The 8 most elite special forces in the world

REUTERS/Mian Khursheed

Elite special forces are some of the best-trained and most formidable units a country can boast.

They go where other troops fear to tread, scoping out potential threats, taking out strategic targets, and conducting daring rescue missions.

These really are the best of the best.

Though it's extremely difficult to rank these forces relative to one another, there are some units that rise above the rest in their track record and the fear they instill in their adversaries.

These troops have been through rigorous training exercises designed to weed out those who can't hit their exacting standards.

In a world in which the sheer size of a country's military is no longer the only guide to its effectiveness, these troops are the ones that states look to in order to get the job done.

Tomas Hirst contributed to a previous version of this post