Fighting Techniques of the Elite Forces: How to Train and Fight Like the Special Operations Forces of the World

Learn the trade secrets of special operatives.

It is easy to visualize special operations troops as men in camouflage with painted faces, lurking in the shadows of modern warfare. But the truth is far more complex--and enthralling. A wide array of skills, both physical and cerebral, combines to make up the modern elite soldier. Fighting Techniques of the Elite Forces not only shows the road down which the specialist must travel to reach his place as one of the world's fighting elite, it details the equipment he uses to carry out his missions and the actual techniques he employs.

Themed chapters and a wealth of illustrations explain everything you need to know about the formidably trained warriors of the British and Australian SAS, US Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, the French GIGN, and more. Learn how to select a drop zone for parachute insertions or how to execute a High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) insertion when you are twenty miles' distance from your objective. Find out how combat swimmers launch from submarines to carry out beach reconnaissance prior to an invasion. Understand the special considerations and knowledge required to fight and, more importantly, survive in such hostile environments as jungle, desert, or mountain. Discover how today's special operative must master skills as diverse as horsemanship and the compact computer, or how to kill silently with a knife or laser designator.

Fighting Techniques of the Elite Forces is a must-have for anyone interested in the covert world of elite forces; it will provide the key to understanding what makes the specialist soldier so very "special."


About the Author
Leroy Thompson is a respected author and leading authority on military and personal defense techniques and equipment. He is the author of over 38 books, including Bodyguard Manual, Hostage Rescue Manual, The Counter-Insurgency Manual, Combat Shotguns, and Combat Knives. He has trained and advised military and police special operations units around the world, focusing especially on the tactical use of firearms. Thompson has appeared as a weapons expert on documentaries for Discovery, National Geographic, and the BBC. He served in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force and was a police officer for several years after leaving the military