Best Special Forces in the World Ranked

[DarkRange55]

Just a fun list I compiled.





Final Top-30 Special Ops / Covert & CT Units (2025)

1. CIA — Special Activities Center (SAC / ex-SAD) — Tier-1 (Covert / Intelligence)
   Deniable U.S. paramilitary arm that runs clandestine paramilitary operations, sabotage, and politically sensitive missions worldwide.

2. (tie) Delta Force (1st SFOD-D) — Tier-1 (Assault)
JSOC's premier Army direct-action and hostage-rescue unit; small, lethal teams that execute the highest-risk raids.
2. (tie) DEVGRU / SEAL Team 6 — Tier-1 (Assault / Maritime)
Navy Tier-1 maritime assault unit specializing in ship boarding, HVT raids, and close JSOC integration.
2. (tie) UK SAS (22 SAS) — Tier-1 (Assault)
The archetypal special-forces regiment; masters of long-range reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism with global pedigree.

1. UK SBS (Special Boat Service) — Tier-1 (Assault / Maritime)
   Royal Navy maritime Tier-1 unit focused on amphibious insertion, littoral raids, and ship/port interdiction.
2. Mossad — operational arm (Kidon, etc.) — Tier-1 (Covert / Intelligence)
   Israel's external covert-action arm conducting clandestine HUMINT, sabotage, and targeted operations overseas under national political authority.
3. Sayeret Matkal (IDF) — Tier-1 (Assault / Recon)
   Israel's elite deep-recon and direct-action unit tasked with strategic raids and hostage rescue behind enemy lines.
4. FBI — Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) — Police CT / National-level
   U.S. national hostage-rescue and counter-terror team with Delta-level CQB tradecraft; focused on domestic federal crises and high-risk interventions.
5. ISA — Intelligence Support Activity ("The Activity") — Tier-1 (Covert / Intel-Enabler)
   Ultra-secret JSOC unit that collects clandestine HUMINT/SIGINT and develops targets so assault teams can strike precisely.
6. FSB Alpha Group / Vympel — Tier-1 (Assault / Domestic CT)
   Russia's foremost domestic CT and hostage-rescue formations; experienced in brutal urban assaults and politically sensitive operations.
7. JTF-2 (Canada) — Tier-1 (Assault)
   Canada's discreet Tier-1 unit for direct action, CT, and special reconnaissance; highly interoperable with allies.
8. SASR (Australia) — Tier-1 (Assault / Expeditionary)
   Australia's long-range recon and direct-action regiment, combat-proven and coalition capable.
9. JW GROM (Poland) — Tier-1 (Assault / NATO)
   Poland's elite SOF trained to NATO/Tier-1 standards and combat-tested in coalition operations.
10. 160th SOAR ("Night Stalkers") — Support / Enabler (Aviation Tier-1)
    Special operations aviation regiment providing low-level, no-light infiltration/extraction, fast-rope, and gunship support for Tier-1 raids.
11. U.S. Army Special Forces ("Green Berets") — Tier-2 (SOF / Strategic)
    Specialists in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, and partner-force development—strategic force multipliers.
12. GIGN (France) — Police CT / National-level
    France's gendarmerie CT unit, world-renowned for hostage rescue and complex crisis response.
13. GSG-9 (Germany) — Police CT / National-level
    Germany's federal counter-terror and hostage-rescue unit; experts in aircraft interventions and precision urban ops.
14. MARSOC — Marine Raiders — Tier-2 (SOF / Expeditionary)
    USMC special operations command conducting expeditionary direct action, special reconnaissance, and FID under USSOCOM.
15. KSK (Germany) — Tier-2 (SOF / Expeditionary)
    German Army SOF for expeditionary CT, recon, and NATO tasking (recently restructured but highly capable).
16. Commando Hubert (Commandos Marine) — Tier-2 (Maritime SOF)
    French Navy combat-divers specializing in underwater infiltration, ship boarding, demolition, and maritime CT.
17. GIS (Gruppo di Intervento Speciale, Carabinieri) — Police CT / National-level
    Italy's premier Carabinieri CT and hostage-rescue unit; a police–military hybrid for domestic crises and protective missions.
18. NSG "Black Cats" (India) — Police CT / National-level
    India's federal CT force for airport/hijack response, urban hostage rescues, and rapid national intervention.
19. 707th Special Mission Group (South Korea) — Tier-1 (Assault / National)
    ROK's elite CT and special-missions unit focused on peninsula defense and rapid direct action.
20. SSG (Special Services Group, Pakistan) — Tier-2 (SOF / Regional)
    Pakistan's principal SOF with strength in mountain warfare, counter-insurgency, and regional direct action.
21. FSK (Forsvarets Spesialkommando) — Tier-1 / Tier-2 hybrid (SOF)
    Norway's elite SOF for Arctic operations, direct action, and NATO special operations.
22. JGSDF Special Forces Group (SFGp) — Tier-1 / National CT
    Japan's ground special unit focused on counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, and counter-WMD readiness.
23. MJK (Marine Jegerkommando) — Tier-2 (Naval SOF)
    Norwegian naval commandos trained for maritime raids, ship boarding, and Arctic littoral ops.
24. BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais) — Police CT / Urban Tactical
    Rio's elite urban tactical battalion, experienced in dense-city combat, slum operations, and high-intensity CQB.
25. Shayetet 13 (IDF Navy) — Tier-1 (Maritime Assault)
    Israel's naval commandos for VBSS, maritime sabotage, coastal raids and seaside direct action.
26. 24th Special Tactics Squadron / USAF Special Tactics — Support / Enabler
    Air-ground integration specialists (combat controllers, pararescue) who enable CSAR, runway seizure, and precision strike for

 

[Forever Sleep]

Best at what? Killing? Preventing killing? Spying? Corruption?

I wonder if the best clandestine units are ones we haven't even heard of.

 

[darksouls]

the German Bundeswehr conducts many perverse animal experiments and these cruelties are financed by German taxpayers

 

[Pluto]

 

[58Alice85]

Everytime i see these kinds of lists and articles i wonder how much of this is American propaganda.
They also always claim the Americans have some super secret alien tech stashed away somewhere (but it may never be used).