The Special Naval Warfare Force (FGNE) ( es, Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial) is the special forces unit of the

Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...

. It was created on June 10, 2009 through the fusion of the Special Operations Unit (UOE) of the

Spanish Navy Marines The Spanish Naval Infantry ( es, Infantería de Marina) is the naval infantry unit of the Spanish Navy () responsible for conducting amphibious warfare by utilizing naval platforms and resources. The Marine Corps is fully integrated into the ...

and the Special Combat Divers Unit (UEBC) of the Navy Diving Center. Before the merger, between 2004 and 2009, the two units operated under a single Special Naval Warfare Command. Between 1967 and 2009, the special operations of the Spanish Navy were conducted by the UOE, whose many traditions the FGNE adopted – including the use of the special forces "green beret", the selection course, and the organization of operational units into . Inheriting the reputation and continuing the record of the UOE, the FGNE "has long been one of Europe's most respected special forces."

Mission and organization

The Special Naval Warfare Force is the special forces unit of the Spanish Navy specialized in operations in maritime, land and coastal environments. The unit is composed mainly of members of the

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

. It is composed of a Command and Control unit, a support unit for the Command and Control unit, combat units and their support units, and the services combat units (health, supply, transportation, weapons, material, etc.). Jobs assigned to them: * Reconnaissance of maritime coastlines and beaches * Inland reconnaissance in depth * Direct actions on terrestrial targets, such as the destruction of enemy installations or the capture of enemy personnel * Assault on ships * Military assistance * Non-combatants evacuation operations * Hostage rescue * Counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations

Commander

The Special Naval Warfare Force is under the command of a colonel or a

ship-of-the-line captain Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain. Equivalent ranks worldwide include ...

who receives the title of Commander of the Special Naval Warfare Force. As a force integrated into the Spanish Marines, it is under the purview of the General Commander of the Marines.

Deployments

The FGNE has been deployed across several operations, including

Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

, United Nations Interim Force in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

and Hispaniola in Haiti. The Special Naval Warfare Force also took part during the hijacking of the Spanish fishing vessel ''Alakrana'' in October 2009, parachuting into Somali waters and being recovered after by the frigate '' Canarias''.
They have also seen action in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

and

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 ...

as well as being deployed to Senegal and Cape Verde.

Equipment

SIG Sauer P230 The SIG Sauer P230 is a small, semi-automatic handgun chambered in .32 ACP or .380 Auto. It was designed by SIG Sauer of Eckernförde, Germany. It was imported into the United States by SIGARMS in 1985. In 1996 it was replaced by the model P232. ...

Llama M82 The Llama M82 is a pistol produced by the Spanish firm Llama-Gabilondo y Cía. S.A. It is a standard-issue pistol of the Spanish Armed Forces. Mechanically, it is not dissimilar to the Beretta 92 The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) ...

* FN P9-17 * Glock 17 Gen.5 *

FN Five-seven The FN Five-seven (stylized as Five-seveN) is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for its 5.7×28mm (.224 in) bullet diameter, and the trademark capitalization style is intended to ...

FN P90 The FN P90 is a compact 5.7×28mm personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. It can also be considered a submachine gun. Created in response to NATO requests for a replacement for 9×19mm Parabellum firearms, th ...

* Heckler & Koch MP5A3/A4/A5 * Heckler & Koch MP5SD3/SD4/SD5 * Heckler & Koch G-36E/K/C * SIG 553 * Heckler & Koch HK-416A5 11" * CETME C * CETME L/LC/LV *

Remington 870 The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, LLC. It is widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide. D ...

* FN Minimi Para 5.56mm * FN Minimi MK3 7.62mm * MK46, MK48 mod 0 *

CETME Ameli The Ameli (abbreviated from the Spanish ''Ametralladora ligera'' or "light machine gun") is a 5.56mm light machine gun designed for the Spanish Army (''Ejército de Tierra'') by the nationally owned and operated ''Centro de Estudios Técnicos d ...

* M-60D *

Rheinmetall MG3 The MG 3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The weapon's design is derived from the World War II era MG 42 ''Einheitsmaschinengewehr'' (Universal machine gun) that fired the 7.92×57mm Mauser ro ...

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in th ...

* AXMC .338 * Barrett M82A1/M95 * Heckler & Koch HK-417 12" ASSAULTER and 20" SNIPER * Rocket launcher C-100 * Rocket launcher C-90C * Mk.19 Mod.3 grenade launcher

References

{{Reflist

External links

Página en la web oficial de la Armada Española
Spanish Navy Special forces of Spain