The Swedish Special Operations Task Group ( (''SOG''), ),
is a
special forces
Special forces or 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 ...
unit within the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces (, literally ''Defence Force'') are the Military, armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. It consists of four separate military branches, the Swedish Army, the Swedish Navy, the Swedish Air Force and the Home Guard (Swed ...
which has been active since 2011. The unit is headquartered at
Karlsborg Fortress in
Karlsborg
Karlsborg (, outdatedly ) is a locality and the seat of Karlsborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 3,551 inhabitants in 2010. This garrison town lies at the shore of lake Vättern in Västergötland
Västergötland (), ...
,
Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County () is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden.
The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1,616,000 amounts to 17% of S ...
.
History
''Särskilda operationsgruppen'' was formed in 2011 by merging the
Special Protection Group
The Special Protection Group (SPG) is an agency under the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of India, whose sole responsibility is protecting the Prime Minister of India and, in some cases, their family. It was formed in 1988 by an Act of ...
(SSG) and the
Special Reconnaissance Group (SIG).
Its first commander from 2011 to 2015 was colonel
Peter Hederstedt.
Organisation
The Special Operations Task Group (SOG) answers directly to the
Supreme Commander and the Director Special Forces.
The unit, combined with the Special Forces Command (SFL), comprises the Swedish Armed Forces Special Forces (FM SF). In addition to this, there are several special forces support units (FM SOF).
The personnel of which are specially selected, trained and equipped for air, sea and land infiltration, technical, logistical and medical support. For example, the Special Helicopter Group (SHG), Special Boat Unit (STE), Special Signals Unit (SSE), and the Section for Operative Technology (SOT).
SOG consists of two so-called response units (IE). IE1 is focused on combat tasks (
Direct Action
Direct action is a term for economic and political behavior in which participants use agency—for example economic or physical power—to achieve their goals. The aim of direct action is to either obstruct a certain practice (such as a governm ...
) and IE2 is focused on intelligence gathering (
Special Reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units, such as a recon team, made up of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units and/or military intelligence organizations. Special reconnaissance teams operate behind ...
). IE2 is known to utilize female intelligence personnel to conduct certain
HUMINT
Human intelligence (HUMINT, pronounced ) is intelligence-gathering by means of human sources and interpersonal communication. It is distinct from more technical intelligence-gathering disciplines, such as signals intelligence (SIGINT), imager ...
tasks.
Each SOG response unit (IE) is organized in squadrons, troops, and patrols. Three 4-man patrols make up a troop, and an unknown number of troops make up a squadron.
Besides the operational elements of the unit, there is also a Training Wing, responsible for the selection and training of future and current operators. Each operator has a broader skill base than a regular soldier and one or two patrol skills at which he is exceptionally skilled.
A typical SOG team consists of four operators: a team leader, a demolitions expert/breacher, a communicator, and a combat medic. Each patrol can be augmented with EOD technicians, JTAC-specialists, military working dog handlers, or snipers.
Furthermore, every operator has an infiltration specialty in either
military free fall (HALO/HAHO) or
combat diving. All operators are qualified as
static line parachutists and combat swimmers.
Role
The most frequent usage of the SOG is during multi-national special operations such as
ISAF
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...
in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
or
Operation Inherent Resolve
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Operation Inherent Resolve
, partof = the international military intervention against the Islamic State and the War on terror
, image =
, caption = U.S. Navy B ...
in
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
.
SOG combat operations are of great strategic importance that cannot be accomplished by conventional forces or weapon systems.
Combat missions can be to eliminate high-value targets or objects of great importance to the enemy, to conduct complex rescue operations of Swedish personnel held captive or hostage, or to gather time-critical intelligence through action.
SOG can also, if needed and requested, augment the police counter-terrorism assets to intervene during domestic terrorism and/or hostage crisis due to new legislation implemented in 2006.
Special reconnaissance and intelligence gathering is intended to gather information of great tactical importance about the enemy´s activities, enemy personnel or other bits of information of operational significance.
Special forces can also be tasked with advising and training foreign military units as part of an international
peace-keeping
Peacekeeping comprises activities, especially military ones, intended to create conditions that favor lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed w ...
military operation.
International operations
The unit maintains a high degree of readiness and can be deployed on short notice within a radius of
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
and can operate in any environment, for example, jungle, desert, mountain/alpine, sub-arctic and urban.
The unit is deployed on request by the
UN,
EU or
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
, but must then be sanctioned on a political level.
Due to operational security, the unit's capabilities, equipment, operational methods, previous or on-going operations, and the identities of their personnel are classified.
The SOG's predecessors, the
SSG and
SIG, participated in operations in the Balkans,
Congo,
Chad
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
and the
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...
. Swedish special forces have also been continuously deployed in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
from the beginning of the conflict up until the withdrawal of
ISAF
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...
forces in 2014.
The unit maintained some presence in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of ISAF forces, as evident from a valour award given to a member of the unit, citing actions during combat in Kabul, while embedded with Norwegian special forces, in 2018.
From 2015, a contingent of around 30 operators from the SOG along with support elements participated in
Operation Inherent Resolve
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Operation Inherent Resolve
, partof = the international military intervention against the Islamic State and the War on terror
, image =
, caption = U.S. Navy B ...
, acting as advisors for Kurdish
Peshmerga
The Peshmerga () are the internal security forces of Kurdistan Region. According to the Constitution of Iraq, regional governments are responsible for "the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the region such as p ...
forces.
In February 2021, a Swedish 150 man strong special operations task force made up of SOG elements,
helicopters
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
and support staff deployed to Mali as part of
Task Force Takuba, a multinational French led counter terrorism task force part of
Operation Barkhane
Operation Barkhane (French language, French: ''Opération Barkhane'') was a counterinsurgency 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 S ...
operating in the border region of
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
and
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
.
The contribution to Takuba is separate from the ongoing conventional Swedish contribution to the UN mission
MINUSMA
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (, MINUSMA) was a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. MINUSMA was established on 25 April 2013 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100 to stabilise ...
.
The unit participated in the
2021 evacuation from Afghanistan where operators where deployed on the ground at
Hamid Karzai International Airport tasked with supporting operations of the foreign office and migration agency.
Partly as a onboard security on the
C130 flights between Kabul and Islamabad and partly as a task force locating Swedish passport holders and local staff in need of evacuation. The unit was given the mandate to operate outside the boundaries of the airport, but it's not known in what extent they did.
Members of the unit also responded to the
2021 Kabul airport attack
A suicide attack, suicide bombing took place at Kabul International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on 26 August 2021, at 17:50 Time in Afghanistan, local time (13:20 UTC), during the 2021 Kabul airlift, evacuation from Afghanistan. At least 18 ...
, where they provided immediate medical aid to wounded US personnel and civilians as well as donating blood.
Selection and training
Selection is open for Armed Forces members of both sexes who are at least eligible for specialist officer's training.
The candidates are advised to prepare themselves at least six months prior to the selection course and are invited to attend a pre-selection weekend where they will be tested and advised on their likelihood of success or failure and also where they need to improve.
The selection process takes 2–3 weeks and is held once a year. Historically, candidates for SOG’s predecessors, the SSG and SIG, were sought out by the unit and invited to attempt selection. Selection for SOG, however, is advertised on the Armed Forces website and at unit garrisons and is open for anyone who meets the basic requirements.
The selection consists of an extremely grueling field exercise, stretching over more than a week, where the candidates are tested on their fitness, fieldcraft and land navigation and the tests are conducted during great stress.
The second week consists of psychological tests, similar to those undertaken by fighter pilots. They are also tested for their predisposition for phobias, such as heights and confined spaces.
Typically, selection has a roughly 10% pass rate. If the candidate is successful, he/she will begin the basic operator course which lasts for 12 months and is divided into three blocks:
* Basic combat skills
* Patrol skills
* Specialist skills
Once completed, the operator will be put in an operational patrol within a troop and can be deployed with the unit.
Personnel applying to join the unit as
EOD,
JTAC or medical support operators undergo the same selection process as the normal operators but do a shorter eight month basic operator course, after which they continue with specialist training in the EOD, JTAC or medical function.
Operators train at their own compound at a secret location near Karlsborg, which, among shooting ranges, also features a large multi-story CQB-building, with bullet-absorbing lining in its walls.
The building also facilitates helicopter insertions on its roof. Much of their training is also conducted internationally, often alongside the special forces units of Sweden's NATO partners as well as the
counter terrorism unit and other tactical units of the Swedish police.
Equipment and armament
The SOG differs greatly from the rest of the Swedish Armed Forces in its equipment and armament.
The most noticeable difference is their usage of
Multicam
MultiCam is a Military camouflage, camouflage pattern designed for use in a wide range of environments and conditions which was developed and is produced by American company Crye Precision. The pattern has found extensive adoption globally. Var ...
rather than
M90. Operators wear combat uniforms from Crye Precision or Arcteryx, a variety of different
plate carriers
Plate may refer to:
Cooking
* Plate (dishware), broad, mainly flat vessel commonly used to serve food
* Plates, tableware, dishes or dishware used for setting a table, serving food and dining
* Plate, the content of such a plate (for example: ...
and
Ops Core FAST ballistic helmets.
Besides the differences in equipment, the SOG issues different firearms than the conventional military as well. Support weapons such as machine guns and anti-armor weapons differ from those usually employed by the conventional military.
Heraldry
The SOG coat of arms is blazoned thus: ''Upon a black shield is a six-pointed star in silver in the upper dexter corner. The field is crowned with the royal crown and laid upon a towering sword of gold.''
The coat of arms was developed by the Armed Forces Board of Traditions and symbolizes the unit's ability of unconventional problem solving, the effectiveness of duty and clandestine operations, and the asymmetrically positioned star symbolizes asymmetric warfare.
The unit insignia, worn on the uniform by qualified operators consists of a winged Norse dagger
Seax
A ''seax'' (; also sax, sæx, sex; invariant in plural, latinized ''sachsum'') is a small sword, fighting knife or dagger typical of the Germanic peoples of the Migration Period and the Early Middle Ages, especially the Saxons. The name comes f ...
with an asymmetrically positioned six-pointed star.
Personnel within the Swedish Special Operations Forces, SOG and its support units also wear an olive green beret with a black, embroidered cap badge, the only non-metal cap badge within the Swedish Armed Forces. It is normally worn in public only by the Director Special Forces, a brigadier general, since the identities of all the operatives are classified.
See also
*
Special Protection Group
The Special Protection Group (SPG) is an agency under the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of India, whose sole responsibility is protecting the Prime Minister of India and, in some cases, their family. It was formed in 1988 by an Act of ...
*
Special Reconnaissance Group
*
Swedish Parachute Rangers
*
Swedish Coastal Rangers (KJ)
*
Swedish Army Ranger Battalion (AJB)
References
Bibliography
*
External links
* http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/Forband-och-formagor/Specialforband/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarskilda operationsgruppen
2011 establishments in Sweden
Special Operations Group
Military units and formations established in 2011
Special forces of Sweden
Karlsborg Garrison