Special Actions Detachment

The Special Actions Detachment () or DAE is a special forces unit of the Portuguese Navy. It is part of the Portuguese Marine Corps. Raised in 1985, the DAE is one of the smallest special forces units within the Portuguese Armed Forces. It is responsible for conducting air-sea rescue, amphibious reconnaissance, amphibious warfare, black operation, bomb disposal, CBRN defense, coastal raiding, counterterrorism, direct action, executive protection, hostage rescue, irregular warfare, ISTAR, long-range penetration, JTAC, manhunt high-value target, maritime sabotage, mountain rescue, naval boarding, operation behind high risk enemy lines, special operations, special reconnaissance, tracking targets, underwater demolition, unconventional warfare, other missions in support of Portuguese and NATO armed forces. DAE's mission and training are similar to their American counterparts DEVGRU and the British SBS. DAE often trains with them alongside other counter-terror units.

Organization

The unit is led by a commander, and is subdivided into a command cell and four combat teams. The command cell contains the unit commander, his deputy (a lieutenant commander) and a small staff of eight. The combat teams are composed of ten men: petty officers and seamen and a commanding petty officer.

The unit can operate, as a whole, organized as a Special Operation Maritime Task Unit (SOMTU). As a SOMTU, it can operate autonomously or, together with the Portuguese Army Special Operations Forces, as part of a joint Special Operation Task Group (SOTG). It can also operate, together with special forces of allied countries, as part of a combined SOTG.

Selection and training

DAE operatives are drawn from the ranks of marines, all having high operational experience. Due to the nature of its actions, candidate acceptance is extremely restrictive and selective. Only 5–10% of the applicants manage to join the unit.

Upon completion of the basic selection phase prospective recruits then begin the first phase of their training. Phase 1 of their training is conducted at the Navy's combat diver school. Students receive instruction in: basic combat diving techniques, EOD and underwater demolitions.
Candidates who successfully complete the first phase are assigned to the DAE on a probationary status, and begin their second phase of training. Phase 2 instruction includes courses on: escape and evasion techniques, advanced driving, mountaineering, offensive operations, parachuting training and basic English. Once a trainee is permanently assigned to the DAE he will continue to receive various courses of instruction throughout his career.

After this tough selection, COEMAR starts, which lasts 18 weeks and is divided into three phases:

* Technical (7 weeks)
* Combat (3 weeks)
* Tactics (8 weeks)

During and after COEMAR, DAE's military personnel receive training in areas as varied as:

*Abandonment of aircraft in immersion
*Air assault
*Air-sea rescue
*Amphibious reconnaissance
*Amphibious warfare
*Artillery observer
*Clandestine operation
*Close-quarters combat
*Cold-weather warfare
*Combat diving (closed circuit)
*Coastal patrolling
*Commando style raid tactics
*Counter ambush
*Counter maritime sabotage
*Counter sniper
*Counterterrorism
*Covert operation
*Defusing and disposal of bombs, land mines, and unexploded ordnance
*Demolitions, mines and traps
*Desert warfare
*Driving tactical vehicles
*Executive protection
*Exfil
*Fast combat shooting
*Forward air control
*Hand and Arm Signals
*Hand-to-hand combat
*Helocasting
*Hostage rescue
*HUMINT
*IED disarmament
*Inactivation of conventional explosive devices – land branch
*Infiltrate the area with a helicopter
*Intelligence collection
*Irregular warfare
*Jungle warfare
*Living off the desert, jungle, mountain, and sea
*Marksmanship
*Medical evacuation
*Military parachuting with automatic & manual opening (taken at the Parachute Regiment – Tancos)
*Military intelligence
*Mountain rescue
*Mountain warfare
*Naval boarding
*NBCR on operations in contaminated environments
*Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)
*Small unit tactics
*Sniper (taught in Lamego at the Special Operations Troops Centre)
*Surveillance and counter-surveillance of the battlefield
*Special operations
*Special reconnaissance
*Tactical communications
*Tactical emergency medical
*Tactical use of motorbikes
*Tracking tactics
*Unconventional warfare
*Underwater demolition
*Urban warfare
*Using fast attack craft
*Using high military technology

Operations

DAE conducts regular training exercises with its NATO counterparts, including the United States Navy SEALs, Spanish ''Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial'', French ''Commandos Marine'', Polish JW GROM, Lithuanian Special Operations Force as well as the respective naval counter-terrorist units.

They were deployed to:

* Angola in 1992;
* Zaire in 1997;
* Guinea-Bissau in 1998;
* East Timor in 2004;
* Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006 (as part of the EUFOR);
* Somalia in 2009;
* Afghanistan in 2013;
* Mali in 2019;
* Lithuania from (2018–2024) (as part of the NATO Assurance Measures)

Equipment

Infantry weapons

Pistols

* Glock 17 Gen 5 9-mm pistol

Submachine guns

* Brügger & Thomet MP9
* Heckler & Koch MP5A3/A5 with Aimpoint CompM4 red dot sight's

Assault rifles

* Heckler & Koch G36C/K 5.56mm
* Heckler & Koch HK416 A5 5.56mm
* M4 carbine with M203 40 mm grenade launcher

Sniper rifles

* Heckler & Koch HK417 A2 7.62mm sniper variant
* AW 7.62mm sniper rifle
* AWSM .338 LM sniper rifle
* AW50 12.7mm sniper rifle

Grenade launchers

* Heckler & Koch AG36 used on H&K G36 rifles
* M203 used on M4 carbine

Vehicles

* Can-Am Traxter HD8
* Mercedes-Benz 24 GD
* Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ73
* Land Rover Defender 90

Notes

References

External links

*

{{Underwater diving, prodiv
Military counterterrorist organizations
Naval special forces units and formations
Special forces of Portugal
Portuguese Navy
Military units and formations established in 1985
1985 establishments in Portugal
Military of Portugal