The World's Elite Forces

Detailing the guns, grenades, vehicles, aircraft, boats, sights, communications packages, body armour and other equipment of the world's special forces, this book not only gives in-depth technical specifications, but also gives information about where they are used and by which forces. Each entry is accompanied by technical drawings and photographs illustrating the items in action. Special forces have an allure unlike other branches of the military, and Will Fowler has done a thorough job of cataloguing the equipment that helps them carry out duties far beyond the call of ordinary units. Much of the hardware in the book has been adapted in close consultation with special forces for their use; for example the Milan 2 and 3 anti-tank guided weapons were designed on advice given by British Paras who used Milan 1 extensively in the Falklands war, and the M60 machine-gun has been endlessly improved since its first appearance in Vietnam where it was known as 'The Pig'. Other equipment such as the light strike vehicles and paratrooper's gravity blade knife was developed with a particular special forces task in mind.