Special Forces Support Group
Special Forces Support Group | |
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War in Afghanistan • Iraq War |
The Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) is a
The SFSG also acts as the hunter force during the
History
Formation
The unit's creation stems from the need to provide infantry support to the United Kingdom Special Forces, which became evident after the Battle of Tora Bora during which two Special Boat Service (SBS) squadrons assaulted the al-Qaeda cave complex.[6]
During
In December 2004, it was announced that a unit would be formalised for this role as part of the wider
Operations
During the
An SFSG company was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 to support the SBS and SRR as part of Operation Kindle, the UKSF deployment to Afghanistan (known as Task Force 42).[17] On 9 September 2009, the Special Boat Service, supported by the SFSG, conducted a mission to rescue Stephen Farrell; a journalist captured and held at a Taliban safehouse in Char Dara District, Kunduz Province, by Taliban insurgents. The UKSF team was inserted by helicopters from the 160th SOAR, the SBS assaulted the safehouse whilst the SFSG set up a cordon. Farrell was rescued and a number of Taliban were killed, however one member of the SFSG was killed as well as Farrell's Afghan interpreter and two civilians.[18][19][20] Between 18–29 December 2009, a company from the SFSG mentored two patrols from Afghan Task Force (ATF) 444-the Afghan special operations group for Helmand Province-during Operation Tor Shpa'h.[21]
The SFSG have been known to carry out operations in
Organisation
The structure of the SFSG is as follows:
- Battalion Headquarters (BHQ)
- Headquarters (HQ) Company (formerly D Company)
- Quartermasters
- Motor Transport Platoon (MT Platoon)
- Regimental Administration Office (RAO)
- Regiment Aid Post
- Catering Platoon
- Operational Readiness Wing
- General Training Cell
- Runs the 'Unit Operator Cadre' which trains new SFSG operatives to 'SFSG Operator Qualification' standards.
- Counter Terrorism (CT) Cell
- Campaigns Training Cell
- Contingency Cell
- Medical Support Detachment
- Provides Combat Medical Technicians (CMTs).
- 4x strike companies: A, B, C, F
- Each strike company has 3x platoons
- Support Company (S Coy)
Provides direct and in-direct fire support to the SFSG Strike Companies.
- Direct Fires Platoon
(HMG, GMG, GPMG, Javelin).
- Joint Fires
- Joint Tactical Air Controllers (JTACs) - tasked with calling in close air support
- Mortars Platoon
- R Company (R Coy)
A relatively recent (2018) restructuring of the SFSG has resulted in the creation of R Coy, which is configured as the unit's ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance) and communications specialists. Sniper Platoon Provides sniper teams to support other SFSG elements.
- U Troop
Carries out reconnaissance.
- J6 Signals Platoon
Provides signals detachments to other SFSG elements.
- J2 Intelligence Platoon
Intelligence Corps personnel attached to the SFSG provide operational intelligence.
The
There is also a RAF Regiment
Uniform distinctions
Members of the SFSG wear the cap badge and beret of their parent unit, however the unit's DZ Flash—a lightning bolt superimposed on a downwards pointing Excalibur—is worn on the right-hand sleeve.[1][24]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1472814036,p.60-61
- ^ a b c "Special Forces Support Group". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ^ "Elite special forces unit set up". BBC. 20 April 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ "Force Protection". RAF Regiment. Royal Air Force. 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ISBN 978-1472814036, p.6,p.56-59
- ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (5 July 2002). "Scores killed by SAS in Afghanistan". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 July 2002.
- ^ a b "Special Forces Support Group forms in Wales". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Archived from the original on 24 April 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2006.
- ^ "Britain to double commitment to the war on terror with 'SAS Lite'". The Daily Telegraph. 17 April 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d Tim Ripley (25 February 2009). "Special Effects:UK SF unit comes into its own". Jane's Defence Weekly. 46 (8): 24.
- ISBN 978-1472814036,p.55
- ISBN 978-1-4728-0790-8,p.188,p.211
- ISBN 978-1250006967p.190
- ISBN 978-1472814036
- ISBN 978-1-4728-0790-8,p.214
- ISBN 978-1472814036,p.42
- ISBN 978-1472814036,p.58-59
- ISBN 978-1472814036,p.49
- ISBN 978-1472807908,p.243
- ^ Walsh, Declan (9 September 2009). "British soldier killed during rescue of kidnapped journalist in Afghanistan". The Guardian.
- ^ Pierce, Andrew (9 September 2009). "Army anger as soldier killed saving journalist who ignored Taliban warning". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
- ISBN 1847923461, 978-1847923462, P.298
- ISBN 978-1472814036p.55-56
- ^ Farmer, Ben (18 August 2013). "Elite forces in secret raids against Taliban bomb-makers". The Daily Telegraph.
- OCLC 894512134.
- "Special forces quitting to cash in on Iraq". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
Further reading
- OCLC 390809569.