The Romanian Special Operations Forces Command ( ro, Comandamentul Forțelor pentru Operații Speciale) is the

special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards ...

of the

Romanian Army The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the La ...

formed on 25 October 2018 from the former 6th Special Operations Brigade. The Special Forces Command is headquartered in

Târgu Mureș Târgu Mureș (, ; hu, Marosvásárhely ) is the seat of Mureș County in the historical region of Transylvania, Romania. It is the 16th largest Romanian city, with 134,290 inhabitants as of the 2011 census. It lies on the Mureș River, th ...

, and it is the structure through which the

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces ( militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff ( ...

exercises the control over all Special Forces units.

History

In the late 1990s, the

Romanian Armed Forces The Land Forces, Air Force and Naval Forces of Romania are collectively known as the Romanian Armed Forces ( ro, Forțele Armate Române or ''Armata Română''). The current Commander-in-chief is Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu who is managed ...

considered the possibility of creating a unified

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

force. The Romanian Joint Chiefs of Staff had discussions in which they sought to decide whether to keep the existing orders of battle of elite units incorporated into each separate category of forces (ground forces, the air force and the navy), or to create a new, integrated unit. They decided on the latter plan, especially considering the (at that time) future integration of Romania into

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

. Rapid changes took place soon after the

September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

, when the decision was made to create this new unit. Selection started in 2003. Four allied nations—the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

—advised in the selection process, incorporating their experience into the new SOF battalion – Batalionul 1 Operații Speciale "Vulturii". On 1 August 2009, Regimentul 1 Operații Speciale (1st Special Operations Regiment) was established. In preparation for the creation of the

military unit Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a State (polity), state so as to offer such military capability as a military policy, national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary ...

, several elite units were disbanded. These included the 119th Recon Battalion in

Oradea Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western par ...

, the 56th Para battalion in

Caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...

–

Deveselu Deveselu () is a commune in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Comanca and Deveselu. Geography The commune is situated on the Wallachian Plain, about west of the river Olt. It is located in the south-central part of ...

, the 64th Para battalion at

Titu Titu () is a town in Dâmbovița County, Muntenia, Romania, with a population of 9,658 . Location The town in located in the southern part of the county, in the center of the Wallachian Plain. It lies at a distance of from the county seat, Tâ ...

–

Boteni Boteni is a commune in Argeș County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Balabani, Boteni, Lunca and Muscel. Natives *Petre Țuțea Petre Țuțea (; 6 October 1902 – 3 December 1991) was a Romanian philosopher, journalis ...

, and the 62nd para battalion in Câmpia Turzii. All but the last were elite units that participated in a large number of international exercises, as well as deployments abroad. In 2017, it was announced that the Romanian Army was going to form a Special Forces Command in order to expand joint operations across air, land and maritime forces. On 1 March 2018, on the occasion of the Special Operations Forces Day, the Special Operations Forces Command was established in the Târgu Mureș garrison. The 6th Special Operations Brigade was officially transformed into the Special Forces Command on 25 October 2018. On the same day, it received its battle flag.

Structure

* Special Forces Command in

** 51st Special Operations Battalion " Vulturii" in Târgu Mureș ** 52nd Special Operations Battalion "

Băneasa Băneasa () is a borough () in the north side of Bucharest, in Sector 1, near the Băneasa Lake (). Like all north-side districts of Bucharest, it is relatively sparsely populated, with large areas of parkland. Bordering on Băneasa Fores ...

–

Otopeni Otopeni () is a town in Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania, some north of Bucharest along the DN1 road to Ploiești. It has 15,850 inhabitants, of which 99.0% are ethnic Romanians. One village, Odăile, is administered by the city. Henri Coandă ...

" in

Buzău The city of Buzău (formerly spelled ''Buzeu'' or ''Buzĕu''; ) is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Muntenia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carp ...

** 53rd Commando Battalion " Smaranda Brăescu" in

Bacău Bacău ( , , ; hu, Bákó; la, Bacovia) is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. At the 2016 national estimation it had a population of 196,883, making it the List of cities and towns in Romania, 12th largest city in Romania. The city is ...

** 54th Support Battalion " Horea, Cloșca and Crișan" in Târgu Mureș ** 164th Naval Special Operations

Divizion {{army units A divizion (dywizjon) (a word in several European languages, mostly Slavic) is a military unit in some armed branches, usually artillery and cavalry, being an equivalent of battalion. It should be distinguished from division, which ...

Mangalia Mangalia (, tr, Mankalya), ancient Callatis ( el, Κάλλατις/Καλλατίς; other historical names: Pangalia, Panglicara, Tomisovara), is a city and a port on the coast of the Black Sea in the south-east of Constanța County, Northern ...

** Special Operations Forces Training School "

Burebista Burebista ( grc, Βυρεβίστας, Βοιρεβίστας) was the king of the Getae and Dacian tribes from 82/61BC to 45/44BC. He was the first king who successfully unified the tribes of the Dacian kingdom, which comprised the area loc ...

" in Vlădeni *** Naval Special Operations Training Center in Mangalia

Batalionul 51 Operații Speciale "Vulturii"

''Batalionul 1 Operații Speciale "Vulturii"'', nowadays ''Batalionul 51 Operații Speciale "Vulturii"'' (51st Special Operations Battalion ''Vulturii'') was created on 1 March 2003. Battalion became operational in late 2005, after several batches of graduates had already been selected. Members of the SOF battalion have benefitted from courses abroad, such as the

US Army Special Forces The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army. The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mis ...

course, the Force Recon course of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...

, as well as other courses. The US Army Special Forces also sent several instructors who were stationed in Romania for periods of up to 6 months at a time. The Turkish Special Forces were also heavily involved in advising on the selection process, due to the high number of exercises previously held in common with various units in Romania. The United Kingdom and Israel also sent instructors, although it is unclear from which units they came. Special operations battalion became fully operational in 2007, with a company having been already active since 2006. Elements of the battalion were deployed in Afghanistan. A notable casualty of this deployment was Captain (posthumously Major) Tiberius-Marcel Petre, who was killed in a firefight. He was posthumously awarded the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five ...

and the U.S.

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

. Asked if members of the unit will take part in real missions abroad, the former Minister of National Defense Teodor Atanasiu replied "with certainty". ''Batalionul 610'' was renamed from ''Batalionul 1'' on October 25, 2011. The current name of the is ''Batalionul 51 Operații Speciale''.

Batalionul 52 Operații Speciale "Băneasa–Otopeni"

''Batalionul 52 Operații Speciale "Băneasa–Otopeni"'' (52nd Special Operations Battalion "

–

") was formerly known as ''Batalionul 60 Parașutiști "Băneasa–Otopeni"'', which was the main

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Wor ...

unit of the

Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the La ...

. It was originally formed in 1941. It was previously subordinated to the 1st Territorial Army Corps, and its headquarters are located in

. The battalion was part of the 2nd Paratroopers Brigade (HQ

Clinceni Clinceni is a commune in the southwestern part of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Clinceni, Olteni and Ordoreanu. The location hosts a small airport. Currently, the village of Clinceni has the Guinness World R ...

), which was disbanded in 2005 due to a reorganization program of the Romanian Land Forces, in order to reach

standards. ''Batalionul 60 Parașutiști "Băneasa–Otopeni"'' was renamed ''Batalionul 620 Operații Speciale'' in 2011. Their first foreign operation came in 2009 in

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...

, where an 86-man unit was deployed. The unit was equipped with

URO VAMTAC The URO VAMTAC () is a Spanish four-wheel drive military vehicle manufactured by UROVESA. Externally it is similar in appearance and design to the Humvee of the United States Military due to similar requirements. More than 2,000 of the vehicles hav ...

vehicles.

Batalionul 53 Comando "Smaranda Brăescu"

''Batalionul 53 Comando "Smaranda Brăescu"'' (53rd Commando Battalion "Smaranda Brăescu") is a

commando 40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations forc ...

unit of the Romanian Armed Forces. It was formerly known as ''Batalionul 498 Parașutiști "Smaranda Brăescu"'' (498th Paratroopers Battalion), a paratrooper battalion of the

, established on 30 November 1990. It was previously subordinated to the 4th Infantry Division (HQ

Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , ...

) and its headquarters are located at

. The battalion was part of the 4th Para Brigade (HQ

), which was disbanded in 2005 due to a reorganization program of the Romanian Land Forces, in order to reach

standards. Batalionul 498 Paraşutiști "Smaranda Brăescu" was renamed Batalionul 630 Parașutiști "Smaranda Brăescu" in 2011.

Batalionul 54 Sprijin "Horea, Cloșca și Crișan"

''Batalionul 54 Sprijin "Horea, Cloșca și Crișan"'' (54th Support Battalion "Horea, Cloșca and Crișan"), former ''Batalionul 640 Logistic'' (640th Logistics Battalion), is responsible for command and logistics support for the Special Operations Forces Command.

Divizionul 164 Forțe Navale Pentru Operații Speciale

''Divizionul 164 Forțe Navale Pentru Operații Speciale'' (164th Naval Special Operations Divizion) is naval component of the elite troops of the

. In 1998, the 175 Diver Ship Divizion (''Divizionul 175 Nave Scafandri'') was formed by merging all the deep-sea diver and combat diver units. In December 2014, the combat diver section of the 175th Divizion became the "Combat and Special Operations Divers Section". From May 2016, it was named the 164th Naval Special Operations Divizion. At that time it was under the command of the 39th Diver Center (''Centrului 39 Scafandri'').

Școala de instruire a forțelor pentru operații speciale "Burebista"

In 2017 the School of Application of Forces for Special Operations was formed. The first course were carried out with the support of the Joint Training Center for Paratroopers, Special Operations and JTAC from

. The school received the nickname "Burebista" in 2020. In 2021, the school was transformed in the Special Operations Forces Training School (Școală de instruire a forțelor pentru operații speciale - ScIFOS) following the establishment of the Naval Special Operations Training Center in

. The barracks of the Special Operations Forces Training School are located near Vlădeni,

Brașov County Brașov County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in Transylvania. Its capital city is Brașov. The county incorporates within its boundaries most of the Medieval "lands" (''țări'') Burzenland and Făgăraș. Name In Hungarian, it is known ...

. Student accommodation is provided in modular buildings with a capacity of 130 places.

Timeline

* ''Batalionul 1 Operații Speciale'' 1 March 2003 - 1 August 2009 * ''Regimentul 1 Operații Speciale'' 1 August 2009 – 25 October 2011 * ''Brigada 6 Operații Speciale'' 25 October 2011 – 25 October 2018 * ''Comandamentul Forțelor pentru Operații Speciale'' 25 October 2018 – present

References

External links

Official Site of the Special Operations Forces Training SchoolRomanian Special Operations Forces official Facebook page
*{{cite web, url=http://www.mapn.ro/fotodb/20130301, title=10 ani de la înființarea Forțelor pentru operații speciale ale Armatei României, trans-title=Special Operations Forces – Ten Years of Existence, language=ro, access-date=September 6, 2021, website=www.mapn.ro Military units and formations established in 2001 Military units and formations of Romania Special forces units and formations Special forces of Romania