User Panel
Posted: 4/15/2011 11:17:19 AM EDT
I just want to get some opinions on the Russian Spetsnaz guys, both in their Afghanastan days and present day. If you had to rate them or compare them to the best of our armed services special forces guys, how would they compare? Professional? Bad a$$es? Clowns? Thanks for any input.
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From what I can tell they have an inhuman tolerance for pain and hardship, it's just the Russian way.
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You don't want to get rescued by them if someone takes over your bus.
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You don't want to get rescued by them if someone takes over your bus. I love this clip. Sorry, can't embed on the alternate site. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elJwuD7pfmc |
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From what I've gathered, Spetsnaz is a very broad organization. They range from the border patrol to counter-terrorist units.
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You'd be better off being the actual terrorist than the hostage.
Their #1 asset is brutality and lack of oversight, but they pretty much fail in every other category. Not the best attributed for an 'elite' group. They are elite in Russia because they have new boots and get to eat everyday. |
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Quoted: Quoted: You don't want to get rescued by them if someone takes over your bus. I love this clip. Sorry, can't embed on the alternate site. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elJwuD7pfmc +5 staff of asplosions, double damage against buses |
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wasn't there a Deadliest warrior on SPIKE that the Spetsnaz beat the ranges?
I was like |
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Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. |
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Here's a pretty good book written by a Soviet defector on the GRU Spetsnaz during the last years of the cold war: http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov6/index.html
Honestly, Spetsnaz is a pretty broad term, and encompasses everything from what we would call SWAT teams to units more akin to the CIA's Special Activities Division. There are, without a doubt, some very frightening people in 'Spetsnaz', but there are also clowns as we all know. But even the clowns I wouldn't want to fight if I had the choice. |
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Voyska spetsialnogo naznacheniya... when you absolutely, positively gotta kill every hostage in the room... accept no substitutes!
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From what I've gathered, Spetsnaz is a very broad organization. They range from the border patrol to counter-terrorist units. Well, Spetsnaz means "Troops of Special Purpose" so there is nothing keeps a police department from calling their SWAT force "SPETSNAZ of East Bumfuckski Militia" and they are not the same as GRU or KGB Spetsnaz, other than the name. Yes there was gradation...so in a way its like saying "How does Russian Special Forces stack up against American special operations forces" when the term "American Special Operations Forces" could mean anything from Delta/HRT/CIA SAD to Pittsburg KS SWAT. Obviously, Russian/Soviet forces at the National level were much better than others as you went down the totem pole. |
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You don't want to get rescued by them if someone takes over your bus. Or your elementary school. |
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Depending on how you define "effective," they are either incredibly effective or incredibly INeffective.
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You don't want to get rescued by them if someone takes over your bus. I love this clip. Sorry, can't embed on the alternate site. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elJwuD7pfmc Jesus. Did anyone's eardrums make it out of that one intact, including the guy who whacked the bus with the BOOMstick? |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US.
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Quoted: US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Did and couldn't do what, exactly? |
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Cream of the crop in the land of lowered expectations. Detroit? Chicago? Atlanta? |
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Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. Christ, look how ghetto the training facilities are for the VDV. And this is for a promotional video so you know they made it look as good as they could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAHrHd2lcw They sure do have a different set of marketing and promotional sensibilities in Russia, I guess. That guy, with his sassy head bob and his little striped shirt, he seems like the gay guy. You know, the tough gay guy who insists on wrestling and subduing his sex partners prior to coitus. THAT gay guy. His little head bob seems to indicate that he either a) wants to, b) could, or c) already did have sex with every younger, smaller man on the course behind him. I wouldn't be rude to that gay guy, because I'm afraid he'd kick my ass... if I was lucky he'd stop there. |
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Quoted: Cream of the crop in the land of lowered expectations. |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Did and couldn't do what, exactly? Yeah, this. Ten years later, the US hasn't pacified Afghanistan. If you mean the October 2001 campaign that kicked the Taliban out of the cities, one can just as well point to the ease with which the Soviets took over Afghanistan's cities in 1979-1980. |
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Quoted: I speak with some authority when I say that might be one of the dumbest things I have ever read on ARFCOM.
US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. |
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Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. They were still doing that into the 70s and 80s? |
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Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. Christ, look how ghetto the training facilities are for the VDV. And this is for a promotional video so you know they made it look as good as they could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAHrHd2lcw They sure do have a different set of marketing and promotional sensibilities in Russia, I guess. That guy, with his sassy head bob and his little striped shirt, he seems like the gay guy. You know, the tough gay guy who insists on wrestling and subduing his sex partners prior to coitus. THAT gay guy. His little head bob seems to indicate that he either a) wants to, b) could, or c) already did have sex with every younger, smaller man on the course behind him. I wouldn't be rude to that gay guy, because I'm afraid he'd kick my ass... if I was lucky he'd stop there. Darn you! Now that you put it that way, that perspective is stuck in my mind. Yikes! |
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Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. Christ, look how ghetto the training facilities are for the VDV. And this is for a promotional video so you know they made it look as good as they could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAHrHd2lcw One thing to remember about those guys, every one of them volunteered to jump out of an airplane with a Russian made chute. |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Not true. Soviet Spetsnaz took over Afghanistan and decapitated the government in a matter of a day or so. Better research their initial operation first before posting. Things were much different in the 1980s, the Soviets were facing a foe supplied and supported by a Superpower. Soviet Spetsnaz performed extremely well in Afghanistan. There is actually a former Spetsnaz sniper/assaulter who is a member of Arfcom. Maybe he will jump in here and answer questions. I dunno, he keeps a low profile. But for the most part I think Soviet era Spetsnaz units were extremely good. They pulled operations both in Western Europe and the US, leaving calling cards behind. Things are very different in the Post Soviet days and the Russian military budget has been slashed compared to Soviet days. I'll see if he will respond...... |
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You don't want to get rescued by them if someone takes over your bus. I love this clip. Sorry, can't embed on the alternate site. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elJwuD7pfmc +5 staff of asplosions, double damage against buses I lol'd Holy moly at the dude in the vid popping back up after getting blowed the f up. |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Not true. Soviet Spetsnaz took over Afghanistan and decapitated the government in a matter of a day or so. Better research their initial operation first before posting. Things were much different in the 1980s, the Soviets were facing a foe supplied and supported by a Superpower. Soviet Spetsnaz performed extremely well in Afghanistan. There is actually a former Spetsnaz sniper/assaulter who is a member of Arfcom. Maybe he will jump in here and answer questions. I dunno, he keeps a low profile. But for the most part I think Soviet era Spetsnaz units were extremely good. They pulled operations both in Western Europe and the US, leaving calling cards behind. Things are very different in the Post Soviet days and the Russian military budget has been slashed compared to Soviet days. I'll see if he will respond...... I can see why he does, the level of hate and discontent heaped on him here would be pretty significant. |
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You don't want to get rescued by them if someone takes over your bus. No shit. But I still wouldn't want to have to fight them. |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Not true. Soviet Spetsnaz took over Afghanistan and decapitated the government in a matter of a day or so. Better research their initial operation first before posting. Things were much different in the 1980s, the Soviets were facing a foe supplied and supported by a Superpower. Soviet Spetsnaz performed extremely well in Afghanistan. There is actually a former Spetsnaz sniper/assaulter who is a member of Arfcom. Maybe he will jump in here and answer questions. I dunno, he keeps a low profile. But for the most part I think Soviet era Spetsnaz units were extremely good. They pulled operations both in Western Europe and the US, leaving calling cards behind. Things are very different in the Post Soviet days and the Russian military budget has been slashed compared to Soviet days. I'll see if he will respond...... Really? Do you have some links about that? |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Not true. Soviet Spetsnaz took over Afghanistan and decapitated the government in a matter of a day or so. Better research their initial operation first before posting. Things were much different in the 1980s, the Soviets were facing a foe supplied and supported by a Superpower. Soviet Spetsnaz performed extremely well in Afghanistan. There is actually a former Spetsnaz sniper/assaulter who is a member of Arfcom. Maybe he will jump in here and answer questions. I dunno, he keeps a low profile. But for the most part I think Soviet era Spetsnaz units were extremely good. They pulled operations both in Western Europe and the US, leaving calling cards behind. Things are very different in the Post Soviet days and the Russian military budget has been slashed compared to Soviet days. I'll see if he will respond...... I seem to remember an article by Dr. Jack Wheeler in Soldier of Fortune where he stated that in his opinion, the Spetsnaz had whipped the crap out of the muj and had driven them into Pakistani refugee camps until they got stingers. They may have different desired outcomes, and ways of getting from a to b, but I would think twice about selling those guys short. |
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Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. Christ, look how ghetto the training facilities are for the VDV. And this is for a promotional video so you know they made it look as good as they could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAHrHd2lcw One thing to remember about those guys, every one of them volunteered to jump out of an airplane with a Russian made chute. I haveone of their D6 chutes in my garage. They're extremely tough, decent shooters and good at the infantry stuff. They are a bit ghetto and will steal your stuff if you leave it unattended. They stink a bit and watch a lot of porn. In terms of skill sets I would compare them to a U.S. infantry company. |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Not true. Soviet Spetsnaz took over Afghanistan and decapitated the government in a matter of a day or so. Better research their initial operation first before posting. Things were much different in the 1980s, the Soviets were facing a foe supplied and supported by a Superpower. Soviet Spetsnaz performed extremely well in Afghanistan. There is actually a former Spetsnaz sniper/assaulter who is a member of Arfcom. Maybe he will jump in here and answer questions. I dunno, he keeps a low profile. But for the most part I think Soviet era Spetsnaz units were extremely good. They pulled operations both in Western Europe and the US, leaving calling cards behind. Things are very different in the Post Soviet days and the Russian military budget has been slashed compared to Soviet days. I'll see if he will respond...... I can see why he does, the level of hate and discontent heaped on him here would be pretty significant. He had a US Special Operations member in one of his last sniper classes who had numerous tours in Iraq/Afghanistan. He showed up with an attitude of I'm just here to hang out, I won't learn anything. The guy left extremely impressed and said he had learned a couple things he wanted to introduce to his unit. On in particular on inserting a unit. Americans think they know about Spetsnaz, but the truth is something else. If you show the guy some respect he might answer your questions. He has a lot of knowledge and experience. Very eye opening. He's successfully engaged with an SVD past 1 kilometer, was the Soviet Armed Forces Sambo Champion (not just Army but the entire Armed Forces) and is very different than what most would expect. He had over 30 jumps when he enlisted and was taught by his father how to shoot and live off the land since he was a young child. Very educated. I asked him to jump into this thread..........maybe he will, maybe he won't depends upon the attitudes likely....... |
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Quoted: I asked him to jump into this thread..........maybe he will, maybe he won't depends upon the attitudes likely....... I'd be really interested in his opinion of Suvorov's book. |
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I had a medic in my unit who served in the Soviet Army in the '80s. He was Lithuanian, but was stationed in Ukraine. He said he always thought the Airborne Troops or VDV were the best in the USSR. He said they were the only ones that actually got ammo to go do real training. Comparing our Army to the Soviet Army, he said ours is much more prepared. He did say that his unit had good espirit de corps and were fit, but that they never got to do good training. He served from '86-'89. He served with me in 3ID from '08-'10. He said he never did see a Spetznaz unit in person.
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it depends on the job you are talking about..
If you want everyone over there dead then they are your people... If you need carefully leveraged violence and need to capture some people alive.. then mayby not so much. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. Christ, look how ghetto the training facilities are for the VDV. And this is for a promotional video so you know they made it look as good as they could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAHrHd2lcw One thing to remember about those guys, every one of them volunteered to jump out of an airplane with a Russian made chute. Russian made AND packed. Fuck that noise. |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Not true. Soviet Spetsnaz took over Afghanistan and decapitated the government in a matter of a day or so. Better research their initial operation first before posting. Things were much different in the 1980s, the Soviets were facing a foe supplied and supported by a Superpower. Soviet Spetsnaz performed extremely well in Afghanistan. There is actually a former Spetsnaz sniper/assaulter who is a member of Arfcom. Maybe he will jump in here and answer questions. I dunno, he keeps a low profile. But for the most part I think Soviet era Spetsnaz units were extremely good. They pulled operations both in Western Europe and the US, leaving calling cards behind. Things are very different in the Post Soviet days and the Russian military budget has been slashed compared to Soviet days. I'll see if he will respond...... Really? Do you have some links about that? spend some time on google. It was not something that was let out into the press. There was also talk of some Alaskan National Guard members being killed. A Finnish friend told me they used to do insertions into Finland and Norway, they'd leave behind cards. Just do some searching. |
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US Special Operations did in a few weeks/months what Spetsnaz couldn't do in 10 years in Afghanistan. I don't think they are that great compared to say an equivalent unit in the US. Not true. Soviet Spetsnaz took over Afghanistan and decapitated the government in a matter of a day or so. Better research their initial operation first before posting. Things were much different in the 1980s, the Soviets were facing a foe supplied and supported by a Superpower. Soviet Spetsnaz performed extremely well in Afghanistan. There is actually a former Spetsnaz sniper/assaulter who is a member of Arfcom. Maybe he will jump in here and answer questions. I dunno, he keeps a low profile. But for the most part I think Soviet era Spetsnaz units were extremely good. They pulled operations both in Western Europe and the US, leaving calling cards behind. Things are very different in the Post Soviet days and the Russian military budget has been slashed compared to Soviet days. I'll see if he will respond...... I can see why he does, the level of hate and discontent heaped on him here would be pretty significant. He had a US Special Operations member in one of his last sniper classes who had numerous tours in Iraq/Afghanistan. He showed up with an attitude of I'm just here to hang out, I won't learn anything. The guy left extremely impressed and said he had learned a couple things he wanted to introduce to his unit. On in particular on inserting a unit. Americans think they know about Spetsnaz, but the truth is something else. If you show the guy some respect he might answer your questions. He has a lot of knowledge and experience. Very eye opening. He's successfully engaged with an SVD past 1 kilometer, was the Soviet Armed Forces Sambo Champion (not just Army but the entire Armed Forces) and is very different than what most would expect. He had over 30 jumps when he enlisted and was taught by his father how to shoot and live off the land since he was a young child. Very educated. I asked him to jump into this thread..........maybe he will, maybe he won't depends upon the attitudes likely....... I for one would be captivated to hear his experiences. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. Christ, look how ghetto the training facilities are for the VDV. And this is for a promotional video so you know they made it look as good as they could: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rAHrHd2lcw One thing to remember about those guys, every one of them volunteered to jump out of an airplane with a Russian made chute. I haveone of their D6 chutes in my garage. They're extremely tough, decent shooters and good at the infantry stuff. They are a bit ghetto and will steal your stuff if you leave it unattended. They stink a bit and watch a lot of porn. In terms of skill sets I would compare them to a U.S. infantry company. We are talking about spetnatz, not SEALs. |
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Immensely physically fit. No real legal or moral restraints on their operations. Better equipped than standard Soviet/Russian units, but likely just about on par with a standard US unit. Immensely physically fit. Very good light infantry skills. Immensely physically fit. When you don't have unlimited resources to train, the training you will do will be cheap. That's physical fitness, and maybe square range shooting. Other stuff, you'll do, but not all the time. One main advantage SPETSNAZ had during Soviet times, definately, is that they trained in they're down time, and weren't out pulling up potatoes at the local collective farm. I would not want to square off with them, but I don't think they are superhuman, either. They were still doing that into the 70s and 80s? Russian units were still doing alot of things to make sure they ate well into the 1990s. I really can't speak very authoritatively to that since then. Then again, I really can't speak very authoritatively on much. I am the original "guy on the internet." |
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Quoted: Soviet Spetsnaz took over Afghanistan and decapitated the government in a matter of a day or so. Wow... that's like saying, "Delta Force took over Gilligan's Island in 15 minutes." Decapitated the Afghan government? Five Eagle scouts and a German Shepherd could do that.
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