Estonian Special Operations Force The Estonian Special Operations Force ( ESTSOF ) is the Estonian Defence Forces ' special forces unit , which is a part of the intelligence battalion . Most of the information concerning the unit is top secret . History . ESTSOF was officially formed in 1995 , but only existed on paper until 2002 , when a preparation group was made . Today an instructor staff , which had great training in different parts of the world , exists . Most of the men in the unit have experiences in small unit tactics from deployments like Afghanistan and Iraq . Though it is a subunit of the intelligence battalion , the project has been codenamed ESTSOF ( Estonian Special Operations Force ) . ESTSOF was officially mentioned for first time in 2005 , when the Defense Force made a website public for a brief moment , introducing the new unit . At that time a search for the instructors was initiated and it was said , that by 2009 a 36 man recon platoon would become operational . Supposedly the SF members have to be ready to operate in urban , desert , mountainous and maritime environments and be able to operate behind enemy lines for months without outer support . The project ' s funding was sketchy at first , it was mainly taken from other areas , but by 2008 it had its own financial resources that helped jump - start the project . By 2011 , the first unit should be fully operational that can be sent on deployment with other NATO units . Structure . The size of the unit , as well as the identities of its operators are closely guarded secrets . Selection . The creation of ESTSOF began in 2005 , when the first opportunity to candidate for the unit was announced . By now the instructor staff has been trained . In early phases of the project at least a three - year Defense Force experience was required to candidate . In a selection process held in 2009 , there was no such requirement . The candidates were required , that they ' d be capable of diving to the depth of , where they ' d have to apply a diving mask to their faces . They ' d also have to be able to swim 25 meters underwater and complete a 400 - metre swimming distance while on the clock . The minimum standard for a Special Forces soldier is 240 points which is at least 62 push - ups and 72 sit - ups , both of which have to be completed in two minutes . There is also a run that has to be completed under 13 . 49 minutes . Training . To candidate in the Special Forces , the candidate has to prepare himself physically and mentally beforehand . Quote from the evening newspaper : The masked runner is one of few , who among soldiers is used as a propaganda tool for the unit . Already in 2005 ESTSOF ' s cadre or instructor - operators were being searched for , that is also when the first selection was held . The selected have already been trained in Estonia as well as in other countries . Back then the project was headed by ground forces officer Rene Toomse , who is now working in the private sector . In the soldier ' s forum Rene Toomse was the one who asked for volunteers to join the unit under his own name . Toomse graduated some ten years ago the Ranger course in the USA . It is also important to know , that the unit ' s special trainings take place in homeland as well as abroad : Toomse has described for the media how during an 8 week training course , the temperature in the training sites swayed from 5 to 40 degrees Celsius , as well as being able to sleep only 1 – 4 hours a day . Trainees had to pass through forests , mountains and swamps . Some of the men lost it - for example a man started conversing with trees . The instructors cussed at the trainees as much as possible .