Britain's Ministry of Defence has been criticized for revealing details of the rigorous selection process for elite Special Forces units, raising concerns about potential risks to troops.
Ministry of Defence officials have been accused of putting the Special Forces at risk by revealing what would-be recruits must do to join the elite services. They have angered veterans of the famously shadowy forces by disclosing precise details of the tests applicants must take to apply for the Special Air Service ( SAS ), the Special Boat Service ( SBS ) and other secretive units.
The tests include: Marching nearly eight miles in two hours carrying 15kg (33lbs); Jumping from nearly 10ft into water with ‘webbing and weapon’; Swimming 200 metres in under ten minutes; Doing 900 metres of laps and exercises in ‘physical and cognitive testing’. The rigorous ‘first step’ tests for potential Special Forces recruits are revealed in the latest edition of Soldier Magazine, the official journal of the British Army, in a bid to encourage more service personnel to apply for what it calls the ‘pinnacle of soldiering’. But last night, veterans accused the MoD of breaking the traditional official code of silence over the Special Forces, and warned that however harmless the published information might look, it could be used by Britain’s enemies to put elite troops at risk. A former Special Forces sergeant said: ‘This is a disgraceful breach of the Government’s own highly sensitive rules and, quite frankly, it is of use to our enemies. If they were interrogating a captured soldier suspected of being in Special Forces, they would use these details to get inside their head.’ The Soldier Magazine article admitted that ‘for obvious reasons the world of elite soldiering remains entirely absent from public view – and not least the pages of this magazine’ – but said it wanted to dispel ‘assumptions’ about the selection process. A cover line on the publication reads: ‘The path to Special Forces and how someone like you could get there in 2025’. Ministry of Defence officials have made a 'slight departure from tradition' in revealing what would-be recruits must do to join the Special Forces (file photo) The SAS badge. Veterans said the information revealed could be used by Britain’s enemies to put elite troops at risk MoD insiders admitted last night that the article was a ‘slight departure from tradition’, but insisted the department ‘will continue to maintain our long-standing policy of not commenting on Special Forces operational activity’. They added that Soldier Magazine did not reveal details of the main Special Forces selection course or provide ‘any insight into operational tactics, techniques or procedures’ deployed by the regiments. The source stressed that ministers were not involved in the decision to publish the details, but Tory former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said last night it was astonishing that none was involved in such a ‘sensitive decision’, adding: ‘This departure from tradition shows a worrying lack of ministerial oversight.’ The row comes as the SAS – whose insignia showing its ‘Who Dares Wins’ motto is pictured left – expects more people to apply to join as a result of the current BBC1 series SAS Rogue Heroes, which details the exploits of the regiment in the Second World War across North Africa and Europe. But it also comes amid claims at a public inquiry that some Special Forces troops may have decided to ‘take the law into their own hands’ and kill suspected members of the Taliban in Afghanistan, rather than release them
SPECIAL FORCES MINISTRY OF DEFENCE SELECTION PROCESS SECURITY CONCERNS SAS SBS
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