SPECIAL AIR SERVICE (SAS)

The Special Air Service (SAS) is the British Army's most renowned special forces unit. From the moment several black-clad figures appeared on the balconies of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980, the Special Air Service became 'celebrities' both at home and overseas. Their motto, 'Who Dares Wins', has become part of British popular culture.






The 22nd Special Air Service regiment (22 SAS) comprises of 4 active 'sabre' squadrons : A, B, D, & G, each made up of around 60 men. Each Squadron is made up of 4 troops with each troop specialising in certain areas of expertise.

Air Troop          - skilled in parachute insertions (HALO, HAHO, static line etc)
Boat Troop       - specialising in amphibious operations
Mobility Troop   - masters of operations using a variety of vehicles

Mountain Troop - expert mountaineers and trained in the disciplines of arctic warfare

The S.A.S. has carried out many operations over the years, including everything from counter-terrorist assaults in the glare of the media spotlight to covert operations in Northern Ireland. The SAS are currently deployed to Iraq (with the SBS assigned to Afghanistan). It's reported that the SAS Squadron in Iraq is operating as part of 'Task Force Black' - the British contingent of US-led Task Force 88, tasked with hunting down Al-Qaeda leaders in the country. 

A typical SAS patrol is just 4 men, each expert in at least one specialized skill and proficient in several others.