# List of defunct special forces units
## Afghanistan

* Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
** Afghan Army
*** 26th Airborne Battalion
*** 37th Commando Battalion
*** 38th Commando Battalion
*** 84th Commando Battalion
*** 85th Commando Battalion
*** 242nd Parachute Battalion
*** 444th Commando Battalion
*** 455th Commando Battalion
*** 466th Commando Battalion
*** 666th Commando Battalion
** Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Afghan Army (KhAD-e-Nezami)
*** 203rd Special Purpose Battalion (Kabul)
*** 212th Special Purpose Battalion (Kandahar)
*** 230th Special Purpose Battalion (Gardez)
ANA Special Operations Command
* National Mission Brigade (NMB)
** 1st Ktah Khas Battalion (aka: Afghan Partner Unit (APU))
** 6th Special Operations Kandak (SOK)
* Special Missions Wing
* Military Intelligence Battalion
* National Strategic Reserve Operations Battalion
* Afghan National Army Commando Corps
** 1st SO Brigade at Gardez

## Australia

* No. 200 Flight RAAF
* Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV)
* Australian commandos
* Combined Field Intelligence Service
* Far Eastern Liaison Office (FELO)
* M Special Unit
* Rose Force
* Royal Australian Navy Beach Commandos
* Services Reconnaissance Department
* Z Special Unit
* Bushveldt Carbineers

## Austro-Hungarian Empire

* Jagdkommando

## Canada

* 1st Special Service Force
* Special Air Service Company

## Croatia

* Zrinski Battalion
* Frankopan Battalion

## Cambodia

* Cambodian Airborne Brigade
* Cambodian Para-Commando Battalion
* Khmer Special Forces *Lake Brigade *Cambodian Marine Corps *Cambodian Navy SEALs

## Ethiopia

* 103rd Commando Division - Derg government, active 1988-89

## Empire of Japan

Empire of Japan

### Japanese Special Attack Units

* Kamikaze ("divine wind")

### Imperial Japanese Army

* Teishin Shudan ("Raiding Group")
* Giretsu ("Heroic Paratroopers")

### Imperial Japanese Navy

* 1st Yokosuka SNLF
* 2nd Yokosuka SNLF
* 3rd Yokosuka SNLF

### Imperial Japanese Army Air Force

* 1st Raiding Group
* 2nd Raiding Group

## Germany

German Empire
* Sturmtruppen (17 battalions)
Nazi Germany

### Abwehr- units later reassigned to Wehrmacht after expanding to divisional size

* Brandenburg Lehr und Bau Battalion zbV 800 – December 1939
** 1. Company - Baltic/ Russian
** 2. Company - English/ North and South Africa
** 3. Company - Sudeten German/ Balkans
** 4. Company - Volkdeutshe/ Eastern ethnic German
** Motorcycle platoon
** Parachute platoon
* Brandenburg Lehr-Regiment zbV 800 – 1941–1943
** 1st Battalion, at Brandenburg
** 2nd Battalion at Baden
** 3rd Battalion at Baden
** Intelligence Battalion
** Coastal Raiding Company
** Sonderverbrand 287 - Arab volunteers with brandenburg volunteer core
** Sonderverbrand 288 - All German

### Wehrmacht from 1943- 1945

HQ staff at Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg
* Verband 801, based in Brandenburg an der Havel
** I. Battalion
** II. Battalion
** III. Battalion
* Verband 802 (Mountain), base in Admont, Steiermark
** I. Gebirgsjäger Battalion
** II. Gebirgsjäger Battalion
** III. Gebirgsjäger Battalion
* Verband 803, based in Düren, North Rhine-Westphalia
** I. Battalion
** II. Battalion
** III. Battalion
** 13. Legionärs Company
* Verband 804 (Legionärs), based in Langenargen, Bodensee
** I. Legionärs Battalion
** II. Legionärs Battalion
** III. Legionärs Bataillon
* Verband 805, based in Brandenburg an der Havel
* Intelligence Detachment 800
** 5X Company
* Intelligence Support Detachment 800
** 4X Company
* Coastal Rangers Detachment 800, based at Langenargen, Bodensee
** 4X Company (1, 2, 3 and 4)
* Signals Detachment 800
** 3X Company (1, 2 and 3)
* Training Unit, Gut „Quenzsee“ (or „Quenzgut“), based near Brandenburg

### Kriegsmarine

* Lehrkommandos 200, 250, 300, 350, and 700

### Luftwaffe

* Kampfgeschwader 200
* Jagdverband 44

### Waffen-SS

* Sonderlehrgang z.b.V. „Oranienburg“ (18 April 1943 – 16 June 1943)
* Sonderverband z. b. V. "Friedenthal" (16 June 1943 – 17 April 1944)
* 500th SS Parachute Battalion
* 502nd SS Jäger Battalion (17 April 1944 – 10 November 1944)
* 500th SS Jäger Battalion
* 600th SS Jäger Battalion
* SS-Jagdverband
** SS-Jagdverband Mitte
*** 150th SS Panzer Brigade (November 1944 - 25–28 December 1944)
*** Division Schwedt Kampfgruppe/Sperrverband Skorzeny (31 January 1945 – 3 March 1945)
** SS-Jagdverband Nordwest
** SS-Jagdverband Ost
** SS-Jagdverband Südost
** SS-Jagdverband Südwest
German Democratic Republic
* Diensteinheit IX
* Fallschirmjägerbataillon 40 "Willi Sänger"
* Luftsturmregiment 40 "Willi Sänger"
Germany
* Kommandokompanien B1 (Kommando)

## Greece

* Sacred Band
* 3rd Special Forces Division (Greece)

## Fiji

* Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (1987-2000)

## Indonesia

* Kopkamtib (1965-1988)
* Bakorstanas (1988-2000)

## Ireland

* Free State Army Intelligence Department

## Israel

* Palmach
* Unit 101
* Samson Unit
* Force 100
* Sayeret Haruv
* TAT'ZAM
* Sayeret Shaked
* Sayeret Rimon

## Kingdom of Italy
### World War I

* Arditi

### World War II

* Regio Esercito : 10th Arditi Regiment (3 battalions, plus 1 combined parachutist battalion)
* Regia Aeronautica : A.D.R.A. Arditi Distruttori Regia Aeronautica (2 battalions)
* Blackshirts : Battaglioni M

## Laos

* Royal Lao Army Airborne
* Military Region 5 Commandos *Commando Raiders
* SPECOM *Special Guerrilla Units
* Directorate of National Coordination

## Netherlands

* Korps Speciale Troepen

## Poland

Second Polish Republic
* Wawelberg Group
Polish government-in-exile
* Cichociemni
* Independent Grenadiers Company
* 1st Independent Commando Company - as No. 6 Troop of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
Polish Underground State
* Parasol Battalion
Polish People's Republic
* Polish Independent Special Battalion
* 1st Assault Battalion

## Portugal

* Caçadores Especiais
* Flechas
* Grupos Especiais

## Philippine Republic

* Philippine Revolutionary Army
** Luna Sharpshooters

## Rhodesia

* Selous Scouts
* Rhodesian Special Air Service
* Grey's Scouts

## Serbia

* Counter-Terrorist Unit (PTJ), MUP, merged into Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ)
* Special Operations Unit (JSO), SDB, disbanded

## South Africa

* South African Special Forces
** 1 Reconnaissance Commando
** 2 Reconnaissance Commando (Citizen Force)
** 3 Reconnaissance Commando (consisting of former Selous Scouts)
** 6 Reconnaissance Commando (consisting of former Rhodesian SAS)
* 31 Battalion "the Bushman Battalion" Originally "Alpha Group"
** 31 Battalion Recce Wing
* 32 Battalion 'The Terrible Ones' Originally "Bravo Group"
** 32 Battalion Recce Wing
* Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB)
* Hunter Group
* Koevoet
* 44 Parachute Brigade Pathfinder Company 'The Philistines'

## Syria

* Defense companies
* Struggle Companies

## Turkey

* Special Warfare Department (Turkish: Özel Harp Dairesi)

## United Kingdom
### British Army

* Army Commandos (1940 - 1946)
** No. 1 Commando
** No. 2 Commando
** No. 3 Commando
** No. 4 Commando
** No. 5 Commando
** No. 6 Commando
** No. 7 Commando
** No. 8 (Guards) Commando
** No. 9 Commando
** No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando
** No. 11 (Scottish) Commando
** No. 12 Commando
** No. 14 (Arctic) Commando
** No. 30 Commando
** No. 50 Commando
** No. 51 Commando
** No. 52 Commando
** No. 62 Commando
** Middle East Commando
* Long Range Penetration Group “The Chindits”
* Ferret Force
* Phantom
* Layforce
* Long Range Desert Group (LRDG)
* Popski's Private Army (PPA)
* Raiding Support Regiment (RSR)
* Special Interrogation Group (SIG)
* T-Force
* V-Force
* Z Force

### Royal Air Force

* Royal Air Force Commandos

### Royal Marines

* Royal Marine Detachment 385 (Small Operations Group)
* Sea Reconnaissance Unit (SRU)
* Royal Marine Demolition Unit

### Royal Navy

* Royal Navy Commandos - 22 units each consisting of 10 officers and 65 ratings

### Combined Operations

* 30 Assault Unit
* Combined Operations Pilotage Parties
* Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment (RMBPD) The “Cockleshell Heroes”

### Directorate of Military Intelligence

* Special Operations Executive
** Force 133
** Force 136
** Force 137
** Force 266
** Force 399
** Norwegian Independent Company 1
** Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) "62 Commando"

### Other

* UK and the Royal Navy Volunteer Group (Korean War unit)
* Special Reconnaissance Unit
* 14 Intelligence Company "The Det"
* The Increment

## United States
### The Civil War

* Jessie Scouts
* Mosby's Rangers
* Quantrill's Raiders

### World War II

* 1st Air Commando Group
* 1st Special Service Force "Devil's Brigade"
* 2nd Air Commando Group
* 3rd Air Commando Group
* 6th Army Special Reconnaissance Unit "Alamo Scouts"
* Alaskan Scouts
* Army Ranger Battalions
* 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) "Merrill's Marauders"
* Marine Raiders
** 1st and 2nd Raider Regiment
** 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Raider Battalions
* Observer Group
* Sino-American Cooperative Organization
** Naval Group, China (NGC)
* Naval Scouts and Raiders
* Navy Combat Demolition Units (NCDU)
* US Navy Beach Jumpers
* Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
** 2641st Special Group
** 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion
** 2677th Office of Strategic Services Regiment
** US Army Air Forces Carpetbaggers
** OSS Detachment 101
** OSS Detachment 202
** OSS Detachment 303
** OSS Detachment 404
** OSS Detachment 505
** OSS Jedburgh Teams
** OSS Operational Groups (OG)
** OSS Maritime Unit (MU)
*** OSS Maritime Unit, Operational Swimmer Group
** OSS Weather Observers
* Special Allied Airborne Reconnaissance Force (SAARF)

### Korean War

* Air Resupply And Communications Service (ARCS)
** 580th Air Resupply and Communications Wing (580th ARCS)
** 581st Air Resupply and Communications Wing (581st ARCS)
** 582nd Air Resupply and Communications Wing
* Airborne Ranger Companies
* Combined Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea (CCRAK)
** 6167th Air Base Group
*** 6167th Operations Squadron
*** B Flight, 6167th ABG
* Detachment 1, 6160th ABG/22nd Crash Boat Rescue Squadron (CBRS), Korea Detachment
* Joint Advisory Commission, Korea (JACK)
* Special Activities Group (SAG)
** GHQ 1st Raider Company (Provisional)/8227th Army Unit
* Unit 4 21st Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS), 5th AF/Special Air Missions (SAM) Detachment, 21st Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS), 5th AF
* United Nations Partisan Infantry Korea (UNPIK)
** BAKER Section
** Partisan Airborne Infantry Regiment (PAIR)
* US Navy Special Operations Group, Korea

### Vietnam War

* 46th Special Forces Company
* Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP)
* MIKE Force
* Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group(MACV-SOG)
* Phoenix Program
* Project 404/Palace Dog
* Project "Leaping Lena" (Vietnam War)
* Project DELTA
* Project GAMMA
* Project Sigma and Project Omega
* Raven Forward Air Controllers
* Tiger Force
* US Navy Boat Support Units (BSU)

### Other

* 1st Battalion, 245th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
* 5th Force Reconnaissance Company
* 6th Special Forces Group
* 8th Special Forces Group
* 11th Special Forces Group
* 12th Special Forces Group
* 55th Special Operations Squadron
* 129th Air Commando Group
* 129th Special Operations Aviation Company (SOAC)
* 437th Combat Control Squadron
* 617th Special Operations Aviation Detachment
* 745th Special Operations Squadron
* 1730th Pararescue Squadron
* Army Aviation Support Element (AASE), US Special Operations Command
* Blue Light
* Green Light Teams
* Detachment A (DET A, 39th SFOD)
* HAL-3 "Sea Wolves"
* HAL-4 "Red Wolves"
* HAL-5 "Blue Hawks"
* Marine Corps Special Operations Command Detachment One (MCSOCOM-Det 1) (Operation Iraqi Freedom)
* Red Cell
* SEASPRAY
* Special Forces Groups Aviation Detachments
* Special Warfare Aviation Detachments (SWAD)
** 22d Aviation Detachment (Special Forces)
** 23d SWAD (Surveillance)
** 281st Aviation Company (Assault Helicopter)(Airmobile Light)
* Special Boat Unit 11 (SBU 11)
* Special Boat Unit 13 (SBU 13)
* Special Boat Unit 24 (SBU 24)
* Special Boat Unit 26 (SBU 26)
* Special Operations Reconnaissance
* Task Force 5 (forerunner of Task Force 11)
* Task Force 11 (Operation Enduring Freedom)
* Task Force 20 and Task Force 121 (Operation Iraqi Freedom)
* Task Force 98
* Task Force 157 (Covert USN Intelligence unit)
* Task Force Bayonet (Operation Just Cause)
* Task Force Ranger (Operation Gothic Serpent)
* Underwater Demolitions Teams (UDT)
* US Air Force Special Operations Weather Teams (SOWT)
* US Army Special Operations Agency
* US Army Special Operations Division
* USAF Special Operations Combat Control Team (SOCCT)
* US Coast Guard Drug Interdiction Assist Team (DIAT)
* Yellow Fruit
* Naval Interdiction Forces ((Rose Units))

## Republic of Vietnam

South Vietnamese Rangers At its peak there were 22 ARVN Ranger Battalions organized in 10 Groups.
* 1st Ranger Group - Da Nang (I Corps/CTZ)
* 2nd Ranger Group - Pleiku (II Corps/CTZ)
* 3rd Ranger Group - Biên Hòa (III Corps/CTZ)
* 4th Ranger Group - Chi Long (initially in the 44 Tactical Zone and later the IV Corps)
* 5th Ranger Group - Biên Hòa (III Corps/CTZ)
* 6th Ranger Group - Biên Hòa (III Corps/CTZ)
* 7th Ranger Group - Saigon, attached to Airborne Division
* 8th Ranger Group - Formed in 1974-75
* 9th Ranger Group - Formed in 1974-75
* 81st Ranger Group (Airborne) - Biên Hòa
Additionally, during the Vietnamization of the CIDG and MIKE Forces, former CIDG units were namely given Ranger status and organized into groups mostly of 3 battalions each, but they were largely local forces without any special forces capabilities.
* 21st Ranger Group
* 22nd Ranger Group
* 23rd Ranger Group
* 24th Ranger Group
* 25th Ranger Group
* 31st Ranger Group
* 32nd Ranger Group
* 33rd Ranger Group
* 41st Ranger Border Defense Group - Chi Long HQ
* 42nd Ranger Border Defense Group - Chi Long HQ
South Vietnamese Special Forces (LLDB), later reformed as South Vietnamese Special Mission Service
* Project DELTA
* Project SIGMA
* Project OMEGA
* Project GAMMA
* Project CHERRY
Frogmen Team (LDNN)