The Jagdkommando (German for ''Hunting Commando'') is the
Austrian Armed Forces
The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria.
The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of nati ...
'
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 ...
group.
Role
The duties of this elite unit, like its counterparts such as the
United States Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army.
The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mi ...
, are chiefly
counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...
and counter-insurgency, among others. Jagdkommando soldiers are highly trained professionals whose thorough and rigorous training enables them to take over when tasks or situations outgrow the capabilities and specialisation of conventional units.
History
The name "Jagdkommando" has its origins in the time of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, when small assault squads of the Austrian K.u.K. Army were called what translates to "manhunt command".
The history of the Austrian Special Operations Forces begins in 1961, when a group of Austrian officers participated in the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
's
Ranger School
The United States Army Ranger School is a 62-day small unit tactics and leadership course that develops functional skills directly related to units whose mission is to engage the enemy in close combat and direct fire battles.
Ranger training wa ...
as part of their training in order to set up a similar course for the eventual establishment of Jagdkommando. Since then, the officers and soldiers of Jagdkommando have continued to evolve by taking part in similar courses in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and all over
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
and by combining the lessons learned with "homegrown" tactics and knowledge. The unit has earned the respect of other nations' special forces very quickly. The headquarters of the Jagdkommando is located in
Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt (; ; Central Bavarian: ''Weana Neistod'') is a city located south of Vienna, in the state of Lower Austria, in northeast Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administration of Wiener Neustadt-Land Distr ...
.
Most of the missions are classified, but the Jagdkommando usually operates in places where regular Austrian troops are also located - such as the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
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 ...
EUFOR Tchad/RCA
European Union Force Chad and the Central African Republic (EUFOR Chad and the Central African Republic), also EUFOR Tchad/RCA after the French, was the European Union mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), authorised in late ...
). In the eastern area of Chad, about 50 Jagdkommando soldiers were deployed to protect refugee camps near the border to Darfur from early 2008 to 2009.
In 2016, the Jagdkommando deployed to Mali alongside French Special Forces as part of
Operation Barkhane
Operation Barkhane was an anti-insurgent operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region.Allentsteig, a giant military training area in close proximity to the
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
border. The first seven weeks of small unit tactics are overshadowed with plenty of snow, freezing weather, very small amounts of sleep, and continuous physical performance. Candidates get used to a heavy Lowe Rucksack and spend most of their day with it on their backs while conducting patrols, ambushes, and raids in the forests around Allentsteig.
After the small unit tactics phase, which eliminates the last few unfitting candidates, the basic course continues with block courses of two or three weeks each:
*Basic Demolition Course
*Airborne Course
*Amphibious Insertion/Extraction Course
*Field Survival Course
*Basic CQB Course
*Combat Diver Course
*Field Training Exercises
*SERE
SERE
The final and most infamous course is the SERE training. Over the last few years, the SERE training has been taking part in the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
of
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
. The "run phase" lasts up to ten days, while the candidate must check in at given checkpoints every 24 hours. The checkpoints are set apart. Considering the mountains in between the points and the tactical need to stay off roads and trails, the candidates are typically very busy meeting their time limits, and they have little time to sleep. Finally, after days on the run and being hunted down by infantry units, helicopters, and K9 units, the candidates are ambushed and captured at one of their checkpoints. This marks the beginning of the "captivity phase". Being the last phase of the selection course, this phase lasts 72 hours (3 days).
Further training
After completing the SERE course, the remaining soldiers (normally 10-15% of all applicants who started the pre selection course) are accepted into the Jagdkommando brotherhood and awarded the "mud-green" beret with the Unit Crest on it. Most of the graduates will be given a slot as active operators in one of the two Task Groups of the unit, while some go back to their regular Army unit.
Jagdkommando soldiers take extreme pride in their long and unique selection course and the prestige that comes along with earning the olive beret inside the armed forces.
If a soldier is chosen to become an operator after selection, he will attend the Einsatzausbildung 1, a course where he will refine his operator skills. The training will last up to one year.
Normally, it starts off with a five-week drivers course, followed by shooting classes. This will be the first time for operators to use the advanced weapon systems Steyr AUG A2 Kdo and the FN P90. After weeks at the shooting range, the next courses will be very mountain orientated, like the mountain airborne course, winter warfare and mountaineering courses, and ski training.
After the mountain courses, the individual job training will begin. Depending on the assignment the operator will attend the Weapon Sergeant Course, Medic Course, Communications Sergeant Course or Engineer Course.
The SOF
CQB
Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a military tactics, tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/co ...
course that follows teaches the latest techniques in HRO, CC, and DDO. Jagdkommando operators train together with several NATO SOF units worldwide and so the used SOPs and tactics are very similar to other SOF units.
Different other courses will complete the Einsatzausbildung 1, such as the Urban SR course, advanced combatives training, and Air Assault techniques.
After more than 18 months of training the operator will be assigned a team in the 1st SOTG (Special Operations Task Group) or the 2nd SOTG. The 3rd SOTG belongs to the Army Reserve Component. A typical Jagdkommando team consists of six operators: the Team Leader, Team Sergeant, a Weapons Sergeant/Sniper, Engineer Sergeant, Medic Sergeant and Communication Sergeant. Each team is assigned to one insertion speciality, such as freefall, amphibious, mountain, and mobility.
HK416
The Heckler & Koch HK416 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch.
Although the design is based on the AR-15 class of firearm (specific ...
*
HK417
The Heckler & Koch HK417 is a battle rifle designed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch.
Being the larger caliber version of the Heckler & Koch HK416, and chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO rifle cartridge, it is intended for use where the penetra ...
Glock 17
Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...
MG74
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 ...
*
M2 Browning
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, ...
*
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 ...
Barrett M82
The Barrett M82 (standardized by the U.S. military as the M107) is a recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle developed by the American company Barrett Firearms Manufacturing.
Also called the Light Fifty (due to its chambering ...
*
Barrett M95
The Barrett M95 is a bolt-action rifle chambered in .50 BMG (12.7×99mm), and manufactured by Barrett Firearms Company. It has been adopted by a number of militaries around the world.
Overview
The M95 is an improved version of the earlier Barre ...
Gallery
File:Jagdkommando Fallschirmspringer.jpg, Jagdkommando airborne operations
File:Jagdkommando trainiert (29638388276).jpg, Two soldiers of the Jagdkommando
File:Jagdkommando Kampfschwimmer.jpg, Jagdkommando frogmen
File:Luftlandung (19889238211).jpg, Soldiers of the Jagdkommando rope down a
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ( ...
File:Austria (Österreich), Zeltweg (Flughafen Hinterstoisser), AirPower 2013, OH-58 Kiowa, 0190.JPG, A soldier of the Jagdkommando on a Bell OH-58 Kiowa
File:Jagdkommando-Soldaten springen aus einer "Hercules" (18629580342).jpg, Jagdkommando soldiers jump out of a C-130 Hercules
File:Zugriff (21734716363).jpg, Soldiers of the Jagdkommando capture a ship on the Danube