<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11892748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword> has ramped up its pressure on <keyword id="12048018" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taiwan" source="Orion">Taiwan</keyword>, vowing to absorb what it views as a breakaway province.</li><li>If China did invade, Taiwan would be facing a technologically and numerically superior military.</li></ul><p><em>This story was first published in December 2021.</em></p><p>The Chinese military has ramped up its shows of force around Taiwan in recent years.</p><p>Chinese leaders' rhetoric and the activity of Chinese warships and aircraft around the island has raised concerns that Beijing could <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-special-operators-focusing-on-creating-multiple-dilemmas-for-china-2022-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make a move to take control of the island</a>, which it views as a breakaway province.</p><p>If China did invade Taiwan, Taipei would be facing a technologically and numerically superior military. But as the defending force, Taiwan's military would still have an advantage over the invaders.</p><p>Taiwan's special-operations units, especially the <keyword id="12777180" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="101st-amphibious-reconnaissance-battalion" source="Orion">101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion</keyword> — the country's version of the US Navy SEALs — would be on the frontlines of that fight.</p><h2>The Sea Dragons</h2><div type="image" title="Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion" height="1429" width="2000" msid="88394483" hostid="261"></div><p>Nicknamed the "Sea Dragons" and established in 1949 after Nationalists forces were kicked out of mainland China, the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion is Taiwan's oldest special-operations unit.</p><p>Although a maritime unit with an intense focus on littoral and maritime special operations, the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion is part of the <keyword id="12777179" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taiwanese-army" source="Orion">Taiwanese army</keyword>.</p><p>Becoming a Sea Dragon isn't easy. An initial five-day pre-selection event screens candidates and assesses their physical and mental fortitude. Those who pass enter a five-month qualification course that teaches combat diving, small-unit tactics, unconventional warfare, and several insertion methods, including free-fall parachuting and mountaineering.</p><p>The course has a <a href="https://sofrep.com/news/taiwan-special-forces-have-been-working-with-us-troops-but-who-are-they/" target="_top">reported</a> 80% attrition rate.</p><p>Like many of the world's special-operations units, the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion was stood up with help from US commandos.</p><p>The US special-operations contingent was most likely a combination of frogmen from the Underwater Demolition Teams, the predecessors of the Navy SEALs, and intelligence officers from the nascent CIA, which had replaced the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services.</p><div type="image" title="Taiwanese army 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion" height="1044" width="1568" msid="88394484" hostid="261"></div><p>The initial mission set of the Sea Dragons was very much offensive. The amphibious commando unit was tasked with strategic reconnaissance, direct action, and unconventional warfare. Their purpose was to collect intelligence on their Communist neighbors and strike coastal installations when necessary.</p><p>The relationship between the Taiwanese SEALs and the US special-operations community has only grown. Although the US military keeps its presence in Taiwan quiet, American commandos have been working with and training their Taiwanese counterparts for years.</p><p>In 2020, the US Army's 1st Special Forces Group, which is responsible for the Indo-Pacific area of operations, <a href="https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3955514" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a short video on social media showing Green Berets training with the Sea Dragons. The two units conducted direct-action operations against an urban target and practiced medical-evacuation procedures in the video.</p><p>It is also safe to say that the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion has worked with US Navy SEALs at some point as they are both maritime special-operations units.</p><h2>The first line of defense</h2><div type="image" title="Taiwan China" height="1333" width="2000" msid="88394486" hostid="261"></div><p>Their amphibious capabilities make the Sea Dragons the prime choice for operations in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/islands-could-be-first-target-in-china-taiwan-us-clash-2022-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Strait of Taiwan and the small islands there</a>. If tensions escalate into conflict, those small islands might very well be the first battlefield.</p><p>Taipei seems to be thinking about such a scenario. In 2021, it <a href="https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3685045" target="_top">authorized</a> almost $13 million for the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion to establish two forward operating bases on the Penghu and Kinmen islands.</p><p>Although the Penghu island chain is only 30 miles from Taiwan's west coast, the Kinmen islands are more than 115 miles from Taiwan and only 6 miles from mainland China, making them truly the first line of defense.</p><p>In the event of an invasion, Sea Dragons based on those two small island chains would likely fight a delaying action against the vastly larger Chinese invasion force.</p><div type="image" title="Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion" height="1334" width="2000" msid="88394488" hostid="261"></div><p>Taipei's goal would most likely be to frustrate the Chinese and delay the capture of the islands for as long as possible in order to give the <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> community, and especially the US, time to react.</p><p>In the face of overwhelming enemy numbers, the Taiwanese SEALs wouldn't be able to do much more than try to impose a cost on the Chinese in the initial hours of the invasion before disappearing in the countryside to wage a guerrilla war.</p><p>But that is where they would be the deadliest and pose the biggest threat to an invading and occupying force. Their small numbers, rich skill set, and inherent flexibility and unconventional mindset make special-operations units the perfect guerrillas.</p><p>Although the Taiwanese SEALs probably won't stop an invasion, they could exact a very heavy price from the Chinese military.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. He is working toward a master's degree in strategy and cybersecurity at the Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies.</em></p>

Taiwan's 'SEALs' would be on the frontline of a war with China. Here's how they'd try to hold off an invasion.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>European snipers gathered on a US base in Germany in August for an international competition.</li><li>The 2022 version of the European Best Sniper Team Competition was one of the largest ever.</li></ul><p>Every year, the best snipers from around Europe show up in a US military base in Germany to determine who has the best sniper team on the continent.</p><p>Last year, the European Best Sniper Team Competition, hosted by the US Army, had one of its largest events ever against the backdrop of Russia's attack on Ukraine, which has shown that sniper operations are as important as ever.</p><h2>The European Best Sniper Team Competition</h2><div type="image" title="European Best Sniper Competition" height="1335" width="2000" msid="98926451" hostid="261" sizebytes="512434"></div><p>In total, 36 teams from 18 NATO allies and partner countries put their marksmanship skills to the test during 11 days of events. Several of the teams came from special-operations units.</p><p>The organizers tailored the competition to be practical and packed it with challenges inspired by real-world battles. The event took place at Hohenfels Training Area in Germany, where the US Army's 7th Army Training Command oversees US and international exercises.</p><p>The teams completed events that included aerial shooting, moving targets, high-angle targets, unknown-distance targets, and trench warfare. The sniper teams were also tested on targeting, stalking, small-arms marksmanship, and nighttime operations.</p><div type="image" title="European Best Sniper Competition" height="1334" width="2000" msid="98926452" hostid="261" sizebytes="233628"></div><p>One event was based on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-delta-force-members-remember-somalia-black-hawk-down-mission-2021-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the "Black Hawk Down" battle</a> that took place in Mogadishu in 1993.</p><p>During the battle, US Army Master Sgt. Gary Gordon and Sgt. First Class Randy Shughart, both snipers assigned to Delta Force, requested to be inserted to defend a crashed Black Hawk helicopter. Facing overwhelming odds, Gordon and Shughart were both killed and eventually received posthumous Medals of Honor.</p><p>The "Mogadishu" event tested the competitors aerial shooting abilities, according to Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Stegmeier, who was match director for the competition.</p><p>"Historically it's the 'Black Hawk Down' scenario," Stegmeier said in a press release. "Shooters will shoot from a static and a strafing position in the aircraft, and then they'll have to go to a downed pilot position, return fire to the enemy, and then bring the pilot back to a safe location."</p><div type="image" title="European Best Sniper Competition" height="1332" width="1776" msid="98926453" hostid="261" sizebytes="249736"></div><p>There was also an interesting first in the competition: a joint American-Lithuanian sniper team, the product of <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/426838/us-lithuania-team-first-time-partners-european-best-sniper-competition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partnership</a> between the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Lithuanian military.</p><p>The team had one US soldier and one Lithuanian. The US team member, US Army Sgt. Dalton Weist, used his Lithuanian counterpart's weapon. "Once you get to this level, the one thing that is universal is weapons," Weist said in a release.</p><p>This isn't the only international sniper competition. The US special-operations community holds a similar event every year for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-special-operators-hosted-international-sniper-competition-2022-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">special-operations units from around the world</a>.</p><h2>The winners</h2><div type="image" title="European Best Sniper Competition" height="1333" width="2000" msid="98926454" hostid="261" sizebytes="321768"></div><p>Snipers from Greece's Special Paratroopers Section, known as the ETA for its Greek initials, came in first. Teams from Latvia and Italy were second and third, while another Greek special-operations team from the Z'MAK amphibious special missions unit was fourth. A Slovenian team rounded out the top five.</p><p>Modeled on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sierra-leone-operation-barras-hostage-rescue-british-special-operation-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Britain's SAS</a>, the ETA specializes in strategic reconnaissance and direct-action missions. It has less than 100 operators who are divided into six teams, each of which specializes in a different insertion method, such as free-fall parachuting, combat diving, and mountain warfare.</p><p>The ETA also recently received <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-special-ops-hq-rates-greek-as-combat-ready-exceptional-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the highest operational certification</a> from NATO's Special Operations Headquarters.</p><div type="image" title="European Best Sniper Competition" height="1333" width="2000" msid="98926455" hostid="261" sizebytes="174606"></div><p>International training events and competitions like the European Best Sniper Team Competition are important for relationship-building among allies and partner militaries.</p><p>They also increase interoperability. In a conflict, NATO militaries would be expected to fight largely as one force. Having the same tactics, techniques, and procedures can maximize their effectiveness on the battlefield.</p><p>"These multinational competitions are about building relationships and sharing skills between the participants," Command Sgt. Maj. Jeremiah Inman, US Army Europe and Africa's senior enlisted leader, said in a <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/427022/greece-wins-european-best-sniper-team-competition-2022-hohenfels-germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a>. "All of these elite warriors will leave with more technical and tactical proficiency, as well as a heightened sense of partnership and interoperability."</p><h2>Snipers and modern warfare</h2><div type="image" title="European Best Sniper Competition" height="1499" width="1999" msid="98926456" hostid="261" sizebytes="215798"></div><p>The war in Ukraine has shown once more why snipers are an important asset for any military.</p><p>Most of the fighting in Ukraine has taken place in or around urban centers, ranging from small villages like Vuhledar to large cities like Kharkiv.</p><p>Indeed, <a href="https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/01/us-military-snipers-what-is-in-their-head-when-they-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">snipers</a> can even have a strategic impact in a war if they take out a senior enemy officer or gather intelligence that informs high-level decision making.</p><p>In the era of drones and precision-guided missiles, <a href="https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/these-are-the-deadliest-snipers-the-world-never-saw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">snipers</a> continue to play an important role on the battlefield, and events like the European Best Sniper Team Competition create better shooters.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. He is working toward a master's degree in strategy and cybersecurity at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies.</em></p>

18 countries sent sharpshooters to a US military base in Germany to see who has the best sniper team in Europe

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In September 1944, the US Navy captured Ulithi Atoll and used it to support the Allied advance.</li><li>The remote atoll hosted hundreds of ships for repair and rearmament and allowed troops to rest.</li></ul><p>On September 16, 1944, as US Marines began a major assault <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1944/peleliu.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on Peleliu</a>, Adm. William Halsey, commander of the US Navy's 3rd Fleet, ordered III Amphibious Corps to seize Ulithi Atoll, located 400 miles to the northeast.</p><p>Seven days later, soldiers from the 81st Infantry Division began landing on Ulithi's coral islets. The Japanese had abandoned the atoll a few months earlier, and the US landing was unopposed. Within two days the Americans had completed their initial unloading operations.</p><p>Located roughly between Guam and Palau and some 1,300 miles from Tokyo, Ulithi would have been easy to overlook, but within a few weeks it would become <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-visit-to-ulithi-planning-for-potential-fight-in-pacific-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">essential to the war effort</a>.</p><p>Hundreds of Allied ships would fill its lagoon and thousands of troops would occupy its islands. The remote coral outcropping would allow them to take the fight all the way to Japan's shores.</p><h2>The world's largest naval facility</h2><div type="image" title="Navy ships at Ulithi Atoll" height="600" width="800" msid="94502508" hostid="261" sizebytes="39216"></div><p>Ulithi is made up of 40 small islands, only four of which are inhabited, in an oblong ring around a lagoon of some 200 square miles in size and depths of 80 feet to 100 feet.</p><p>The atoll was spotted by US Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Chester Nimitz while looking over a map of the area to find a good location for an advance base to support future operations against the Philippines and Japan.</p><p>The Japanese had a weather station on the atoll and made limited use of its lagoon as a fleet anchorage and seaplane base earlier in the war, but they withdrew after coming under attack from US carrier aircraft. The Japanese saw no strategic value in Ulithi and didn't think it could be used against them.</p><p>US naval construction battalions, known as "<a href="https://www.military.com/history/7-important-things-know-about-first-us-navy-seabees.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seabees</a>," quickly proved them wrong, setting up Ulithi as an advance base almost immediately after landing in late September 1944.</p><div type="image" title="Navy sailors at Mogmog island in Ulithi atoll" height="1400" width="1866" msid="94502510" hostid="261" sizebytes="363936"></div><p>The Seabees lengthened an abandoned airstrip on Falalop Island to 1,200 yards, set up buoys to designate areas in the lagoon where ships could anchor, established a headquarters on Asor Island, and built a boat pool and 100-bed hospital on Sorlen Island.</p><p>The Navy also transferred Ulithi's native population to one of the smaller islands, where they lived for the rest of the war.</p><p>Mogmog, the largest and most habitable island, became a badly needed haven for US troops. It had ball fields, a band stand, a chapel, and a 1,200-seat theater. There was also an ice cream barge that could make 500 gallons of ice cream in one shift. At its peak, the island hosted 20,000 men, with roughly 9,000 there on any given day.</p><p>The lagoon was Ulithi's most valuable feature. Hundreds of ships, including entire carrier groups, anchored in its waters, alongside dozens of seaplanes. There they would be tended to by the small army of Navy engineers and logistics personnel assigned to <a href="https://cimsec.org/service-squadron-ten-and-the-great-western-base/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Service Squadron 10</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Navy aircraft carrier USS Randolph kamikaze damage" height="638" width="800" msid="94502513" hostid="261" sizebytes="108624"></div><p>Service Squadron 10 oversaw the rearming, resupplying, and repairing of Navy ships and aircraft, and otherwise supported the war effort's logistical needs.</p><p>In all, the unit had over 400 vessels, including repair ships, tankers, floating dry docks, crane ships, desalination ships, tugs, floating barracks, and floating workshops.</p><p>The ships and sailors of Service Squadron 10 allowed the Navy to continue fighting across the vast Pacific expanse. They were called Nimitz's "<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=p98DAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA59#v=onepage&amp;q=secret%20weapon&amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secret weapon</a>."</p><p>Ulithi became an extremely important base of operations. Any ship could be repaired — or mended enough to get back to a bigger base — and rearmed there and troops could rest and recuperate. Aircraft carriers moored there could continue launching rescue, reconnaissance, and bombing operations.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/75-years-ago-us-troops-began-invasion-of-the-philippines-2020-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">liberation of the Philippines</a> and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/battles-of-iwo-jima-okinawa-made-us-reconsider-japan-invasion-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa</a> were all launched from Ulithi. It also hosted preparations for the planned invasion of Japan's home islands.</p><div type="image" title="USS Mississinewa sinks at Ulithi" height="2603" width="3817" msid="94502515" hostid="261" sizebytes="906684"></div><p>By the end of the war, Ulithi was the world's largest naval facility, hosting as many as 617 vessels. The presence of so many ships also made Ulithi a target.</p><p>The Japanese repeatedly tried to attack it with aircraft, mini-subs, and even <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/why-japans-crazy-world-war-ii-kamikaze-suicide-torpedos-18691" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kaiten manned torpedoes</a>. On November 20, 1944, the Japanese <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/about-us/leadership/director/directors-corner/h-grams/h-gram-039/h-039-4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sank</a> the fleet oiler <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/mississinewa-i.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USS Mississinewa</a>, killing some 63 sailors and officers.</p><p>On March 11, 1945, a long-range kamikaze plane struck the carrier <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/r/randolph-ii.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USS Randolph</a>, killing 25 men and wounding 106 more. Randolph was repaired at Ulithi and joined the invasion of Okinawa a month later.</p><p>Japan even sent its enormous <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japans-i400-plane-carrying-subs-meant-to-attack-us-wwii-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plane-carrying I-400-class submarines</a> to attack Ulithi. The subs were en route when Japan surrendered and had to return.</p><h2>Newfound relevance</h2><div type="image" title="US hospital ship USNS Mercy near Ulithi Atoll" height="1239" width="1652" msid="94502517" hostid="261" sizebytes="122490"></div><p>Ulithi was largely abandoned after the war, but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-visit-to-ulithi-planning-for-potential-fight-in-pacific-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the atoll is taking on new relevance</a> as heightened tensions with China make another war in the Pacific more likely.</p><p>A forward base would be invaluable in such a conflict, especially since modern guided-missile warships cannot be rearmed while at sea.</p><p>The need for such a base is compounded by the fact that the US Navy would likely struggle to repair warships damaged in battle with great-power rivals like China or Russia, according to a Government Accountability Office report <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-not-ready-to-do-battle-damage-repairs-report-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released last year</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Falalop Island in Ulithi Atoll" height="1333" width="2000" msid="94502519" hostid="261" sizebytes="492370"></div><p>The complexity of modern warship design coupled with US divestment of naval repair assets and the closure of many public shipyards after the Cold War make fixing battle-damaged ships more challenging.</p><p>The US Navy is already struggling with a repair backlog. Its surface ships currently face roughly 4,200 days of maintenance delays — effectively reducing the fleet by about 10 ships a year, <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/09/20/chinese-fleet-expansion-pushing-u-s-navy-to-catch-up-on-maintenance-as-backlogs-persist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Navy officials said this month</a>.</p><p>With China continuing to build ships, expand the reach of its missile arsenal, and muster industrial capacity <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/09/20/chinese-fleet-expansion-pushing-u-s-navy-to-catch-up-on-maintenance-as-backlogs-persist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three times</a> that of the US, the Navy would need every advantage it could get.</p>

How a remote lagoon and a 'secret weapon' allowed the US Navy to overwhelm Japanese forces during World War II

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6357856" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greece" source="Orion">Greece</keyword>'s tier-one special-operations unit earned top marks from <keyword id="11893896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nato" source="Orion">NATO</keyword>'s <keyword id="11969080" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="special-operations" source="Orion">Special Operations</keyword> Forces Headquarters in December.</li><li>The Special Paratrooper Section, known as ETA, is intended only for the most important and most difficult operations.</li></ul><p>In the closing days of 2021, a little-known Greek special-operations unit received NATO's highest readiness qualification.</p><p>Evaluators from the NATO Special Operations Forces Headquarters (NSHQ) traveled to Greece and put the country's elite special operators through the wringer.</p><p>The Special Paratroopers Section, Ειδικό Τμήμα Αλεξιπτωτιστών (ΕΤΑ), the tier-one special-operations unit of the Hellenic Army, not only passed with top marks but also achieved the highest possible rating.</p><h2>Top marks</h2><div type="image" title="Greek Special Paratroopers Section ΕΤΑ" height="561" width="840" msid="89028380" hostid="261"></div><p>An NSHQ committee assessed the Greek special-operations unit for almost a week in December. The NATO testers evaluated ETA on three mission sets: foreign internal defense, direct action, and special reconnaissance.</p><p>Simulating a real-world operation, ETA special operators forward-deployed and performed a wide range of missions, making use of all their infiltration techniques and skill sets.</p><p>The whole unit took part in the evaluation, as did a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear warfare element that was attached to ETA.</p><p>The NSHQ committee evaluated ETA as "Combat Ready" and described its performance as exceptional, meaning that the Greek commandos can now deploy as part of a NATO Special Operations Land Task Group.</p><p>Gen. Constantine Floros, chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff and a special operator himself, <a href="https://twitter.com/ChiefHNDGS/status/1470675403526348801" target="_top">said</a> in a tweet, "my warm congratulations to the ETA for the excellent performance in the unit's evaluation by the NATO Special Operations HQ. [We are] proud once more for the combat ready ETA."</p><p>By achieving the Level 3 rating, the Special Paratrooper Section joins special-operations powerhouses, such as the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-non-us-special-operations-forces-from-around-the-world-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK's Special Air Service,</a> the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-delta-force-members-remember-somalia-black-hawk-down-mission-2021-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Army's Delta Force</a>, and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5-key-differences-between-delta-force-and-seal-team-6-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Navy's SEALs</a>, in a very exclusive club.</p><h2>ETA: a secretive special-operations unit</h2><div type="image" title="Greek Special Paratroopers Section ΕΤΑ" height="561" width="840" msid="89028381" hostid="261"></div><p>ETA primarily specializes in strategic reconnaissance and direct action and is modeled on the British <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sas-revisited-wwii-roots-in-daring-raid-during-falklands-war-2021-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Special Air Service</a>.</p><p>The Greek special-operations unit is composed of six teams that are separated based on their infiltration specialty. Two teams specialize in military free-fall parachute — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/special-operations-accident-shows-military-free-fall-parachute-risks-2021-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">High Altitude High Opening and Hight Altitude Low Opening</a> — operations, two teams specialize in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-seals-explain-why-submarine-launched-commando-raids-are-tough-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">combat diving</a>, and two teams specializing in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-army-special-operations-would-pay-off-in-arctic-war-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mountain warfare</a>.</p><p>With less than 100 special operators in total, the ETA is one of the smallest special-operations units in the <keyword id="12890415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greek-military" source="Orion">Greek military</keyword>.</p><p>The ETA can operate in all war-fighting domains, including land, sea, and air, and even though it's part of the Hellenic Army, it has an amphibious capability.</p><p>As a strategic special-operations unit, it's intended only for the most important and most difficult operations. It is on constant no-notice standby for a deployment anywhere within Greece.</p><p>ETA special operators frequently train with American Green Berets from the 10th Special Forces Group, Navy SEALs from SEAL Team 5, Navy Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen from Special Boat Team 20, and Air Commandos from the 321st Special Tactics Squadron.</p><p>The ETA suffered a rare casualty in 2020, when one of its operators was killed during a military free-fall jump. The death came during <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turkey-greece-tensions-in-mediterranean-create-problems-for-us-nato-2020-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a period of extremely heightened tensions with Turkey</a> — stoked by Ankara's threats to conduct illegal underwater surveys inside the Greek and Cypriot exclusive economic zone — when the unit was on very high alert.</p><h2>A special-operations resurgence</h2><div type="image" title="Greek Special Paratroopers Section ΕΤΑ" height="473" width="840" msid="89028382" hostid="261"></div><p>ETA was created in 1959 and for decades was closely associated with the Greek Airborne School.</p><p>In its early days, the unit was tasked with rapid deployment behind enemy lines in order to conduct unconventional warfare and harass an enemy force. In the early 2000s, however, the unit moved to a new base, assuming a slightly bigger footprint and doubling down on military free-fall operations.</p><p>NATO first began coordinating its special-operations capability in 2006 with the creation of the NATO Special Operations Coordination Center (NSCC).</p><p>In 2010, the NSCC was replaced by the NSHQ, which is charged with advising and synchronizing the activities of NATO special-operations units and developing commando capabilities to deal with and deter non-state and near-peer threats. In addition to rating individual units, the NSHQ offers a wide range of courses for special operators and has facilities in several NATO countries.</p><p>Over the past decade, NATO has gone through a special-operations resurgence. Many of its members have professionalized their elite units.</p><p>In a recent gathering of NATO special operators, Gen. Richard Clarke, commander of US Special Operations Command, highlighted the importance of NATO's special-operations community.</p><p>"As threats to peace continue to evolve, we must unlock the full potential of our allies and partners to respond. Whatever the threat, we continue to uphold our promise to NATO and to the alliance," Clarke <a href="https://twitter.com/US_SOCEUR/status/1461332107637182471" target="_top">said</a>.</p><p><em>Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.</em></p>

Meet the secretive Greek military unit that NATO Special Operations HQ just rated as 'combat ready' and 'exceptional'

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e56af83fee23d158708afca-1000/1000wq95 46.jpg" alt="US Marine ascends a rock formation during a night climb" /><ul class="summary-list"><li>When Marines encounter steep cliffs on the battlefield, sometimes the only option is up and over.</li><li>Insider recently had the chance to observe Marines and their Japanese partners going through assault climbing training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California during the latest iteration of Iron Fist.</li><li>See how the Marines learn to tackle tough terrain in combat.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.-The physical geography of a combat zone may be far from ideal, and sometimes, as has been the case in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/army-rangers-reenact-one-of-wwiis-most-dangerous-missions-2019-6">past battles</a>, there is no alternate course of action but to climb steep slopes and cliffs.</p><p>Insider recently had the chance to observe Marines and their Japanese partners going through assault climbing training at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California during the latest iteration of Iron Fist, a large, month-long <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-marine-corps-amphibious-assault-vehicles-built-for-storming-beaches-2020-2">amphibious</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-makes-amphibious-assault-vehicles-a-rough-ride-for-marines-2020-2">assault</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-mortar-squads-precisely-drop-rounds-on-a-distant-enemy-2020-2">training</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-it-looks-like-when-the-marines-blast-into-buildings-2020-2">exercise</a>.</p><p>During the training, Marines with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, a force element that would, in a real-world scenario, go in 48 to 72 hours before an assault to watch and collect information for the follow-on assault, practiced overcoming inconvenient terrain.</p>

See how the elite Marines who arrive first for a fight train to scale steep cliffs in battle

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c7ec9ae26289830ea7b8f7a-1000/1000wq95.jpg" border="0" alt="U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Esther Kim, a M1A1 Abrams main battle tank commander and platoon leader with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division takes part in a combined arms live fire exercise during exercise Combined Resolve XI at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Jan. 23, 2019." data-mce-source="U.S. Army photo by Gertrud Zach" data-mce-caption="U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Esther Kim, a M1A1 Abrams main battle tank commander and platoon leader with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division takes part in a combined arms live fire exercise during exercise Combined Resolve XI at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Jan. 23, 2019." /><p class="source"><span>U.S. Army photo by Gertrud Zach</span></p><p class="caption">U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Esther Kim, a M1A1 Abrams main battle tank commander and platoon leader with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division takes part in a combined arms live fire exercise during exercise Combined Resolve XI at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Jan. 23, 2019.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>The top US general in Europe told Congress Tuesday that he needs more firepower to counter Russia.</li><li>He requested more ground troops, a robust naval presence, more cyber assets, and increased intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.</li><li>"<span>I am not comfortable yet with the deterrent posture that we have in Europe," Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, head of European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, said, warning that Russia's military modernization erodes America's advantages.</span></li></ul><p>The top US general in Europe told Congress Tuesday that he needs a lot more firepower to counter the threat from Russia.</p><p>"<span>I am not comfortable yet with the deterrent posture that we have in Europe," Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, head of European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, Stars and Stripes <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/eucom-commander-requests-2-more-navy-destroyers-extra-ground-troops-for-europe-1.571427">reported</a>.</span></p><p><span>"While the US maintains a global military superiority over Russia, evolving Russian capabilities threaten to erode our competitive military advantage," he explained. </span><span>He told lawmakers there continue to be shortfalls across all warfighting domains.</span></p><p><span>He requested more troops and warships, as well as more cyber assets and more intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets to confront Russia, which boldly seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and is rapidly modernizing its armed forces to "erode" the US military's advantage.</span></p><p><span>"In light of Russia's modernizing and increasingly aggressive force posture," the general explained, "EUCOM recommends augmenting our assigned and rotational forces to enhance our deterrence posture." He added that he has requested the addition of two more US Navy destroyers to bolster strength of the four ballistic-missile <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> capable ships already stationed in Spain.</span><span></span></p><p><span>"I've asked for two more destroyers for EUCOM," he said, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/05/politics/us-general-russia-warning/index.html">according</a> to CNN. "We need greater capacity particularly given the modernization and growth of the ... Russian fleets in Europe." He <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcusReports/status/1102947371888062464">said</a> that he would like to see carrier and amphibious strike groups rotating through Europe more frequently.</span></p><p><span>He also encouraged regular naval activities in the Black Sea. "They frankly don't like us in the Black Sea," the general <a href="https://twitter.com/rabrowne75/status/1102970447254245387">said</a>. "It's international waters and we should sail and fly there." As is, the US routinely sends destroyers into the waterway, where they are shadowed by Russian vessels.</span></p><p><span>Russia is in the process of bolstering the strength of its forces on NATO's doorstep, adding new tank and missile units to its Baltic forces.</span></p><p><span>Russia argues that its actions are a direct response to NATO's military build-up. "We are forced to provide an adequate response, carrying out strategic containment events with the plans of stepping up combat capabilities of military formations and units," Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently <a href="http://tass.com/defense/1046620">told</a> Russian state media.</span></p><p>Sen. Jim Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued for greater deterrence capabilities Tuesday, <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/eucom-commander-requests-2-more-navy-destroyers-extra-ground-troops-for-europe-1.571427">according</a> to Stars and Stripes, stating that any "p<span>erceived weakness will only provoke further aggression from Putin."</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-el-chapo-joaquin-guzman-really-like-cartel-wives-2017-10">What El Chapo is really like, according to the wife of one his closest henchman</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/m2kCLxNU-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

The top US general in Europe says he needs more troops and warships to take on Russia

101st amphibious reconnaissance battalion

You Searched For "101st amphibious reconnaissance battalion" and got 6 results

Taiwan's 'SEALs' would be on the frontline of a war with China. Here's how they'd try to hold off an invasion.

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18 countries sent sharpshooters to a US military base in Germany to see who has the best sniper team in Europe

Stavros Atlamazoglou

How a remote lagoon and a 'secret weapon' allowed the US Navy to overwhelm Japanese forces during World War II

Benjamin Brimelow

Meet the secretive Greek military unit that NATO Special Operations HQ just rated as 'combat ready' and 'exceptional'

Stavros Atlamazoglou

See how the elite Marines who arrive first for a fight train to scale steep cliffs in battle

Ryan Pickrell

The top US general in Europe says he needs more troops and warships to take on Russia

Ryan Pickrell