Spetsnaz+By+Nick

Spetsnaz-The Russian SEAL’s Spetsnaz is Russia’s elite commando military group. They are trained in counter-attack and counter-sabotage missions. There was an estimated 30,000 troops that serve with Spetsnaz in 1980, but keep in mind that this is just an estimation. Spetsnaz’s numbers are unknown today. Spetsnaz is also trained in hand to hand combat, including fighting with knives. The Spetsnaz troops are also trained in throwing knives. To assassinate key enemy political targets, Spetsnaz is used. Many divisions of Spetsnaz are also trained in raiding commercial jets and buses. The history of Spetsnaz goes back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union (USSR) was in war against the U.S. The Soviets wanted an elite force, thus Spetsnaz was created. 30 years after the Cold War, Spetsnaz is still around. Spetsnaz is Russian for “special forces.” Some different known units are Department A (Alpha), Department V (Vympel), and SSO (Special Operations Service). Alpha, or “Alfa” (Russian) is trained in raiding buses and airplanes, as well as defending Russia. There are about 300 servicemen total in Alpha, with most of them in Moscow, but others are stationed in Krasnodar, Khabarovsk, and Yekaterinburg. Vympel is stationed in every city where there is a nuclear power plant. Also, Vympel is not trained in raiding airplanes and buses, but instead how to drive these and 18 other skills, including medical training. SSO (Special Ops) is the most secretive and is Spetsnaz’s Special Operations unit (Self-explanatory). A Spetsnaz brigade is three to five battalions, support units, a signals company, and a headquarters company that has highly skilled troops that carry out kidnappings, assassinations, and secret agents. [] [] EXPERTS Jones, Professor Matthew ** School of American and Canadian Studies ** matthew.jones2@nottingham.ac.uk

Mawby, Dr. Spencer ** School **** of History ** spencer.mawby@nottingham.ac.uk