Scandinavian Special Operations Forces

Introduction

The Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have small, yet highly trained Special Operations Forces (SOF) capable of accomplishing limited national objectives (primarily homeland defense). Their area of operations (AO) includes vast stretches of arctic wilderness, rugged mountains, endless lakes, and sporadic, dense urban environments. Egalitarian in their mixture of professionals and conscripts, these forces help to ensure reserve mobilizations (protecting key personnel/sites) and counter-terrorist (CT) threats, as well as aiding in drug enforcement/criminal prosecution. Though not always accorded the funding and manning they deserve, they stand on equal footing with the SOF of other, more powerful countries in terms of professionalism and dedication.1

Danish Jaegerkorptst (Ranger Corps) and Froemandskorpset (Frogman Corps)

Formed in 1961, the Jaegerkorps patterned itself after the British Special Air Service (SAS) and the U.S. Army Rangers. Initially used as commandos, the Jaegers over time assumed the primary role of intelligence provider, relying on long-range reconnaissance patrols (LRRPs) to identify and monitor enemy movements. This unit is equipped with encrypted burst-transmission communications and night-vision devices. Secondary combat roles include sabotage and direct action. The Jaegers also assist the Danish police's CT unit Aktions-Styrken (Action Force) in case of terrorist attacks (see figure 1).

Figure 1. Jaegers on CT Mission

The Jaegers are stationed at Air Station Aalborg in Northern Jutland and work very closely with British and German SOF. Lacking dedicated Royal Danish Air Force helicopter support, the Jaegers often travel on British and German helicopters. Jeager weapons include the MP-5SD submachinegun, MP-53 (5.56-mm version of the MP-5), HK PSG-1 7.62 sniper rifle, and HK 13E machinegun. All Jaegers are qualified in high-altitude high-opening (HAHO) insertions, giving them the ability to drift up to 100 km over hostile borders. One-week training sessions are conducted in this technique three to four times a year.

Subordinate to navy headquarters, the Froemandskorpset was created in 1957, when four officers were sent to train with the U.S. Navy SEALs and the Norwegian Froskemandskorps. Typical missions are shipboardings, special reconnaissance, sabotage on naval installations, and direct-action combat. Peacetime assignments include assisting the Danish police in searches for missing persons, counter-narcotics, difficult diving operations, and underwater demolition. Danish frogmen saw action during the Gulf War, where they helped enforce the embargo on Iraq by boarding ships in search of contraband. Danish frogman use Klepper Kayaks and are armed similarly to the Jaegers.

Figure 2. Frogman in a Klepper Kayak

Finnish Sissikomppaniat (Ranger/Guerilla Warfare Companies) and Osasto Karhu (Bear Force) (CT)

In a country that revels in its martial tradition, the exploits of reconnaissance men during World War II (WWII) have become a part of Finnish folklore. Former President Dr. Mauno Koivisto (SDP) (1982-1994) was a member of a long-range reconnaissance company commanded by the legendary Lauri Torni , who later joined the U.S. Army as Larry Thorne. CPT Thorne was into a second tour of Vietnam with MACV-SOG when he was killed in a helicopter crash on 18 October 1966. Considered a national hero in Finland, CPT Thorne was awarded the Mannerheim Cross, Finland's highest military award (equivalent to the U.S. Medal of Honor) in July 1944.

Figure 3. WWII Photograph of Lauri Torni

Present-day Finnish Army SOF are trained to collect intelligence (LRRP), conduct raids, stop border infiltrators, and prevent enemy efforts to sabotage mobilization. The approximately 400 soldiers found in the Ranger Warfare Companies deploy and operate as small groups, transported primarily by helicopters. Conscript training for these units is approximately 11 months long; it begins at the Airborne Infantry School in Utti and combines ranger, arctic, aquatic, air assault, and survival training. Please note that the Ranger Warfare Companies as a whole are non-airborne, the only paratrained troops of Finland are Utti Jaeger Regiment`s parajaegers and specialjaegers.  These Ranger Warfare Companies are local units, they don`t attend any
courses in Utti.

Finnish paratroopers are guerrillas who would be dropped behind enemy lines. Some individuals are sent to "special forces training center" in Utti in southeastern Finland, where they receive further instruction in countering enemy saboteurs, infiltrators, and guerrillas (Utti Ranger Regiment parajaegers and specialjaegers). Nationally-ranked Finnish athletes are especially sought for reserve recon leadership roles. Additional Finnish SOF skills can be found in the Helsinki Guards Jaeger Regiment, the only specially trained urban warfare unit in the Finnish Defense Forces (FDF). Within the regiment, the military police company receives training as an anti-Special Forces (SF) and antiterrorist unit.

Figure 4. Finnish Paratrooper in Jump Gear

The Finnish CT force (Bear Force) was officially created in 1978 in response to the then rampant rise of European terrorism. The 40 handpicked police officers of the Helsinki Police Department specialize in close-quarters battle strikes. Bear Force operators are experts in martial arts and are trained for wilderness and winter survival. All members are volunteers who must undergo a 15-week training course before being able to deploy with the unit. Weapons of choice include locally produced shotguns, the HK PSG-1 7.62-mm sniper rifle, the ubiquitous MP-5 family, and Glock 17 9-mm handguns. They have a small fleet of Saab 900s and Volkwagen minivans for cross-country movement.  The Bear Force also use Frontier Guard`s (belongs to ministry of interior) Agusta-Bell AB.412EP helicopters, which looks like Huey but is newer version of Huey with two engines.  With regard to the Army, all helicopters are operated by the Army helicopter Flight (Utin Jääkärirykmentti/Helikopterilentue), based at Utti.

Norwegian Fallskjermjegerkommandoen (Parachute Ranger Commandoes) and Marine Jagerne (Marine Hunters)

Norway has at least one Ranger battalion (light infantry) capable of dividing into small unit patrols (see figure 5) for sustained deep reconnaissance and attrition operations against second-echelon command, control, and communication, logistical units, and enemy reserves. Norwegian Rangers also gather and transmit intelligence for multiple-launch rocket system target acquisition and have a forward-air-controller (FAC) capability to call in air strikes. All-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, fast patrol boats, and air drops are means of insertion.

Figure 5. Rangers on Patrol

Marine Jagerne can be compared to the British SBS (Special Boat Squadron) and U.S. Navy SEALs. Their primary missions are deep-penetration reconnaissance and sabotage of enemy naval installations. They use closed-circuit diving apparatus, kayaks, or parachutes as methods of insertion (see figure 6).

Figure 6. Marine Hunters in Wetsuits and Parachutes

The initial 22-week training course for Marine Jagerne personnel occurs at the Diver and Frogman School at Haakonsvern Naval Station outside Bergen. After that they go to Ramsund Naval Station (home base) for further training. Every second year elements of the unit train with the U.S. Navy SEALs. Weapons used by Jagerne members include the HK MP-5.

Although it is officially denied, Norwegian SP were reported to have worked with Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) forces to conduct intensive surveillance of Serbian forces' movements and positions 2 days prior to NATO's entry into Kosovo.

Swedish Flygbasjagarna (Air Force Rangers), Fallskarmsjagarna (Airborne Rangers), Kustjagarna (Coastal Rangers), and Forsvarets Sarskilda SkyddsGrupp (SSG) (Special Protection Group)

The Flygbasjagarna were created in 1983 to guard dispersed Swedish aircraft in the event of war. Upon a threat warning, all available aircraft leave their fixed airfields and disperse to "mini-bases" (in some cases nothing more than specially widened roadways with camouflaged, pre-ositioned refueling and armament supplies), making them less vulnerable to enemy air attacks. Guarding these sites are platoon-size Ranger units, whose task is to search for and eliminate enemy SF saboteurs. The Air Force Rangers make extensive use of dogs and electronic sensor packages to locate enemy forces (see figure 7).

Figure 7. Air Force Rangers on Patrol

The Airborne Ranger's role is to perform reconnaissance and sabotage far behind enemy lines (see figure 8). The five-soldier squad is expected to be self-sustaining for up to a month without aid from other units. Training is very rigorous for the 30-35 soldiers who take the 15-month course every 2 years (17.5  months for squad leaders). Similar to U.S. Green Berets, every soldier has his speciality (e.g., medical, sniper, explosives, communications). The Airborne Rangers are trained to perform in various environments, from cold weather to coastal shoreline. They are equipped basically with the same weapons (Swedish Ak-5 assault rifle, Ak-5b sniper version, Ksp m/90 light machinegun) as the rest of the regular military forces.

Figure 8. Airborne Rangers

The Coastal Rangers' main task is to attack and take an island or some other static place along the Swedish coast that has fallen into enemy hands (e.g., a coastal artillery fort). Assault divers within the force can also conduct reconnaissance missions. The Coastal Rangers (see figure 9) are organized into companies, with two companies in every amphibious battalion. The Coastal Rangers' training is, like that of the Airborne Rangers, voluntary.

Figure 9. Coastal Ranger

The SSG is a small, handpicked force (formed in the early1990s) organized to protect important buildings and act as body guards to the Supreme Commander and other important officers. The all-officer force is highly educated and trained in parachuting, diving, amphibious operations, advanced marksmanship, and bodyguard service. They can be transported anywhere within Sweden to accomplish their mission and, if necessary, can rescue Swedish personnel caught behind enemy lines.

Summary

Although limited in their scope and capabilities, Scandinavian SOF units provide unique capabilities for their respective countries. While they are few in number, they are nonetheless well trained and capable, and contribute significantly to the defense of their countries.