
, and Special Reconnaissance Regiment
Special Reconnaissance Regiment
The Special Reconnaissance Regiment or SRR is a Special Forces regiment of the British Armed Forces. It was established on 6 April 2005 and is part of the United Kingdom Special Forces under command Director Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service , Special Boat Service and the Special...
. Members of the SAS and SBS undergo common selection up to the award of a sand-coloured beret
Tan beret
The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...
to SAS Troopers whereupon SBS candidates undergo further selection to qualify as Swimmer Canoeists and SAS personnel undergo further specialist training. The Selection process for the SRR is not known.
Until the late 1990s candidates for the SAS and SBS underwent selection under the auspices of the prospective unit, the merger created efficiencies and encouraged a greater degree of interoperability between the units.
Selection is reported to be the most demanding military training course in the World with a reported pass rate of less than 10%. It is a test of strength, endurance, and resolve over the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
and Elan Valley
Elan Valley
The Elan Valley is a river valley situated to the west of Rhayader, in Powys, Wales, sometimes known as the "Welsh Lake District". It covers of lake and countryside....
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and in the jungle of Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, taking around 6 months to complete.
Selection is held twice a year regardless of conditions. Personnel must have a level of prior regular or reserve military experience and for regulars must have at least 39 months of service remaining on completion of selection as well as not exceeding 32 years of age. Candidates are limited to a maximum of two attempts with personnel failing being Returned to Unit.
Selection is broken down into a number of phases, commencing with a Briefing Course several weeks in advance of commencement.
Special Forces Briefing Course (1 Week)
Over the week, potential candidates are briefed in detail on Special Forces employment and on the activities during selection. Candidates undertake a map and compass test, a swimming test, a first aid test and a combat fitness test. There are also numerous "DS walkabouts" and runs in the hills. Candidates will be notified of the likelihood of failure on selection and provided with a training programme to prepare for the process.Fitness and navigation (4 weeks)
Based at Sennybridge Training Camp in Wales personnel are exposed to the Brecon Beacons and the Elan Valley, Wales where weatherWeather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
conditions are demanding, and unpredictable.
Initial tests are common to the rest of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
with the Personal Fitness Test (PFT), a 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) run in under 9 minutes 30 seconds preceded by a minimum of 44 pressups and 50 situps in two minutes each.
The first week of selection consists of runs in the Brecon Beacons, up and down hills with a loaded bergen
Backpack
A backpack is, in its simplest form, a cloth sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders, but there can be exceptions...
. These exercises, such as the "Fan Dance
Fan dance (exercise)
The Fan Dance is part of the Fitness and Navigation phase of the selection process of the UK's Special Forces personnel. It has also been used on courses run by the Pathfinder Group and the Infantry Battle School, Brecon, Wales. It is a 24 kilometre long distance march in the Brecon Beacons of...
", are further complicated by navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
and map reading exercises. Navigation runs in small groups in woodland areas and night tab
Yomp
Yomp is Royal Marines slang describing a long distance march carrying full kit.British Army slang for the same thing is 'tab'. The term 'tab' has its roots in an acronym, being an abbreviation of Tactical Advance to Battle...
s follow shortly, steadily increasing both the physical and mental load on the prospective operator. Loads increase over the period, while the individual's personal weapon has to be carried unsupported; candidates are required to keep the rifle in their hands as they climb slopes and jog down again.
In the third week individuals navigate from a grid reference
Grid reference
Grid references define locations on maps using Cartesian coordinates. Grid lines on maps define the coordinate system, and are numbered to provide a unique reference to features....
to other points on the map. Directing staff at each rendezvous ("RV") require the candidate to indicate location before instructing the next reference point.
The final stage of the "hills" phase of selection is known as "Test Week" which consists of six marches on consecutive days with ever increasing bergen weights and distances. The second to last day involves covering 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) with a hand-drawn sketch map rather than a printed map. Test week concludes with "Endurance
Long Drag
The Long Drag is a slang term which refers to an event that marks the culmination of the Fitness and Navigation phase of UK Special Forces Selection and the Pathfinder Platoon cadre. The event, also known simply as Endurance, involves a 64 kilometre long distance march over the Brecon Beacons of...
", a 65 kilometres (40.4 mi) march across the Brecon Beacons, completed in less than 20 hours loaded in excess of fifty five pounds plus water, food and rifle.
Initial continuation training (4 weeks)
This consists of detailed and realistic training in weapon handling, vehicle handling, demolitions and small unit patrol tacticsMilitary tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
.
Jungle training (6 weeks)
Jungle training is usually carried out in the thick rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
with candidates allocated to four man patrol
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
s, each patrol supervised by a member of the Directing Staff (DS). Damp and rain are persistent, potentially demoralising the candidate, and skin contusions, insect bites, cuts and blisters must be cared for due to the risk of infection.
Training includes jungle survival, patrol techniques, navigation, boat handling, camp and observation post techniques, contact drills and medicine.
The final test encompasses these skills, where all things that have been learned must be applied correctly in a tactical environment.
Survive, Evade, Resist, Extract (4 weeks)
Personnel undertake Survive, Evade, Resist, ExtractSurvive, Evade, Resist, Extract
In the United Kingdom, SERE is an acronym for Survive, Evade, Resist and Extract At a basic level this is core aspect of training for all UK Regular Army personnel and is tested as part of their Military Annual Training Tests . The UK SERE School is based at RAF St Mawgan ....
training. The test stage for this training phase requires the candidates to undergo an evasion exercise, dressed in greatcoats
Overcoat
An overcoat is a type of long coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment. Overcoats usually extend below the knee, but are sometimes mistakenly referred to as topcoats, which are short coats that end at or above the knees. Topcoats and overcoats together are known as outercoats...
to restrict movement and operating in small groups. A Hunter Force from the Special Forces Support Group
Special Forces Support Group
The Special Forces Support Group or SFSG is a special operations unit of the British Armed Forces. The SFSG is the newest addition to the United Kingdom Special Forces. It was formed officially on 3 April 2006 to support the Special Air Service and the Special Boat Service on operations. This could...
provides a capture threat.
All personnel are required to undergo a Tactical Questioning stage; should a candidate reach the objective without capture he will still be subjected to this element.
Completion of selection
After completing selection candidates for the SAS are awarded the sand-coloured beretTan beret
The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...
and petrol blue stable belt
Stable belt
A stable belt is an item of uniform used in the armed forces of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. Stable belts or similar derivatives are also worn by the armed forced of other nations such as Denmark....
of the Regiment.
Soldiers revert to the rank of trooper
Trooper (rank)
Trooper from the French "troupier" is the equivalent rank to private in a regiment with a cavalry tradition in the British Army and many other Commonwealth armies, including those of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Today, most cavalry units operate in the armoured role, equipped...
, however, the original rank at entry to selection is held in records as a shadow rank and the Trooper remains a member of their original unit. The first 12 months of service in the Regiment is probationary and a candidate could still be Returned to (their previous) Unit (RTUd) should the need arise. Personnel normally serve at least one 36 month tour with the Regiment and may be RTUd, or choose to RTU, on completion. Personnel who serve for more than two tours with the Regiment are formally transferred to the permanent Cadre and become eligible for promotion as Senior NCOs.
Personnel who elect to RTU, or are involuntarily RTUd will regain their previous rank, plus appropriate seniority.
Officer candidates are required to hold at least the rank of Lieutenant (Royal Navy)
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, Captain (Army and Royal Marines)
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
or Flight Lieutenant (RAF)
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
and do not revert, they are however required to return to the parent unit on completion of their first three year tour. Officers are permitted to return to the Regiment and may become permanent cadre after a second tour.
After completing selection SBS candidates transfer to the SBS headquarters at Royal Marines Poole to undergo further selection.
Special Boat Service Selection
SBS Candidates do not wear the sand-coloured beretTan beret
The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...
, instead retaining the green beret of a Commando
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
. Further selection activities are undertaken at Poole, including diving, small boat operations, beach and shallow water reconnaissance.
Special Reconnaissance Regiment Selection
The hill phase of selection is the same for SRR personnel except the test ends after the first two weeks of the 4 week selection process. A further two weeks SRR aptitude is conducted (NFDK). On completion of the selection aptitude there is a considerable amount of training geared towards undercover operations both within the UK and abroad.Special Forces Communicator Selection
Personnel from any arm of the services (primarily Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
and Royal Marines) who volunteer for 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment are employed alongside Special Forces Operators and are required to undergo a correspondingly rigorous selection process.
Signal Squadron candidates undergo a four week physical and tactical navigation stage based at Credenhill identical to that of potential SAS and SBS Operators. With the final two weeks run by DS from SAS Training Wing alongside potential SAS and SBS Operators. Personnel then undergo extensive training in the deployment, use and maintenance of the specialist communication systems used by special forces. Candidates go on to a three week SAS infantry skills package, followed by the same SERE
SERE
SERE is a military acronym for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape, a program that provides military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and private military contractors with training in evading capture, survival skills and the military code of conduct...
training. In addition to this, technicians are required to pass 'Trade Week', an academically and technically demanding course done under sleep deprivation and with a high degree of time pressure.
Finally, SFC's complete the same Military Parachuting course as the Operators, culminating in the award of Special Forces parachute wings. On completion of the SFC selection course, successful candidates are then awarded the sand-colored beret
Tan beret
The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...
of the SAS and the stable belt bearing the famous flaming Excalibur sword (mistakenly called "winged dagger") of the SAS. They are awarded Special Forces Communicator pay.
Royal Marine SFC's continue to wear the Commando
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
green beret. They come under command of the SBS Signal Squadron, which in turn falls within the ORBAT (ORder of BATtle) of 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment. They are still required to complete the entire SFC selection course, despite having already undergone the arduous Commando Course
Commando Training Centre Royal Marines
Commando Training Centre Royal Marines is the principal military training centre for the Royal Marines of the British Armed Forces. It is situated near the village of Lympstone, between the city of Exeter, and the town of Exmouth in Devon...
.
Specialist training
Following selection personnel will undertake training according to operational need and their specific area of employment:- First Aid, to a high level, including attachment to busy hospitals, including a week in a mortuary.
- Signals and communications
- ParachutingParachutingParachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
- HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening)
- HAHO (High Altitude, High Opening)
- Sniping - Special Forces snipers are trained by the Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
at CTCRM (Commando Training Centre Royal Marines) - Languages
- Vehicle Operating Skills - off-road, for cross-country insertion and patrolling, and also on-road evasive or pursuit driving as part of the close protection role
- Counter Revolutionary Warfare Training
- Explosive Method of Entry (EMOE)
- Close protection techniques
See also
- British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
- Special Air ServiceSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
- Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of SignalsThe Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
- Special Reconnaissance RegimentSpecial Reconnaissance RegimentThe Special Reconnaissance Regiment or SRR is a Special Forces regiment of the British Armed Forces. It was established on 6 April 2005 and is part of the United Kingdom Special Forces under command Director Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service , Special Boat Service and the Special...
- Special Air Service
- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
- Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
- Special Boat ServiceSpecial Boat ServiceThe Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
- Special Boat Service
- Royal Marines
- Australian ArmyAustralian ArmyThe Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
- 1st Commando Regiment
- 2nd Commando Regiment2nd Commando Regiment (Australia)The 2nd Commando Regiment is an Australian Army Special Forces unit, it is one of three combat-capable units within the Australian Special Operations Command. The regiment was established on 19 June 2009 when it was renamed from the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment...
- Special Air Service Regiment
- New Zealand ArmyNew Zealand ArmyThe New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
- New Zealand Special Air Service