Spetsnaz, are special forces in many post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spetsnaz GRU, special operations units of the GRU, the main military intelligence service. Today it refers to special forces branches and task forces subordinate to ministries including defence, internal affairs, or emergency situations in countries that have inherited their special purpose units from the now-defunct Soviet security agencies.
Russian Spetsnaz SSO snipers
F-111 escape capsule at Museum of Moscow Aviation Institute
Soviet special forces surround Tajbeg Palace following the operation.
A Soviet Spetsnaz group prepare for a mission in Afghanistan.
Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment".
An American special forces team moves together out of an U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey aircraft on February 26, 2018
Japanese drawing of the archetypical ninja, from a series of sketches (Hokusai manga) by Hokusai.
British Army scouts in South Africa (1893): Frederick Russell Burnham (middle); Hon. Maurice Gifford (right)
General Antonio Luna of the Philippine Revolutionary Army, the founder of Tiradores dela Muerte
