The

special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

of the

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...

are units of Special Operations Command and associated units of the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

and the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

that conduct and or support

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

to advance and protect the national security of the

Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. The special forces of Australia have a lineage to a variety of units raised in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

such as the Independent and Commando Companies,

Z Special Unit Z Special Unit () was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia. Predominantly Australian, Z Special Unit was a specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit that in ...

, Navy Beach Commandos, and the

Coastwatchers The Coastwatchers, also known as the Coast Watch Organisation, Combined Field Intelligence Service or Section C, Allied Intelligence Bureau, were Allied military intelligence operatives stationed on remote Pacific islands during World War II t ...

. Australian special forces have most recently been deployed to Iraq in

Operation Okra Operation Okra is the Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to the military intervention against the Islamic State. The force is part of Joint Task Force 633 in the Middle East. The operation commenced on 31 August 2014, and its initial ...

as the

Special Operations Task Group Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer Literature * ''Specia ...

, as the Special Operations Task Group in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, in

in support of the

Australian Secret Intelligence Service Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

and regularly for counter-terrorism pre-deploy to locations of major domestic events throughout Australia in readiness to support law enforcement such as the

2014 G20 Brisbane summit The 2014 G20 Brisbane summit was the ninth meeting of the G20 heads of government/heads of state.

History

The special forces of Australia trace their lineage to the

commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

units such as the Independent and Commando Companies and

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

and intelligence gathering units such as

part of

Special Operations Australia Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD), also known as Special Operations Australia (SOA) and previously known as Inter-Allied Services Department (ISD), was an Australian military intelligence and special reconnaissance unit, during World War II. ...

(code name Services Reconnaissance Department SRD) and

M Special Unit M Special Unit, was a joint Allied special reconnaissance unit, part of the Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD), in the South West Pacific theatre of the Second World War. A joint Australian, New Zealand, Dutch and British military intellige ...

part of the

Allied Intelligence Bureau The Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) was a joint United States, Australian, Dutch and British intelligence and special operations agency during World War II. It was responsible for operating parties of spies and commandos behind Japanese lines in ...

(AIB) raised during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The 1st and 2nd Commando Regiments raised post-war are descendants of the commando companies.

Command and control

The ultimate authority for the deployment of Australian special forces rests with the National Security Committee through consultation with the Chief of the Defence Force, the

Secretary of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

, and the

Australian Intelligence Community The Australian Intelligence Community (AIC) and the National Intelligence Community (NIC) or National Security Community of the Australian Government are the collectives of statutory intelligence agencies, policy departments, and other government ...

. The Special Operations Command is the command responsible for Army special forces, including the

Special Air Service Regiment The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The reg ...

1st Commando Regiment The 1st Commando Regiment (1 Cdo Regt) is an Australian Army Reserve special forces unit, part of Special Operations Command with an integrated structure of regular (full-time) soldiers and reserve (part-time) soldiers, which together with th ...

and

2nd Commando Regiment The 2nd Commando Regiment is a special forces unit of the Australian Army and is part of Special Operations Command. The regiment was established on 19 June 2009 when the 4th Battalion RAR (Commando) was renamed. It is based at Holsworthy, ...

. The Chief of Joint Operations and joint task force commanders are responsible for the operational functions of Special Operations Command whilst the Chief of Army is responsible for "raise, train, sustain" functions. The Special Operations Commander Australia reports directly to the Chief of the Defence Force for domestic counter terrorism incidents. The Australian Army definition of special operations is "highly specialised and focused operations performed by specially selected, trained and prepared individuals and teams imbued with a creative mindset capable of producing solutions beyond conventional approaches" and that "these activities are designed to achieve tailored operational, military and national strategic effects beyond those of conventional forces."

Functions and units

All the Australian Army special forces units have been grouped together under the Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) since December 2002. Clearance divers are under the command of the Navy unless seconded to SOCOMD or joint task forces of the Joint Operations Command and the Air Combat Controllers are under the command of the Air Force unless operational when they are attached to SOCOMD units or joint task forces of the Joint Operations Command.

Direct action and advanced force operations

The main roles of the

and the

is to conduct large scale offensive, support and recovery operations beyond the scope and capability of other Australian Defence Force units. Army doctrine specifies that the role of commando units is to "span the gap between conventional infantry operations and unconventional operations", focusing on advanced force operations and

direct action Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...

missions.

Long range reconnaissance

Australian special forces trace their linage to the long-range

units such as the

and

and the British

Long Range Desert Group )Gross, O'Carroll and Chiarvetto 2009, p.20 , patron = , motto = ''Non Vi Sed Arte'' (Latin: ''Not by Strength, but by Guile'') (unofficial) , colours = , colours_label ...

for long-range special reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence and sabotage operations during the

. The SASR is specialist in long-range

and SASR typically operates in small

patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology Fro ...

s of between five and six operators with the task of infiltrating enemy-held territory and providing

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...

on enemy activities and capabilities. During such tasks the SASR seeks to evade rather than confront the enemy. SASR soldiers also direct fire support including

air strikes An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offic ...

to destroy enemy installations and disrupt or kill enemy forces whenever possible. SASR reconnaissance patrols can be inserted by air (either by helicopter,

parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

or high altitude parachute), land (on foot or by vehicle) or water (including by

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

, small boats, kayaks or diving) and have proved capable of covering long distances and staying concealed in jungle, desert and mountain terrain. SASR patrols may also conduct sabotage and short-duration raids on high-value targets, including headquarters, airfields and communications nodes.

Counter-terrorism and special recovery

A chief role of Australian special forces is conducting and supporting counter-terrorism operations and hostage rescue overseas and when ''called out'' within Australia in support state and territory police. Dedicated sub-units are established designated as a Tactical Assault Group to respond to counter-terrorist incidents. Tactical Assault Group (West) is formed by the

and Tactical Assault Group (East) is formed by the

and the Clearance Diving Branch. The Tactical Assault Groups regularly conduct familiarisation exercises in capital cities, participate in

National Anti Terrorism Exercise National Counter-Terrorism Exercises involve the Australian Federal Government and all States and Territories designed to test Australia's counter-terrorism response arrangements. Australia's national counter-terrorism arrangements are well prac ...

s and pre-deploy to major domestic event locations in readiness to assume control from law enforcement if requested.

Maritime operations

The water operations

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troop Ro ...

s in the

are military divers trained as assault swimmers dedicated to maritime special operations and all commandos in the 1st and 2nd Commando Regiments receive amphibious operators training with

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...

inflatable boats including parachute water insertion. The Clearance Diving Branch is the military diving unit of the

that is trained in all manner of military diving (not a dedicated special operations focus) including reconnaissance and shipping raids and sabotage.

Support to special operations

The

Special Operations Engineer Regiment The Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) is a specialised unit of the Australian Army. The regiment forms part of the Special Operations Command. The unit was formed in 2002 as the Incident Response Regiment (IRR), they are deployed to r ...

(SOER) (previously called the Incident Response Regiment) provides Special Operations Command with

CBRNE Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present. CBRN defence consist ...

response capabilities, combat engineering, mobility and survivability, and

ordnance disposal Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the militar ...

both domestically and on operations overseas. The

Special Operations Logistics Squadron The Special Operations Logistic Squadron (SOLS) is an independent and specialised unit of the Australian Army based in Sydney which provides specialist logistical support to all units of the Special Operations Command in support of special opera ...

(SOLS) provides Special Operations Command with diverse logistic support both domestically and on operations overseas.

Aviation support

The

171st Special Operations Aviation Squadron The 171st Special Operations Aviation Squadron (171 SOAS) is an Australian Army helicopter squadron equipped with NHIndustries MRH-90 Taipan helicopters and provides support to the Special Operations Command. The squadron is based at Luscombe A ...

of the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

's 6th Aviation Regiment provides domestic and overseas

rotary wing A rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft with rotary wings or rotor blades, which generate lift by rotating around a vertical mast. Several rotor blades mounted on a single mast are referred to as a rotor. The Internati ...

airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distanc ...

and

air mobility Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind e ...

for the Special Operations Command including for Tactical Assault Groups. Aviation support to special operations can be traced back to the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

's No. 200 Flight during the

Air combat control

The

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

's No. 4 Squadron B Flight Combat Control Team (CCT) provide

air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

and

forward air control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

for

close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...

in support of special operations.

Special forces training

The

Special Operations Training and Education Centre The Australian Defence Force School of Special Operations is an Australian Army training unit part of the Defence Special Operations Training and Education Centre (DSOTEC) responsible for the recruitment, selection, training, education and trade m ...

, formerly the Special Forces Training Centre, based in

Singleton, NSW Singleton is a town on the banks of the Hunter River in New South Wales, Australia. Singleton is 197 km (89 mi) north-north-west of Sydney, and 70 km (43 mi) north-west of Newcastle. At June 2018, Singleton had an urban popul ...

was established on 1 December 1998 to conduct selection courses for the

and

. The ADF Parachuting School is responsible for providing individual parachute training primarily to Special Operations Command.

Women in the Special forces

On 1 January 2014, the ADF removed the restriction on currently serving

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...

applying for special forces combat roles and on 1 January 2016 direct entry to combat roles was opened to women. Prior to the change women had served in special forces in non-combat roles. Women have passed the selection course for the Army Reserve

and been awarded a Green Beret. In 1981, Army Reserve signaller Kerri Hiam of 126th Signal Squadron became the first woman to attempt selection, pass selection and be awarded a Green Beret. In 1997, three Army women officers, including intelligence officer Lieutenant Fleur Froggatt, became the first women to complete the 1st Commando Regiment officer selection course with one of the officers awarded a Green Beret. The women were barred from serving in combat roles. A 2012 federal government report stated that female medics had been serving in

on patrols with special forces units (the

) providing health clinics for local women and girls.

Former units

Covert Action Directorate

In 1983, the

(ASIS), Australia's civilian national foreign intelligence agency, established a special forces unit, named the Covert Action Directorate, to develop a special recovery capability. The SASR had recently developed a domestic counter terrorism capability establishing the Tactical Assault Group. The Directorate covertly recruited civilians, who were required to maintain a '

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

', to receive part-time training, including from the ADF and the

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO ) is Australia's national security agency responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically motivated vio ...

(ASIO), to conduct overseas counter terrorism operations. The Directorate consisted of members with either a nactive role or a support role and included a female operative Alexandra Smith a former

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

intelligence officer. Part-time training was estimated to take two to three years to complete. Training began in March and continued through to November culminating in a three week exercise held in Sydney and Melbourne. On 30 November 1983, the Directorate held a bungled hostage rescue training exercise at the

Sheraton Hotel Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is an international semi-luxury hotel chain owned by Marriott International. As of June 30, 2020, Sheraton operates 446 hotels with 155,617 rooms globally, including locations in North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Cen ...

in Melbourne without proper approvals, including the carriage of firearms, culminating in the public exposure of the unit. The ASIS covert military function approval was subsequently revoked in June 1985, ASIS subject to a Royal Commission investigation and the special recovery role assigned to the SASR.

Notes

Footnotes Citations

References

* * * * *

History

Command and control

Functions and units

Direct action and advanced force operations

Long range reconnaissance

Counter-terrorism and special recovery

Maritime operations

Support to special operations

Aviation support

Air combat control

Special forces training

Women in the Special forces

Former units

Covert Action Directorate

See also

Notes

References

Further reading