| Special Air Service | |
|---|---|
.svg) Special Air Service insignia | |
| Active | 1941–1945 1947–present[1][2][3] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Special forces |
| Role | Special operations Counter-terrorism |
| Size | Threeregiments[nb 1] |
| Part of | United Kingdom Special Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ:Stirling Lines,Herefordshire, England 21 SAS:Regent's Park Barracks,London, England[4] 22 SAS: Stirling Lines, Herefordshire, England[4] 23 SAS:Birmingham,West Midlands, England[4] |
| Nickname | "The Regiment"[7] |
| Motto | "Who Dares Wins"[8] |
| Colours | Pompadour blue[8] |
| March | Quick: "Marche des Parachutistes Belges"[8] Slow: "Lili Marlene"[8] |
| Engagements | List of SAS operations |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-Commandant | Field MarshalThe Lord Guthrie[9] |
| Notable commanders | General Sir Peter de la Billière General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith |
TheSpecial Air Service (SAS) is aspecial forces unit of theBritish Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 byDavid Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as acorps.[5] The unit specialises in a number of roles includingcounter-terrorism,hostage rescue,direct action andspecial reconnaissance. Much of the information about the SAS is highlyclassified, and the unit is not commented on by either theBritish government or theMinistry of Defence due to the secrecy and sensitivity of its operations.[10][11][12]
The corps consists of the 22 Special Air Service Regiment, which is the regular component, as well as the21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) and the23 Special Air Service Regiment (Reserve), which are reserve units, all under the operational command ofUnited Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF). Its sister unit is theRoyal Navy'sSpecial Boat Service, which specialises inmaritime counter-terrorism. Both units are under the operational control of theDirector Special Forces.
The Special Air Service traces its origins to 1941 during theSecond World War. It was reformed as part of theTerritorial Army in 1947, named the 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artists Rifles). The 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, which is part of the regular army, gained fame and recognition worldwide after its televised rescue of all but two of the hostages held during the 1980Iranian Embassy siege.[13]
The Special Air Service was a unit of theBritish Army during the Second World War that was formed in July 1941 byDavid Stirling and originally called "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade – the "L" designation and Air Service name being a tie-in to a British disinformation campaign, trying to deceive the Axis into thinking there was a paratrooper regiment with numerous units operating in the area (the real SAS would "prove" to the Axis that the fake one existed).[1][14] It was conceived as acommando force to operate behind enemy lines in theNorth African Campaign[15] and initially consisted of five officers and 60other ranks.[16] Its first mission, in November 1941, was a parachute drop in support of theOperation Crusader offensive, codenamed Operation Squatter.[14][17] Due to German resistance and adverse weather conditions, the mission was a disaster, with only 22 men, a third of the unit, making it back to base. The rest were either killed or captured. Its second mission was a major success. Transported by theLong Range Desert Group, it attacked three airfields inLibya, destroying 60 aircraft without loss.[18] In September 1942, it was renamed 1st SAS, consisting at that time of four British squadrons,one Free French,one Greek, and theFolboat Section.[19]
In January 1943, Colonel David Stirling was captured inTunisia andPaddy Mayne replaced him as commander.[20] In April 1943, the 1st SAS was reorganised into the Special Raiding Squadron under Mayne's command and theSpecial Boat Squadron was placed under the command ofGeorge Jellicoe.[21] The Special Raiding Squadron fought in Sicily and Italy along with the 2nd SAS, which had been formed in North Africa in 1943 in part by the renaming of theSmall Scale Raiding Force under the command ofBill Stirling (brother of David).[22][23] The Special Boat Squadron fought in theAegean Islands andDodecanese until the end of the war.[24] In 1944 theSAS Brigade was formed. The unit was formed from:[25]
It was tasked with parachute operations behind the German lines in France[2] and carried out operations supporting the Allied advance through France (OperationsHoundsworth,Bulbasket,Loyton,Kipling andWallace-Hardy), Belgium, the Netherlands (Operation Pegasus), and eventually into Germany (Operation Archway andOperation Howard).[25][26] As a result of Hitler's issuing of theCommando Order on 18 October 1942, the members of the unit faced the additional danger that they would be summarily executed if captured by the Germans. In July 1944, following Operation Bulbasket, 34 captured SAS commandos were indeed summarily executed by the Germans; in October 1944, in the aftermath of Operation Loyton, another 31 captured SAS commandos were summarily executed by the Germans.[27]
The last original member of the Special Air Service and the last survivor of the Long Range Desert Group,Mike Sadler, died on 4 January 2024, at the age of 103.[28]
At the end of the war theBritish government saw no further need for the force and disbanded it on 8 October 1945.[2]
The following year it was decided there was a need for a long-term deep-penetration commando unit and a new SAS regiment was to be raised as part of the Territorial Army.[29] Ultimately, theArtists Rifles, raised in 1860 and headquartered at Dukes Road, Euston, took on the SAS mantle as 21st SAS Regiment (V) on 1 January 1947.[3][29]
John Woodhouse was chosen to assist with establishing a reformed selection process for the SAS. The rigorous systems he assisted in developing over three years provided the basis of selection and training of the modern SAS.[30]
In 1950, a 21 SAS squadron was raised to fight in theKorean War. After three months of training in Britain, it was informed that the squadron would no longer be required in Korea and so it instead volunteered to fight in theMalayan Emergency.[31] Upon arrival in Malaya, it came under the command ofMike "Mad Mike" Calvert[32] who was forming a new unit called theMalayan Scouts (SAS).[31] Calvert had already formed one squadron from 100 volunteers in the Far East, which became A Squadron; the 21 SAS squadron then became B Squadron; and after a recruitment visit toRhodesia by Calvert,C Squadron was formed from 100 Rhodesian volunteers.[33] The Rhodesians returned home after three years' service and were replaced by a New Zealand squadron.[34] By this time the need for a regular army SAS regiment had been recognised; the 22 SAS Regiment was formally added to the army list in 1952 and has been based atHereford since 1960.[8] In 1959 the third regiment, the 23 SAS Regiment, was formed by renaming the Reserve Reconnaissance Unit, which had succeededMI9 and whose members were experts inescape and evasion.[35]
Since serving in Malaya, men from the regular army 22 SAS Regiment have taken part in reconnaissance patrols and large scale raiding missions in theJebel Akhdar War inOman and conducted covert reconnaissance and surveillance patrols and some larger scale raiding missions in Borneo during theIndonesia–Malaysia confrontation.[36][37] They returned to Oman in operations against Communist-backed rebels in theDhofar Rebellion including theBattle of Mirbat.[38] They have also taken part in operations in theAden Emergency,[39]Northern Ireland,[40] andGambia.[37] Their Special projects team assisted the West German counterterrorism groupGSG 9 at Mogadishu, withLufthansa Flight 181.[37] The SAS counter terrorist wing famously took part in a hostage rescue operation during theIranian Embassy Siege in London.[41] SAS were involved throughoutBritain's covert involvement in theSoviet–Afghan War; they acted through private military contractorKeenie Meenie Services (or KMS Ltd), training the AfghanMujaheddin in weapons, tactics and using explosives. They trained the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan and sent them to be trained inPakistan, Oman and parts of the UK.[42] During theFalklands War B squadron were prepared forOperation Mikado before it was subsequently cancelled while D and G squadrons were deployed and participated in theraid on Pebble Island.[43]Operation Flavius was a controversial operation inGibraltar against theProvisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).[37] 22 SAS directedNATO aircraft ontoSerb positions and hunted war criminals inBosnia.[44][45] They were involved in theKosovo War helpingKLA guerillas behind Serbian lines. According to Albanian sources one SAS sergeant was killed by Serbian special forces.[46]
TheGulf War, in which A, B and D squadrons deployed, was the largest SAS mobilisation since the Second World War, also notable for the failure of theBravo Two Zero mission.[47] InSierra Leone it took part inOperation Barras, a hostage rescue operation, to extract members of theRoyal Irish Regiment.[37]
Following theSeptember 11 attacks on the United States byal-Qaeda in 2001, two squadrons of 22 SAS, later reinforced by members of both the Territorial SAS units, deployed toAfghanistan as part of theCoalition invasion at the start of theWar in Afghanistan, to dismantle and destroy al-Qaeda and to deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by removing theTaliban from power in thewar on terror. The Regiment carried outOperation Trent, the largest operation in its history, which included its first wartimeHALO parachute jump. Following the invasion, the Regiment continued to operate in Afghanistan against the Taliban and other insurgents until 2006, when its deployment to Iraq became its focus of operations, until 2009 when the SAS redeployed to Afghanistan.[48][49][50][51]
The regiment took part in theIraq War, notably carrying out operations in Iraq before the2003 invasion. Following the invasion, it formed part ofTask Force Black/Knight to combat thepost invasion insurgency; in late 2005/early 2006, the SAS were integrated intoJSOC and focused its counterinsurgency efforts on combatingal-Qaeda in Iraq and the Sunni insurgency alongsideDelta Force. The counter-insurgency was successful, and the UKSF mission in Iraq ended in May 2009.[48][49][52] Overall, more than 3,500 terrorists were "taken off the streets" of Baghdad by 22 SAS.[53]
Various British newspapers have speculated on SAS involvement inOperation Ellamy and the2011 Libyan civil war. TheDaily Telegraph reports that "defence sources have confirmed that the SAS has been in Libya for several weeks, and played a key role in coordinating the fall of Tripoli."[54] WhileThe Guardian reports "They have been acting asforward air controllers – directing pilots to targets – and communicating with NATO operational commanders. They have also been advising rebels on tactics."[55]
Members of the Special Air Service were deployed to Northern Iraq in late August 2014, and according to former SIS chiefRichard Barrett, would also besent to Syria, tasked with trying to track down theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group that the press labelledthe Beatles.[56][57][58] In 2024 it was acknowledged that five SAS members had been arrested by theRoyal Military Police on suspicion of committing war crimes in Syria, though details have not been disclosed.[59]
Since the 1990s SAS officers have risen to senior appointments in the British Armed Forces. GeneralPeter de la Billière was thecommander in chief of the British forces in the 1990 Gulf War.[60] GeneralMichael Rose became commander of theUnited Nations Protection Force inBosnia in 1994.[61] In 1997 GeneralCharles Guthrie becameChief of the Defence Staff the head of the British armed forces.[62]Lieutenant-GeneralCedric Delves was appointed commander of the Field Army and deputy commander in chief NATO Regional HeadquartersAllied Forces North in 2002–2003.[63]
For much of the Cold War, the role of21 SAS and23 SAS was to provide stay-behind parties in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion of western Europe, forming together I Corps' Corps Patrol Unit. In the case of an invasion, this Special Air Service Group would have let themselves be bypassed and remained behind in order to collect intelligence behind Warsaw Pact lines, conduct target acquisition, and thus try to slow the enemy's advance.[64][65][66]
In early 2003, a squadron of about 60 soldiers from 21 SAS and 23 SAS, were deployed to Afghanistan.[67][68] In 2005, for the first time since the Malayan Emergency a whole Reserve squadron deployed from one of the regiments to Afghanistan to conduct reconnaissance ofHelmand province in preparation for the establishment of aTask Force based around16 Air Assault Brigade.[69]
Following the post-war reconstitution of the Special Air Service, other countries in theCommonwealth recognised their need for similar units. TheCanadian Special Air Service Company was formed in 1947, being disbanded in 1949.[70][71] TheNew Zealand Special Air Service squadron was formed in June 1955 to serve with the British SAS in Malaya, which became a full regiment in 2011.[72] Australia formed the 1st SAS Company in July 1957, which became a full regiment of theSpecial Air Service Regiment (SASR) in 1964.[73] On its return from Malaya, the C (Rhodesian) Squadron formed the basis for creation of theRhodesian Special Air Service in 1961.[35] It retained the name "C Squadron (Rhodesian) Special Air Service" within theRhodesian Security Forces until 1978, when it became 1 (Rhodesian) Special Air Service Regiment.[74]
Non-Commonwealth countries have also formed units based on the SAS. The Belgian Army'sSpecial Forces Group, which wears the same capbadge as the British SAS, traces its ancestry partly from the5th Special Air Service of the Second World War.[82] The French1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (1er RPIMa) can trace its origins to the Second World War 3rd and 4th SAS, adopting its "who dares wins" motto.[83] The American unit,1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, was formed by ColonelCharles Alvin Beckwith, who served with 22 SAS as anexchange officer, and recognised the need for a similar type of unit in theUnited States Army.[84] The IsraeliSayeret Matkal andShaldag units have also been modelled after the SAS, sharing its motto.Ireland'sArmy Ranger Wing (ARW) also trains with the SAS.[85] ThePhilippine National Police'sSpecial Action Force was formed along the lines of the SAS.[86]
The former Royal Afghan Army's 666th Commando Brigade was formed by Colonel Ramatullah Safi in the 1970s after he received his training with the SAS before it was disbanded through purges after the coups in 1973 and 1978.[87]
Little publicly verifiable information exists on the contemporary SAS, as the British government usually does not comment on special forces matters due to the nature of their work.[10][11] The Special Air Service comprises three units: one Regular and twoArmy Reserve (AR) units. The regular army unit is 22 SAS Regiment and the reserve units are21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve) (21 SAS(R)) and23 Special Air Service Regiment (23 SAS (R)), collectively, the Special Air Service (Reserve) (SAS(R)).[6]
Special Forces Parachute Support Squadron (Para Sp Sqn) is a sub-unit of the Airborne Delivery Wing (ADW) based atRAF Brize Norton.[88]
Supplementary to the SAS, together with theSpecial Boat Service and theSpecial Reconnaissance Regiment is18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment.[89]
22 SAS normally has a strength of 400 to 600.[90] The regiment has four operational squadrons: A, B, D and G. Each squadron consists of approximately 65 members commanded by a major, divided into fourtroops (each troop being commanded by a captain) and a small headquarters section.[91][92] Troops usually consist of 16 members. Members of the SAS are variously known as "blade" or "operator".[93][94][95] Each patrol within a troop consists of four members, with each member possessing a particular skill e.g. signals, demolition, medic or linguist in addition to basic skills learned during the course of his training.[92] The term "squadron" dates back to the unit's earliest days when the unit's name was intended to confuse German intelligence.[94] The four troops specialise in four different areas:
In 1980 R Squadron (which has since been renamed L Detachment) was formed; its members are all ex-regular SAS regiment soldiers who have a commitment to reserve service.[92][nb 2]
22 SAS squadron duty rotations are set up as such that one squadron is maintained on Counter-Terrorism duty in the UK; a second will be on a deployment; a third will be preparing for deployment whilst conducting short term training; and the fourth will be preparing for long-term overseas training such as jungle or desert exercises. In times of war, such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it is not uncommon for two squadrons to be deployed.[94]
| 22 Special Air Service Regiment | 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) | 23 Special Air Service Regiment |
|---|---|---|
| 'A' Squadron (Hereford)[4] | 'Cap' Squadron (Regent's Park)[100] | 'HQ' Squadron (Birmingham)[101][102][103] |
| 'B' Squadron[104] | 'A' Squadron (Regent's Park)[4] | 'B' Squadron (Leeds)[105][106] |
| 'D' Squadron | 'C' Squadron (Bramley Camp)[107] | 'D' Squadron (Scotland)[108] |
| 'G' Squadron[109] | 'E' Squadron (Wales)[110] | 'G' Squadron (Manchester)[111] |
Squadron Structure:[112]
The SAS has a subunit called the Counter Terrorist Wing (CTW) that fulfils itscounterterrorism (CT) role.[113] It has previously been known as the Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) Wing[114] and special projects team.[115][116] The SAS receives aviation support fromNo. 658 Squadron AAC to carry out their CT role.[117]
The CTW is trained in Close Quarter Battle (CQB),sniper techniques and specialises in hostage rescue in buildings or on public transport.[118] The team was formed in the early 1970s after the Prime Minister,Edward Heath, asked theMinistry of Defence to prepare for any possible terrorist attack similar to themassacre at the1972 Summer Olympics therefore ordering that the SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) wing be raised.[119]
Squadrons refresh their training every 16 months, on average. The CRW's first deployment was during theBalcombe Street siege. TheMetropolitan Police had trapped aPIRA unit; it surrendered when it heard on theBBC that the SAS were being sent in.[119] The first documented action abroad by the CRW wing was assisting the West German counter-terrorism groupGSG 9 atMogadishu.[37]
The CT role was shared amongst the squadrons, initially on a 12-month and later six-month rotation basis to ensure that all members are eventually trained in CT and CQB techniques. The SAS train for the CT role atPontrilas Army Training Area in a facility that includes theKilling House (officially known as Close Quarter Battle House) and part of aBoeing 747 airliner that can be reconfigured to match the internal layouts of virtually any commercial aircraft. The on-call CT squadron is split into four troops, two of which are on immediate notice to move and are restricted to theHereford-Credenhill area, whilst the other two conduct training and exercises across the UK, but are available for operational deployment should the need arise.[120]
22 SAS is under the operational command of theDirector Special Forces (DSF), amajor-general grade post. Previously ranked as a brigadier, the DSF was promoted from brigadier to major-general in recognition of the significant expansion of theUnited Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF).[146]
On 1 September 2014, 21 and 23 SAS were moved from UKSF.[147] They were placed under command of1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade.[148][149] In 2019 they were moved back to UKSF.[150][151]
The first version of the SAS selection course was created byJohn Woodhouse in 1952.[152][153] The United Kingdom Special Forces do not recruit directly from the general public.[154][155] All current members of the UK Armed Forces can apply for Special Forces selection, but the majority of candidates have historically come from a Royal Marines or Parachute Regiment background.[156] Selections are held twice a year, once in summer and again in winter.[154]
Typically only 10% of candidates make it through the initial selection process.[157] Between 2014 and 2022 there were more deaths in training and exercises than in combat against armed threats.[158] In a group of approximately 200 candidates, most will drop out within the first few days, and fewer than 30 will remain by the end. Those who complete all phases of selection are transferred to an operational squadron.[159]
For applicants to the reserve component,21 SAS and23 SAS, the pathway involves comparable elements, apart from jungle training, but taken in blocks, spread out over a longer period, to fit in with the demands of participants' civilian careers.[160] In October 2018, recruitment policy changed to allow women to become members of the SAS for the first time.[161] In August 2021, two women became the first to pass the pre-selection course, making them eligible for the full course.[162]
The first phase of selection, aptitude phase, lasts 4 weeks and takes place in theBrecon Beacons.[163] This phase also involves training inSennybridge, and normally starts with approximately 200 potential candidates.[154] Candidates complete a Personal Fitness Test (PFT) upon arrival, which consists of at least 50sit-ups in two minutes, 60press-ups in two minutes, and a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) run in 10 minutes and 30 seconds. They then complete anAnnual Fitness Test (AFT), which consists of marching 8 miles (13 km) in two hours while carrying 25 lb (11 kg) of equipment.[164] Candidates then march cross-country against the clock, increasing the distance covered each day; this culminates in an endurance test known as the "Endurance", in which candidates march 40 miles (64 km) with full equipment before climbing up and down the mountainPen y Fan (886 m; 2,907 ft) in 20 hours.[154] By the end of this phase, candidates must then be able to run 4 miles (6.4 km) in 30 minutes or less and swim 2 miles (3.2 km) in 90 minutes or less.[154]
After completing aptitude phase, officer candidates are required to spend a week assessing their ability to carry out planning for UKSF operations while fatigued and stressed.[165][166] Following mountain training, the jungle phase takes place inBelize,Brunei, orMalaysia.[167] Candidates are taught navigation, patrol formation and movement, and jungle survival skills.[168] Candidates then return to the UK to begin training in battle plans and foreign weapons, and then take part in combat survival exercises, ending in week-long escape and evasion training.[169] Candidates are formed into patrols and, with nothing more than a tin can filled with survival equipment, are dressed inWorld War II-era uniforms and told to head for a particular destination by sunrise. The final selection test,resistance to interrogation (RTI), lasts for 36 hours.[170]
Normal barracks headdress is thesand-coloured beret,[8] itscap badge is a downward pointingExcalibur, wreathed in flames (often incorrectly referred to as a winged dagger) worked into the cloth of aCrusadershield with the mottoWho Dares Wins.[dubious –discuss][171][nb 3] SAS patternparachute wings, designed by LieutenantJock Lewes and based on the stylised sacredibis ofIsis of Egyptianiconography depicted in the décor ofShepheard's Hotel in Cairo, are worn on the right shoulder.[173] Itsceremonial No 1 dress uniform is distinguished by a light-blue stripe on the trousers. Itsstable belt is a shade of blue similar to the blue stripe on the No 1 dress uniform.[8]
In the British Army, battle honours are awarded to regiments that have seen active service in a significant engagement orcampaign, generally with a victorious outcome.[174] The Special Air Service Regiment has been awarded the following battle honours:[175][176]
| Preceded by | British Army Order of Precedence[177] | Succeeded by |
.jpg)
The names of those members of the Regular SAS who have died on duty were inscribed on the regimental clock tower atStirling Lines.[178] Originally funded by contributions of a day's pay by members of the regiment and a donation fromHandley Page in memory of Cpl. R.K. Norry who was killed in a freefall parachuting accident,[179][180] this was rebuilt at the new barracks at Credenhill. Those whose names are inscribed are said by surviving members to have "failed to beat the clock".[181] At the suggestion of the then Commanding Officer,Dare Wilson, inscribed on the base of the clock is a verse fromThe Golden Journey to Samarkand byJames Elroy Flecker:[182]
We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go
Always a little further: it may be
Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow
Across that angry or that glimmering sea...
The other main memorial is the SAS and Airborne Forces memorial in the cloisters atWestminster Abbey. The SAS Brigade Memorial atSennecey-le-Grand in France commemorates the wartime dead of the Belgian, British and French SAS and recently a memorial plaque was added to the David Stirling Memorial in Scotland. There are other smaller memorials "scattered throughout Europe and in the Far East".[183]
The local church of St Martin's, Hereford[184] has part of its graveyard set aside as an SAS memorial, over twenty SAS soldiers are buried there. There is also a wall of remembrance displaying memorial plaques to some who could not be buried, including the 18 SAS men who lost their lives in the Sea King helicopter crash during the Falklands Campaign on 19 May 1982[185] and a sculpture and stained glass window dedicated to the SAS.[186]
On 17 October 2017Ascension, a new sculpture and window honouring the Special Air Service Regiment inHereford Cathedral, was dedicated by theBishop of Hereford at a service attended byPrince William.[187]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Special Forces Parachute Support Squadron...The role of the Special Forces Parachute Support Squadron is to advise the UK Special Forces Group on all operational, training and developmental aspects of military parachuting. More so, the Parachute Support Squadron is tasked to deliver operational support and training to UK Special Forces troops to enable parachute insertion across the spectrum of parachute capabilities.
23 SAS headquarters in Kingstanding, Birmingham ... My job was to be the squadron quartermaster sergeant PSI in HQ squadron ... other permanent staff in Birmingham ...
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)The regimental headquarters ... moved to the TA Centre Kingstanding.
23 SAS, with its HQ in Birmingham...
B Squadron, 23 SAS, Carlton Barracks, Carlton Gate, Leeds, LS7 1H
An eighteen year veteran of 22 SAS Regiment, John had done it all...assault and sniper team commander for the Regiment's counter-terror wing
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)tasked with supporting ... the Special Air Service ... on domestic counter-terror ops
A lot of the credit for the creation and development of Selection has to go to John Woodhouse, CO of 22 SAS in the early 1960s and one of the Malaya veterans originally recruited by Mike Calvert. A fearsomely determined soldier, who had seen action in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War, Woodhouse had a huge influence on the Regiment, setting up the original Selection course in 1952.
The aptitude phase lasts for four weeks, and begins with a physical endurance test, which focuses on the fitness and strength of recruits and sees a large majority of them eliminated. The tests are carried out on the rugged and sprawling landscape of the Brecon Beacons, which provides the ideal terrain to prepare them physically and mentally for missions.
Media related toSpecial Air Service at Wikimedia Commons| HM Naval Service |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Army | |||||||||
| Joint Services | |||||||||
| Selection | |||||||||
| Related |
| ||||||||
