Special Mission Unit The term Special Mission Unit or Special Missions Unit ( SMU ) , is used to describe some elite special operations force s around the world . The term has been applied to the Australian Defence Force ' s Special Air Service Regiment and four United States special operations forces units . Special mission units have been involved in high profile military operations such as the death of Osama Bin Laden and capture of Saddam Hussein . United States . Special mission units are commanded and controlled by Joint Special Operations Command ( JSOC ) of U . S . Special Operations Command ( USSOCOM ) . In addition to performing highly classified activities the special mission units are also tasked with " special missions " , sometimes referring to unconventional warfare , counter - terrorist activities , direct action , Special reconnaissance , and / or black operations . So far , only three SMUs have been publicly disclosed : The Army ' s 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment — Delta , the Navy ' s Naval Special Warfare Development Group ( DEVGRU ) , and the Air Force ' s 24th Special Tactics Squadron . Units from the Army ’ s 75th Ranger Regiment and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ( 160th SOAR ) are controlled by JSOC when deployed as part of JSOC Task Forces such as Task Force 121 and Task Force 145 . The Intelligence Support Activity ( ISA ) is also under JSOC and has been referred to as a special mission unit . The ISA collects specific target intelligence prior to SMU missions , and provides signals support , etc . during those mission . The army once maintained the ISA , but after the September 11 attacks , the Pentagon shifted direct control to Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg , NC . Government definition and acknowledgement . The United States defines the term Special Mission Unit as " a generic term to to represent a group of operations and support personnel from designated organizations that is task - organized to perform highly classified activities . " The U . S . government does not acknowledge which units specifically are designated as special missions units , only that they have special mission units under U . S . Special Operations Command . However , in the early 1990s then - Commander in Chief of U . S . Special Operations Command , General Carl Stiner identified both Delta Force and Seal Team 6 as permanently assigned special missions units in congressional testimoney and public statements . In 1998 Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Walter B . Slocombe publicly referred to special mission units during a briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee ; " We have designated special - mission units that are specifically manned , equipped and trained to deal with a wide variety of transnational threats " and " These units , assigned to or under the operational control of the U . S . Special Operations Command , are focused primarily on those special operations and supporting functions that combat terrorism and actively counter terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction ( WMD ) . These units are on alert every day of the year and have worked extensively with their interagency counterparts . " Australia . The Australian Army ' s website describes the elite Special Air Service Regiment as being " a special missions unit with unique capabilities within the Australian Defence Force " . The Regiment is a component of Australia ' s Special Operations Command ( SOCOMD ) , and is tasked with conducting " sensitive strategic operations , special recovery operations , training assistance , special reconnaissance and precision strike and direct action " . The SASR currently has four sabre squadron s , known as 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 Squadron . 1 , 2 and 3 Squadrons rotate through the two roles performed by the Regiment ; one squadron conducts the counter terrorism / special recovery ( CT / SR ) role , and the remaining squadrons conduct the warfighting / reconnaissance role . 4 Squadron is responsible for collecting intelligence and also supports the Australian Secret Intelligence Service . Notable operations . During the Iraq War United States ' Task Force 121 was involved in Operation Red Dawn which led to the capture of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on December 13 , 2003 . Earlier that year on July 22 , 2003 Task Force 20 , led by Delta Force operators and supported by the 101st Airborne Division , were involved in a three hour firefight in Mosul , Iraq where both of Saddam ' s sons , Qusay and Uday were killed . On May 2 , 2011 Osama Bin Laden was killed in a CIA - led operation where U . S . Navy SEALs from DEVGRU ' s Red Squadron were flown into Abottabad , Pakistan by elements of 160th SOAR from Jalalabad , Afghanistan .