There are cases when fighters from the second SEAL unit worked alone in the special forces of the South Vietnamese army. In addition, a SEAL detachment called Detachment Bravo (Det Bravo) was formed in 1967, consisting of both seals and members of the South Vietnamese Provincial Reconnaissance Units (PRUs).
The last SEAL units left Vietnam in December 1971, the last instructors in March 1973. The total number of "seals" involved in Vietnam did not exceed 200 soldiers and 30 officers.
Along with their British colleagues from the Special Boat Service, the seals took part in the Battle of Kala-i-Yangi, where SEAL Chief Petty Officer Stephen Bass received the Naval Cross for outstanding heroism in battle.
On August 6, 2011, a Chinook carrying 15 members of the Group of 6, which killed Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, was shot down in Afghanistan. Everyone in the helicopter was killed; among the dead there were no participants in the operation to assassinate bin Laden. This is the biggest loss of personnel for "SEAL Team 6" (besides them, two "seals" from another unit died in the crash).
Seven days before the landing of the main troops, the group of "seals" was engaged in hydrographic surveys in the area of the oil platforms El Basra and Hawr El Amaya. On May 20, 2003, both platforms, as well as the port of El Fao and the oil pipelines, were directly attacked by a group of forces consisting of the "seals" themselves, British Royal Marines and soldiers from the Polish special forces "Thunder". Despite the difficulties associated with inaccurate intelligence, all objects were captured and the operation was successfully completed.
The Coalition Command in Iraq has also expressed concern that retreating Iraqi forces may have blown up the Mukatain Dam northeast of Baghdad in an effort to slow the advance of American forces. A dam explosion would also have left an entire region without power, and imminent flooding would threaten the lives of civilians. Thus, it was decided to send there the joint forces of the "seals" units and the "Thunder" detachment. Not meeting resistance from the Iraqi military, the "seals" quickly completed the seizure of the dam and handed it over to control ground forces USA.
A separate regiment of the Special Forces of the Navy for the fight against terrorism (6th Detachment of the Special Forces of the Navy, DEVGRU) carried out an operation to destroy "terrorist number one" Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.
The main unit in the SEAL is a separate detachment (battalion) of the Special Forces, consisting of a headquarters and 3 separate companies of the Special Forces (squadron) of 40 fighters each. The squad leader usually has the rank of captain 3rd, sometimes captain of 2nd rank US Navy.
OShS of a separate detachment of the Navy Special Forces (from the 1st to the 10th) includes: The headquarters of the detachment consisting of:
The detachment control support group - two security platoons of 16-20 fighters each with a MTO company.
3 separate companies of special forces (40 people l / s) consisting of:
2 reconnaissance and sabotage groups (RDG) Special Forces (16 people l / s, divided into firing subgroups of 4-5 fighters)
The standard number of personnel of a separate detachment of the Special Forces of the Navy with support units is up to 300 people.
All units of the Navy SPN in the United States have been consolidated into two separate SPN Navy regiments:
The total strength of the Navy Special Forces forces is up to 10 separate special forces units (up to 3050 people l / s, including up to 600 people in two companies of special delivery vehicles).
Parts of the Navy Special Forces reserve include up to 325 people (17th and 18th Naval Special Forces reserve detachments), 125 people of the reserve of special delivery equipment and 775 people of the reserve of the MTO Special Forces of the Navy regiment.
Each US Navy Special Forces squad has its own specialization in the main theater of operations. Some of the detachments are focused on operations in the Middle East theater of operations and operations in desert areas, some are aimed at operations in the jungles of Indochina and South America, at the moment some of the detachments are undergoing retraining to be ready for operations in the Arctic Circle.
For operational and covert underwater delivery and evacuation of SEAL operators, a separate group of special delivery equipment was formed as part of the special forces of the Navy - the 3rd group of the US Navy MTR (English) Russian, which includes the SDVT-1, which is armed with special underwater carriers of the Mark 8 Mod 1. To ensure the delivery and disembarkation of SEAL units on the coast and their evacuation after the completion of the mission, a separate detachment of SWCC landing equipment ( Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen (English) Russian). The task of the three flotillas of amphibious landing craft and light boats of the detachment is to deliver personnel to coastal sea areas, provide fire cover for departing SEAL groups in coastal areas, detain and inspect light ships, search and rescue in coastal areas, reconnaissance and patrolling the coastal zone and inland rivers.
| Emblem | Commands | RDG number | Dislocation | The main theater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Naval Special Forces Regiment | ||||
| 1st detachment of the Navy Special Forces | 8 RDG | Naval base "San Diego", (w. California) | TVD SEA | |
| 3rd detachment of the Navy Special Forces | 8 RDG | Naval base "San Diego", (w. California) | Middle East theater of operations | |
| 5th detachment of the Navy Special Forces | 8 RDG | Naval base "San Diego", (w. California) | Pacific theater | |
| 7th detachment of the Navy Special Forces | 8 RDG | Naval base "San Diego", (w. California) | ||
| 2nd Regiment of the Special Forces of the Navy | ||||
| 2nd detachment of the Navy Special Forces | 8 RDG | Naval base Norfolk, (sh. Virginia) | European theater of operations | |
| 4th detachment of the Navy Special Forces | 8 RDG | Naval base Norfolk, (sh. Virginia) | South American theater of operations | |
| 8th detachment of the Navy Special Forces | 8 RDG | VMB Norfolk, sh. Virginia | Caribbean and Mediterranean | |
| 10th detachment of the Special Forces of the Navy | 8 RDG | Naval base Norfolk, (sh. Virginia) | ||
| Separate parts of the US Navy Special Forces | ||||
| op btm navy (Military Research Regiment of the Special Forces of the Navy) |
5 OR SPN | Naval base Norfolk, (sh. Virginia) US Navy AB "Ocean" (Virginia) |
||
| US Navy Special Forces Auxiliary Units | ||||
| 3rd group of the US Navy MTR (English) Russian 1st company of special means of delivery of the Special Forces of the Navy |
Naval base "Coronado" (English) Russian, California Naval base "San Diego", California |
The selection of candidates for the "seals" is made from among volunteers not younger than 18 and not older than 28 years old, only male US citizens are allowed to serve. Of course, the candidate must have excellent health, both physical and mental, because, due to the nature of the service, sometimes the "seal" has to be for a long time in a confined space or under a layer of water, where even a ray of daylight does not penetrate. Very often you have to perform this or that task alone, without the support of comrades, while being waist-deep in swamp slurry.
From the very beginning, volunteers who fully meet all the formal requirements and do not reveal any obvious physical or mental abnormalities are subjected to a series of tests, on the basis of which an expert committee of experienced psychologists and doctors conducts an initial selection. Those who successfully pass the initial requirements are sent to the naval training centers of special forces.
First of all, cadets are prepared for the loads that await them during the year. This is a seven-week course in general physical training and teaching special swimming techniques. At this stage, cadets get acquainted with new methods of physical development, train the respiratory system, endurance. And even if the candidate is the world champion in swimming, he will be taught it again. Learn to swim for hours and in severe storms. At any temperature of water, even if it turns into ice before our eyes. With a load. And even being tied hand and foot. The purpose of this stage is to accustom the combat swimmer to water so that it does not cause him not only the slightest inconvenience, but that he feels like a fish in it.
“We train these people so that they perceive water as the only safe environment,” instructors say during the training. In all other types of troops, even in the marines, personnel are trained, proceeding from the fact that the water element is dangerous to humans. But what is our advantage? When we are found, pursued or fired upon, we go into the water, to our home, where the enemy usually loses us.
This is followed by nine weeks of the first period of direct combat training and live training. Moreover, every week the loads, already very heavy, become even stronger, acquiring a specific focus. For example, in the first week, cadets need to swim three hundred meters in a certain time, in the second week, the same three hundred meters must be swimming in full uniform and equipment, with all equipment and weapons. Further, the task becomes even more complicated. The same distance with all the equipment must be overcome, towing a load weighing 40-50 kg, and then do the same thing, only this time against the current. Further, the distance increases, and the time it takes to overcome it remains the same. The same can be said for land tests. True, here the task is complicated by the fact that instructors deliberately give somewhat illogical orders, which should be carried out without hesitation, without any breakdowns and hysterics, while not going into confrontation with the authorities. Thus, the psychological fitness of the future combat swimmer is checked.
There are also special tests that help determine the cadet's intelligence, his ability to think in non-standard situations. For example, it is necessary, without special equipment, to penetrate an object that is located behind a high hill overgrown with forest. Of course, the hill can be bypassed, as most cadets do. But it's not that simple. On all sides the hill is surrounded by a swamp ... So the soldier stands in thought: whether to climb the hill, or crawl through the swamp. In addition to all kinds of natural obstacles that must be overcome, there are also a huge number of traps set up by experienced instructors. At the most inopportune moment, when the cadet has almost reached the top of the hill and is holding onto the ledge of the rock, an explosion of a training grenade is heard right in front of his nose or a smoke bomb explodes, or, worst of all, bullets begin to whistle over his head. But in addition to physical activity, cadets master the skills of sniper shooting and demolition, radio communication and orientation on the ground. In a word, everything that is not done in water (although this does not mean at all that this is done only on land).
Particularly noteworthy is the preparation stage, which the "seals" themselves call "hell week". It lasts only five days, but this is quite enough to fully experience all the "joy" of service in SEAL. During this time, cadets have the right to sleep only 4 hours, and then either standing or up to their throats in a fetid swamp. At the same time, the load increases every day and reaches such a limit that three instructors work with one group (each of whom has a medical certificate), who are constantly replacing each other. By the end of the week, the load becomes, frankly, a sadistic character. And in such an environment, future "seals" must not only fight the water element, but also defeat it and, which is much more difficult, themselves, their fear and their pain.
Although officially SEAL teams (SEa, Air, Land - sea, air, land; the abbreviation reads "seal" - "fur seal") were created on January 1, 1962 by order of President Kennedy, the history of these units dates back to 1942, when the military -the US Navy formed a group of 17 fighters to clear coastal waters and the coastal strip at the landing sites, called the Navy Demolition Team (Navy Combat DemoUtion Unit; NCDU).
The US Navy SEAL, formerly known as SEAL Team 6, aka Navy SEAL, and today operating under the name DEVGRU SEAL, which is famous primarily for the elimination of Osama bin Laden, has been transformed by management into a global assassination tool with limited external control.
Despite the fact that the Navy SEAL special forces are subordinate to the United States Special Operations Command (abbreviation USSOCOM), it is structurally part of the Naval Forces or the United States Coast Guard.
Their activities are aimed at conducting sabotage, eliminating enemy command units, reconnaissance operations, rescuing hostages, countering naval terrorism and piracy. In many ways, the Navy SEALs are similar to the Delta Force Land Forces unit, which we wrote about earlier.
In order not to get confused in the names, you should know that Navy SEAL those. US Navy seals are the unofficial name of the special forces, which is firmly entrenched in colloquial speech. Until 1987, the group was called SEAL Team 6, after which the official designation of this special unit appeared as the "Naval Special Rapid Deployment Group" ( U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group, abbreviation NSWDG or DEVGRU). Therefore, to eliminate confusion in abbreviations, the combined designation DEVGRU SEAL is used, and briefly the special forces continue to be called US Seals - Navy SEAL.
However, the combined name of these special forces is increasingly used - SEAL DEVGRU is one of the most closed paramilitary communities in the US Armed Forces.
The predecessors of the Navy SEAL were the Underwater Demolition Teams and the Naval Combat Demolition Units, which operated during World War II, conducting sabotage on land and at sea, conducting reconnaissance from the sea for coastal fortifications and other operations.
After the start Cold war, Caribbean crisis, the control body of the US Armed Forces - the Committee of Chiefs of Staff, reported to the President of the United States, at that time J. Kennedy, on the need to create a special subdivision for sabotage on the basis of the US Navy. This need was caused by the growing threat of attacks from the USSR and Cuba; the unit could show its usefulness in Vietnam.
In 1980, the SEALs failed Operation Eagle Claw in Tehran. After that, the question was raised of creating a special anti-terrorist detachment within the United States Navy SEALs. This issue was assigned to deal with Richard Marcinko, the initiator of the creation of the anti-terror unit, one of the members of the Special Operations Command. It was he who was also appointed the first commander of the Sixth Mobile Squadron of the Special Operations Forces of the United States Naval Forces - SEAL Team 6.
Over time, the functions of SEAL DEVGRU have been expanded, from sabotage at sea and land, seizure of ships and the release of hijacked ships to reconnaissance operations, rescue of hostages, elimination of US enemies.
The number six in the name of the unit remains a mystery, as well as the activities of such a unit today is a mystery. At the time of the creation of the sixth detachment, there were already two detachments in the structure of the MTR of the US Navy, and the new unit was supposed to receive serial number three, but this did not happen.
Among the territories where the United States used Navy SEAL It can be noted that the Vietnam War (1962-1973), the invasion of Grenada (1983), the "Main Chance" operation in the Persian Gulf (1984), the "Right Cause" operation for the invasion of Panama (1989-1990 biennium), Operation Desert Storm, the war in Afghanistan (from 2001 to the present), War in Iraq from 2003 to today and the most famous Operation Neptune's Spear to eliminate Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
The modern division of SEAL DEVGRU has practically unlimited possibilities, and the priority assignment of the unit was the implementation of operational preemptive attacks, special counter-terrorism operations of increased importance and secrecy, missions to prevent the receipt of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist organizations, missions to rescue objects and people of increased value and importance from zones of military and conflict and crisis situations.
SEAL Team 6 / SEAL DEVGRU prepared and carried out deadly operations in complete secrecy in the barren territories of Somalia. As part of the operations in Afghanistan, the unit took part in hostilities so close that they returned to the base in blood that was not their own. On secret raids in deep nights, their weapons of choice ranged from individual carbines to primitive tomahawks.
In many parts of the world, they operated espionage stations disguised as commercial boats, posed as civilian front company employees, and conducted undercover operations at embassies for external and internal intelligence, tracking who the United States was trying to kill or arrest.
All of the above examples of operations are just a small part of the secret history of the SEAL Team 6 / SEAL DEVGRU of the United States Navy, one of the most secretive, least researched special military units of the United States Armed Forces. Once reserved for specialized but extremely rare operations, known for killing the terrorist Osama bin Laden, it has been transformed over more than a decade of combat years into a global tool for destroying US enemies.
The role and nature of SEAL DEVGRU's activities reflects new approach America's warfare, in which the conflict is not characterized by battlefield victories and defeats, but relentless killing of alleged enemies.
Almost everything about a secret special forces called SEAL DEVGRU, shrouded in a veil of secrecy - the Pentagon has not publicly acknowledged that there is a so-called unit. But the examination of the evolution of SEAL Team 6, conducted by The New York Times, dozens of interviews with current and retired special forces operators, other actors in the US Armed Forces, as well as reviews of acts of the American administration, reveal a much more complex, provocative history of the US MTR SEAL DEVGRU / SEAL Team 6.
In the SEAL DEVGRU operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the main goal was to exhaust the enemy, to destroy the highest priority targets in the face of the enemy commanders. These measures, according to the command, caused significant damage to the networks of terrorists. In operations on the territory of other states, the Navy SEALs carried out mainly reconnaissance tasks, but even there they did not disdain to kill. The main reconnaissance units were the sniper unit SEAL Team 6... The unit has repeatedly provided support to other special forces, in particular Delta, helped in the implementation of CIA operations, for example, within the framework of Operation Omega Program.
At the same time, quite often, information comes up about an excessive urge to kill in SEAL Team 6. One of the hostages, a US citizen, did not understand after his release why US seals didn’t leave at least one jailer alive?
All suspicions of excessive use of force were checked by internal command and were rarely referred for investigation by the US Navy's investigating authorities. After all, each fighter, or as they are usually called within the unit - an operator, is worth its weight in gold, because a lot of time, money and effort has been invested in him.
Some people point out that SEAL Team 6's abilities are misused, they are often used in the framework of hostilities with militants of medium and low priority. Someone even worries that the elite special forces may erode their elite spirit in this way. However, in spite of everything, SEAL DEVGRU, like Delta Force, show themselves as fearless warriors in all hot spots to which they are sent by the US government, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria.
SEAL DEVGRU's operations, in collaboration with the Central Intelligence Agency and supported by US Air Force drones, represent a less costly alternative to deep warfare with a major US Army invasion.
The only thing that prevents the public glorification of the exploits of the Navy Seals, and at the same time the debate about the consequences of their special operations, is the complete secrecy of information about the special forces of the SEAL DEVGRU.
As noted earlier, the Pentagon declined to comment on the existence of SEAL DEVGRU. The command of special operations, in the operational subordination of which they operate Navy SEAL, also declined to comment on the activities of the US Seals. The official position of the command is limited to the proposal that after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, MTR fighters "took part in tens of thousands of operations and missions in a large number of" geographical theaters ", while they consistently remained faithful to the highest demands of the United States Armed Forces. ".
Rear Admiral Edward G. Winters 3rd
Roy Boym, Richard Marchenko, Bob Gormley, Stuart Smith, Eric Olson
Today, according to military observers, the Navy SEALs are the most trained and equipped unit in the world, on a par with the elite US units of Delta, FORECON, MARSOC. In some respects, they are not inferior to the US Army's Delta Detachment. Delta is mainly engaged in counter-terrorism activities, while SEALs (with the exception of NSWDG) are engaged in reconnaissance, sabotage or hostage rescue. In addition to reconnaissance and sabotage and assault operations, SEAL are called upon to solve a number of other specific tasks: covering the main forces, directing artillery fire, demining and mining, providing communications in areas where hostilities are being conducted, combating maritime terrorism and illegal crossing of the country's maritime state borders.
Without exception, all "seals" are members of the US Navy or the US Coast Guard.
There are also known cases when fighters from the second SEAL unit worked alone in the special forces of the South Vietnamese army. In addition, a SEAL detachment called Detachment Bravo (Det Bravo) was formed in 1967, consisting of both SEALs and members of the South Vietnamese Provincial Reconnaissance Units (PRUs).
The last SEAL units left Vietnam in December 1971, the last instructors in March 1973. The total number of "navy seals" involved in Vietnam did not exceed 200 soldiers and 30 officers.
The SEALs from Squads 4 and 6 also took part in the US invasion of Grenada, known as Operation Rage Flare. The main goals were the rescue of the British Governor General Paul Skoon and the capture of the only radio mast in the country. As a result of inadequate briefing or untimely information support from the CIA, the mission was in jeopardy from the outset. So one of the two transport aircraft could not determine the emission zone, and four servicemen drowned during the landing in a heavy downpour. Their bodies have never been found.
After a successful landing, splitting into two groups, the "seals" began to perform their main tasks. The group, directed to the residence of the Governor-General, found themselves without satellite communications, as the necessary equipment was forgotten in the helicopter. When the battery of their only radio ran out, the seals had to use a regular telephone line to call for air support. As a result, a small detachment spent about a day under fire from superior enemy forces, including the BTR-60, until it was evacuated by a reconnaissance group of marines.
Another group that took over the radio station also experienced communication problems. After they were unable to organize a command post, repelling several attacks by the Grenada national army, the "seals" blew up the mast and managed to take refuge in the water. Later, after the termination of their search, the "seals", including the wounded, got out into the open sea, where they were rescued.
Along with their British colleagues from the Special Boat Service, the SEALs took part in the Battle of Kala-i-Yangi, where SEAL Chief Petty Officer Stephen Bass received the Naval Cross for outstanding heroism in battle.
On August 6, 2011, a Chinook carrying 15 members of the Group of 6, which killed Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, was shot down in Afghanistan. Everyone in the helicopter was killed; among the dead there were no participants in the operation to assassinate bin Laden. This is the biggest loss of personnel for "SEAL Team 6" (besides them, two "cats" from another unit died in the crash)
Seven days before the landing of the main troops, a group of "navy seals" was engaged in hydrographic surveys in the area of the oil platforms of Al-Basra and Hawr El-Amaya. On May 20, 2003, both platforms, as well as the port of El Fao and the oil pipelines, were directly attacked by a group of forces consisting of the "seals" themselves, British Royal Marines and soldiers from the Polish special forces "Thunder". Despite the difficulties associated with inaccurate intelligence, all objects were captured and the operation was successfully completed.
The Coalition Command in Iraq has also expressed concern that retreating Iraqi forces may have blown up the Mukatain Dam northeast of Baghdad in an effort to slow the advance of American forces. A dam explosion would also have left an entire region without power, and imminent flooding would threaten the lives of civilians. Thus, it was decided to send there the joint forces of the SEALs and the Thunder squadron. Not meeting resistance from the Iraqi military, the "seals" quickly completed the seizure of the dam and handed it over to the control of the US ground forces.
SEAL squad during an operation in a forest area
The main operational formation in the SEAL is a reconnaissance and sabotage squad (SEAL Team), consisting of a headquarters and 3 squadrons of 40 people each. Each squadron also has its own headquarters, consisting of a 3rd rank captain as commander, lieutenant commander or senior lieutenant, as well as two foremen (warrant officers) with eighth and seventh / sixth pay ranks. Two platoons of 16-20 people each and a support group in the size of a company are assigned to the headquarters. The platoon commander is the lieutenant commander, his deputy is the senior lieutenant. If necessary, each squadron can be easily split into 4 platoons or 8 squads of 4-5 fighters. Thus, the personnel of a typical SEAL “squad”, including service personnel, reaches approximately 300 people. The SEAL detachment is commanded by an officer with the rank of captain of the 2nd rank.
For fast and invisible underwater delivery and evacuation of reconnaissance divers, there are squads of special transport vehicles (SPTS) using underwater vehicles (PSD) type Mark 8 Mod 1. At the moment, the 2nd squad is disbanded and transferred to the 1st squad headquartered at the Pearl Harbor naval base, Hawaii.
The Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) are also designed to support the delivery and disembarkation of SEAL units on the coast and their evacuation after the completion of the mission. In addition, their tasks are the delivery of reinforcements and equipment, the organization of fire cover, the inspection of suspicious ships, rescue operations, reconnaissance and patrolling of areas of the sea coast and rivers.
Formally, the SPTS and SWCC units are not part of the SEAL structure, although they deplete the necessary support for the SEAL units
In total, at the moment in the structure of the MTR there are ten squads (SEAL Team 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10) and 3050 personnel, including 600 members of the SWCC. The operational reserve contains 325 SEALs (SEAL Team 17, 18), 125 SWCC troops and 775 service personnel.
SEAL fighters emerge from the water
Each unit of the US Navy has its own specialization. Some are geared towards desert applications. Others are for jungle landings and activities. Still others are designed for operations beyond the Arctic Circle. There are also former "Russians", that is, those who were supposed to take action on the territory of the USSR.
The 6th SEAL Detachment, recreated as the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DevGru) to conduct anti-terrorist operations, is withdrawn from the Navy's MTR and, together with the Delta Group, is permanently subordinated to the Joint Special Operations Command. Soldiers from the 6th detachment took part in hostilities on the island of Grenada and in the release of hostages on the Achille Lauro passenger liner in the Mediterranean Sea.
SEAL units are divided between Naval Special Warfare Group ONE (Coronado naval base, California), which includes squads 1,3,5,7 and Naval Special Warfare Group TWO (Little Creek naval base, Virginia), which includes squads 2,4,8,10. Both structures are under the overall command of the Naval Special Warfare Command.
| Emblem | Commands | Number of platoons | Dislocation | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | 8 | Naval base "Coronado", California | Southeast Asia | |
| Unit 2 | 8 | Naval base "Little Creek", Virginia | Europe | |
| Unit 3 | 8 | Naval base "Coronado", California | Near East | |
| Unit 4 | 8 | Naval base "Little Creek", Virginia | South America | |
| Unit 5 | 8 | Naval base "Coronado", California | Far East | |
| United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group is also from. as "DEVGRU" | 5 | US Navy AB "Ocean", Virginia | In 1987, Team Six was reorganized into the NSWDG (juice from: United States Special Warfare Development Group) also from. as "DEVGRU" (Juice from DEVeopment GRoUp) | |
| Unit 7 | 8 | Naval base "Coronado", California | ||
| Unit 8 | 8 | Naval base "Little Creek", Virginia | Caribbean, Africa, Mediterranean | |
| Unit 10 | 8 | Naval base "Little Creek", Virginia | ||
| Detachment SPTS 1 | 7 | Naval base "Pearl Harbor", Hawaii | ||
| Squad SPTS 2 | Naval base "Little Creek", Virginia | became a member of the SPTS detachment 1 |
The selection of candidates for the "seals" is made from among volunteers not younger than 18 and not older than 28 years old, only male US citizens are allowed to serve. Of course, the candidate must have excellent health, both physical and mental, because, due to the nature of the service, sometimes the "seal" has to be for a long time in a confined space or under a layer of water, where even a ray of daylight does not penetrate. Very often you have to perform this or that task alone, without the support of comrades, while being waist-deep in swamp slurry.
From the very beginning, volunteers who fully meet all the formal requirements and do not reveal any obvious physical or mental abnormalities are subjected to a series of tests, on the basis of which an expert committee of experienced psychologists and doctors conducts an initial selection. Those who successfully pass the initial requirements are sent to the naval training centers of special forces.
First of all, cadets are prepared for the loads that await them during the year. This is a seven-week course in general physical training and teaching special swimming techniques. At this stage, cadets get acquainted with new methods of physical development, train the respiratory system, endurance. And even if the candidate is the world champion in swimming, he will be taught it again. Learn to swim for hours and in severe storms. At any temperature of water, even if it turns into ice before our eyes. With a load. And even being tied hand and foot. The purpose of this stage is to accustom the combat swimmer to water so that it does not cause him not only the slightest inconvenience, but that he feels like a fish in it.
“We train these people so that they perceive water as the only safe environment,” instructors say during the training. In all other types of troops, even in the marines, personnel are trained, proceeding from the fact that the water element is dangerous to humans. But what is our advantage? When we are found, pursued or fired upon, we go into the water, to our home, where the enemy usually loses us.
This is followed by nine weeks of the first period of direct combat training and live training. Moreover, every week the loads, already very heavy, become even stronger, acquiring a specific focus. For example, in the first week, cadets need to swim three hundred meters in certain time, in the second week, the same three hundred meters must be swum already in full uniform and equipment, with all equipment and weapons. Further, the task becomes even more complicated. The same distance with all the equipment must be overcome, towing a load weighing 40-50 kg, and then do the same thing, only this time against the current. Further, the distance increases, and the time it takes to overcome it remains the same. The same can be said for land tests. True, here the task is complicated by the fact that instructors deliberately give somewhat illogical orders that should be carried out without hesitation, without any breakdowns and tantrums, while not going into confrontation with the authorities. Thus, the psychological fitness of the future combat swimmer is checked.
Melee training
There are also special tests that help determine the cadet's intelligence, his ability to think in non-standard situations. For example, it is necessary, without special equipment, to penetrate an object that is located behind a high hill overgrown with forest. Of course, the hill can be bypassed, as most cadets do. But it's not that simple. On all sides the hill is surrounded by a swamp ... So the soldier stands in thought: whether to climb the hill, or crawl through the swamp. In addition to all kinds of natural obstacles that must be overcome, there are also a huge number of traps set up by experienced instructors. At the most inopportune moment, when the cadet has almost reached the top of the hill and is holding onto the ledge of the rock, a training grenade is heard right in front of him, or a smoke bomb explodes, or, worst of all, bullets begin to whistle over his head. But in addition to physical activity, cadets master the skills of sniper shooting and demolition, radio communication and orientation on the ground. In a word, everything that is not done in water (although this does not mean at all that this is done only on land).
Particularly noteworthy is the preparation stage, which the "seals" themselves call "hell week". It lasts only five days, but this is quite enough to fully experience all the "joy" of service in SEAL. During this time, cadets have the right to sleep only 4 hours, and then either standing or up to their throats in a fetid swamp. At the same time, the load increases every day and reaches such a limit that three instructors work with one group (each of whom has a medical certificate), who constantly replace each other. By the end of the week, the load becomes, frankly, a sadistic character. And in such an environment, future "seals" must not only fight the water element, but also defeat it and, which is much more difficult, themselves, their fear and their pain.
Trial by the Storm
Here is one example - "trial by storm". At the command of the instructor, the group lines up on the very shore of the ocean (and the most inclement day and the strongest storm are chosen) and stands for 20 minutes, bathed in icy waves of the Pacific Ocean. Then, on command, the whole group goes ashore and spends five minutes in the piercing autumn wind, and then again into the ocean. And so on several times.
And then follows a whole series of grueling marches in full gear, overcoming obstacle courses, etc. For example, the standard for running on a sandy beach at a distance of 4 miles is 32 minutes. For "lazy" performance of exercises - punishment: push-ups, individual or group ("chain"), when the cadets line up in a column one at a time, put their feet on the shoulder of a comrade, who is in the "lying position" behind. Up down! One pulls the whole chain along. As a punishment - back to the ocean. And so on ad infinitum for several days. At the same time, annoying instructors conduct a psychological attack on young, hellishly tired, frozen cadets. They try to "seduce" them with a hot shower, a long sleep in a soft bed, a good lunch with a cup of coffee. But all this is only in order to further exhaust the psyche of the cadets, to test their endurance. Many retreat and return to their units. Screening out after the "hellish week" - 50% of the total number of applicants and selected for training. And the final elimination is 90% of the initial amount. All those who, even a little bit, did not reach the highest rates, leave.
The last stage of preparation is aerial, lasting three weeks. This time, the cadets are waiting for parachutes, jumps, air traffic control, guidance and correction of aviation actions. And piloting in a fairly decent amount. And during all this time, no one for a minute reduces the load on either the body or the spirit. True, sleep after the "hellish week" is given for a couple of hours longer, but, of course, this is not enough for full recovery. And only after that, those who have withstood a truly hellish marathon are allowed into the elite community. They are presented with the SEAL emblem (an eagle holding an anchor, a trident and a flintlock pistol) in the jargon called “budweiser” (an eagle holding an anchor, a trident and a flintlock pistol) and assigned to groups. But these are not yet full-fledged "seals". They are not yet allowed to carry out serious operations and are used, as a rule, to "catch up": to cover the rear, ensure the withdrawal of the main forces, "make noise", distracting the enemy's attention. So two and a half to three years pass until the end of the first contract. Only after signing the second contract can the new recruit consider himself a full-fledged SEAL fighter.
Given the wide range of tasks solved by the SEAL fighters, the unit has not only the full resource of the US Army, but also the right to use the world market as a source of obtaining all the necessary equipment.
For covert movement under water, SEAL units use the Dragaer LAR V self-contained breathing apparatus, developed by the German company Drägerwerk AG, and allowing a diver to swim without the lack of air bubbles typical for scuba gear. Also used are the Mark 8 Mod 1 SDV midget submarines, launched from dedicated Los Angeles-class submarine modules. In addition to being used on submarines, PSD of the Mk 8 type can also be dropped into the operation zone from Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. The ASDS (Advanced SEAL Delivery System) project, which was considered as a replacement for the design and estimate documentation Mk 8, did not go beyond the prototype stage and was closed. Thus, PSD type Mk 8 remain in service indefinitely.
Soldiers from SBT 22 on SOC-R boats
For surface landing, the US Navy's MTR can use patrol boats of the Cyclone, Mk 5 Pegasus, RIB-36 and Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R) types, which are part of the Special Boat Team. SOC-R boats can also be transported by CH-47 and CH-53 helicopters.
If it is supposed to be cast by airborne landing, then the Navy MTR usually resorts to the help of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which provides vehicles and pilots.
Land-based infiltration is carried out on foot or in the Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV), also known as the Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV), first used by 3rd SEAL during the Gulf War.
The main SEAL base for the Atlantic Fleet is Little Creek Naval Base in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The research and development group of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, which conducts tests of weapons, equipment and military equipment, both in service with the MTR of the Navy, and promising ones, offered by suppliers and developing new tactical methods and techniques for using special weapons and technical means also located at the Little Creek naval base.
A naval base in the city of Coronado, on the California coast, serves as a base for the Pacific Fleet. It houses the Naval Special Warfare Center and the Naval Special Warfare Command.
SEAL Squad 6 is stationed at the USS Oceana Air Force Base in Dam Neck, Virginia.
The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, founded in 1985 by the UDT-SEAL Museum Association, is the only museum of its kind and is located on the site where the first combat swimmers for the US Navy were once trained. In 2008, by the decision of the congress, the museum received the status of a national one. Today, there is a large number of unique historical exhibits, including weapons, equipment and equipment of the UDT and SEAL units.
Seals - United States Navy SEAL ( SE a, A ir and L and) (literally "Seals") - the legendary, as well as the main tactical unit of the Special Operations Forces (MTR) of the Navy, which is operationally subordinate to the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
According to many military analysts, today the US Navy SEALs are the most trained and equipped unit in the world, on a par with the elite US units of Delta, FORECON, MARSOC.
This is the elite of the American special forces.
United States Navy SEALs are designed to:
- conducting reconnaissance,
- conducting special and sabotage events, search and rescue operations,
- covering the main forces,
- guidance of artillery fire,
- demining and mining,
- providing communications in areas where hostilities are underway,
- combating maritime terrorism and illegal crossing of the country's maritime state borders,
- fulfillment of other tasks facing the MTR.
The main unit in the SEAL is a separate detachment (battalion) of the Special Forces (special purpose), consisting of:
- a detachment commander, who, as a rule, has the rank of captain of the 3rd, sometimes captain of the 2nd rank of the US Navy,
- headquarters:
⚓ - Chief of Staff of the Detachment with the rank of Lieutenant Commander (or Navy Lieutenant) (Operations, N3),
⚓ - operational officer (Plans and Targeting, N5),
⚓ - head of the intelligence unit (Intelligence, N2),
⚓ - Deputy Detachment Commander for Combat Training (Administrative support, N1),
⚓ - deputy detachment commander for the rear (Logistics, N4),
⚓ - head of the MSS / medical service of the detachment (Air / Medical, N8),
- groups of support of the detachment control:
⚓ - two security platoons of 16-20 soldiers each with a MTO company,
- 3 separate squadrons of 40 fighters each:
⚓ - company commander (naval officer with the rank of lieutenant commander),
⚓ - two deputies (naval officers with the rank of naval lieutenant).
The standard number of personnel for a separate special forces detachment of the US Navy with support units is up to 300 people.
The main base of deployment of the US Navy SEAL units are:
— on the Atlantic coast of the United States:
⚓ - Military unit "Little Creek" of the Airborne Forces of the Navy (as part of the main military unit of the US Navy "Norfolk"),
⚓ - Naval Aviation Garrison of the Okeana military unit (Dam Neck, Virginia), where a separate Navy Special Forces regiment is stationed to combat terrorism at sea.
— on the US Pacific coast:
⚓ - Military unit "Coronado" of the airborne forces of the Navy (as part of the military unit of the US Navy "San Diego".
The Naval Special Warfare Command and the Center are housed here. combat use(PPM) Special Forces of the Navy (Naval Special Warfare Center).
It is generally accepted that the history of the "seals" dates back to the time of the Civil War (1861), when the northern troops used swimmers to find mines.
The first special units of the US Naval Forces were created in 1943, when the Americans made an attempt to learn from the experience of the military, who were fighting against the Japanese in the jungles of Burma at that time, and create a similar force. It is quite justified that the first instructors of the new unit were the British military. In those years, US seals were active participants in the bloodiest operations of the Second World War, including on the island of Iwo Jima and during the Allied landings in Normandy.
The modern corps of naval special forces was formed in 1962 after the US military handed the then US President John F. Kennedy an analytical note, which explained the need to create a special unit on the basis of the US Navy, capable of performing sabotage missions on the territory of the conditional enemy - the Warsaw countries. treaty, Cuba and Vietnam.
Since 2001, the US government has committed approximately $ 10.5 billion to the Special Operations Headquarters. At the same time, the number of business trips has also increased (approximately 4 times).
Admiral W. MacRane, who commanded this special unit, asked the authorities many times to grant him more resources and autonomy. According to some sources, the admiral wanted to expand his forces in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as to achieve the ability to personally make decisions on the movement of military equipment and manpower, if necessary, in order to increase the flexibility and speed of operations.
The physical training of US seals is of paramount importance.
The basic training methods for SEAL were borrowed from combat swimmers - the UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams). Until 1983, when the UDT was disbanded, the main body of SEAL was formed from the fighters of this detachment, and those who planned to become a "Navy Seal" were trained in it. Only 10% of recruits go through all stages of the rigorous training process and receive the coveted SEAL emblem, which in slang is commonly called "budweiser" (an eagle with an anchor in its claws, a trident and a flintlock pistol).
The SEAL physical training program is divided into several multi-week cycles, which are based on the principle of increasing loads. Thus, if in the first week of a nine-week course, recruits do 3 sets of 15 push-ups and run 2 miles, then in the ninth week they run 6 miles and do 6 sets of 30 push-ups.
At week 18 (the second nine-week cycle), the fighters are already pushing up 20 sets of 20 times.
The seals physical training program includes a large number of special trainings, forced marches in conditions close to combat. 
In order to instill in the "seals" the understanding that the aquatic environment is not hostile to them, special attention is paid to actions in the water. The soldiers of this special unit are constantly improving their swimming skills: they are taught to swim in extreme conditions, with long holdings of breath, with a load, with tied hands and feet.
Equally important is the psychological training of "fur seals", during which they are taught to remain calm in the most extraordinary situations, deliberately overestimating the level of stress.
The psychologists who work with them identify 4 main factors that fighters must take into account in critical situations:
- clearly and correctly set goals;
- visualize the stages of achieving these goals;
- be able to maintain a positive attitude and conduct an internal dialogue;
- be able to keep stress under control.
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1.Wikipedia site
2.the official website of the special forces
