Who is who?

The Belgian Special Operations Forces (BELSOF) field worldwide- employable, high- readiness and rapidly- deployable forces who excel across the full spectrum of conflict in politically- sensitive, volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and turbulent environments. They can operate overtly, covertly or discreetly in the Land, Maritime and Air domains. SOF operate on mountains, in deserts and in jungles, under the most demanding climatic conditions. They gain access to, and operate in, very remote locations, and execute their missions under austere as well as resource- constrained conditions. Additionally, they can, when required, operate in adversary or enemy controlled or contested areas by employing special infiltration, extraction and sustainment methods. Yet, it remains the capacity to deliver creative, alternative, unconventional, and unorthodox solutions to difficult and complex security challenges, especially when the employment of conventional options are too risky, too expensive, too blatant or too sensitive, which constitutes SOF’s main strength.

Within the Special Operation Regiment (SO Regt), TWO distinct core SOF capacities reside. The Special Forces Group (SF Gp), and the ParaCommandos from the 2nd Commando Battalion (2 Cdo) and the 3rd Parachute Battalion (3 Para). These two types of core SOF capabilities will complement each other: On the one hand, the Special Forces group, a smaller SOF capability, providing more highly specialized personnel. They are often referred to as Belgium’s Tier 1 SF capacity. On the other hand, the Paracommandos, a larger SOF capability, providing critical mass in terms of personnel, firepower and specific key capabilities.

The Special Forces Group, located in HEVERLEE and a maritime branch in ZEEBRUGGE, is BELSOF’s premier SOF capability. The Group conducts expeditionary, and when required also domestic, special operations in the land and maritime environment. Its primary tasks include the full spectrum of military assistance, special reconnaissance and direct action (including hostage release operations). Additional tasks include close protection, and the development and testing of new equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures.

It is the unit of choice for sensitive national-strategic special operations missions (often framed as ‘surgical operations’) and for conducting low visibility (including plain-clothes), clandestine or covert operations. It is also the primary capability for special warfare and for national independent operations to influence and disrupt dynamic targets (through lethal or non-lethal means) using the find, feel, understand, influence and disrupt (F2UID), and the find, fix, finish, exploit, analyse and disseminate (F3EAD) targeting process.

The Special Forces Group has its own training wing. It conducts selection and continued training for the Special Forces Group’s operational detachment and provides advanced tactical and close protection training to Special Forces Group personnel and selected other personnel. It serves as the SF Gp’s centre of excellence and supports the development and evaluation of new equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures.

Depending on the security challenge, the military and civilian response is tailored to the mission in order to achieve the desired effects. The military contribution can vary from a detachment of only a handful of soldiers to a Task Force of more than a hundred men and women. In terms of equipment, Special Forces also have a wide variety of vehicles, weapons and other equipment from which to draw.

The detachments can be assembled from the Special Forces Group, the Para-Commandos or a combination of both, and can be deployed in a national context (for the benefit of our country) or as part of an international framework (NATO; EU or ‘coalition of the willing’) In this way, Belgian Defence can offer flexible solutions for the challenges our government faces.