About this user
The 'Soviet Military Encyclopedia', defines Special Reconnaissance as,
Reconnaissance carried out to subvert the political, economic and military potential and morale of a probable or actual enemy. The primary missions of special reconnaissance are: acquiring intelligence on major economic and military installations and either destroying them or putting them out of action, organizing sabotage and acts of subversion; carrying out punitive operations against rebels; conducting propaganda; forming and training insurgent detachments, etc. Special reconnaissance is ... conducted by the forces of covert intelligence and special purpose troops.
Spetsnaz troops normally operate deep in enemy territory and carry out typical militaristic actions such as destroying facilities, air fields, communications, missile silos etc. Some Spetsnaz units train for kidnapping and assassination of enemy personnel.
Spetsnaz teams normally consist of 8 men who are highly trained in specific fields of warfare. Each team member also has certain knowledge of other members of the teams specialist training ( cross-training ) so that a mission can still go ahead even if one of them is killed.
The training that they go through is all based upon pain from start to finish, where they exert themselves to the limits of human endurance including assault course fitness and martial arts training with real knives where trainees end up getting minor stab wounds and cuts.
Skills and tactics that are employed by the Spetsnaz teams include the following:
Parachuting in all weather conditions with high altitude low opening (HALO), sky diving, swimming underwater.
Unarmed combat and silent-killing techniques, including judo, karate, and knife-fighting.
Sabotage using explosives, incendiaries, acids, chemicals and anything else that is available,
infiltration techniques, including the defeat of locks and high tech security systems.
Foreign language and culture, including " sleeping" in a foreign country for years to learn about the countries economic infrastructures etc
Foreign weapons, tactics, skills and vehicles knowledge
Survival in all environments including desert, jungle, open spaces and confined spaces
Reconnaissance and map reading, including satellite navigation aids.
They swear an oath of loyalty and this is on pain of death if they reveal the secrets that they have learned whilst in the service of Spetsnaz !
Age
32
Country
Russia
