German special forces

Originally established in 1979 as an international school for long-range reconnaissance patrol team, the Ausbildungszentrum Spezielle Operationen is responsible for the initial and further training of special and specialized forces. The centre has the size of a regiment, is subordinate to Army Training Commando and based in Pfullendorf.

To close the gap between the KSK and regular infantry, the German Army developed a concept of specialized forces (Specialized Forces of the Army with Expanded Basic Qualifications for Special Operations, EGB - Spezialierte Kräfte des Heeres mit erweiteter Grundgefähigung für spezielle Operationen, EGB). This includes numerous army SOF units, mostly airborne forces. A distinction is made between the main operational forces and support forces. All of them are independent units respectively part of regular formations.

In 2013, the operational forces consisted of:

• 4 x Fallschirmjäger Commando companies with each 4 platoons
• 4 x Fallschirmjäger pathfinder platoons
• 1 x Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Company
• 2 x airborne engineer platoons
• 2 x HUMINT HQ Squads
• 4 x HUMINT Squads

The support force is made up of:

• 2 x airborne reconnaissance companies
• 4 x K9 platoons of the Fallschirmjäger
• 4 x Fallschirmjäger Joint Fire Support Coordination Teams
• 4 x Fallschirmjäger Joint Fire Support Teams
• 1 x electronic warfare platoon
• several units, e.g. medics and PSYOPS

From 1997 until spring 2014, both naval special forces (commando frogmen) and naval specialized forces (mine clearance divers and boarding trained naval infantrymen) were organized into the Naval Specialized Deployment Forces, a battalion-sized unit with four companies. The idea was to combine all specialized skills into one single formation. In the beginning, it was planned to create a force protection company beside the Boarding Company to support the operations of the commando frogmen.

Through the reorientation of the Bundeswehr, the commando frogmen got their battalion while naval infantry (including HUMINT experts) and mine clearance divers were summarized into the Naval Force Protection Battalion (Seebataillon) in Eckernförde. The formation is often described as the "multi-tool of the German Navy". So, the battalion can support special forces operations.

GSG 9 der Bundespolizei (GSG 9 of the Federal Police), formerly Grenzschutzgruppe 9 or GSG 9 (Border Protection Group 9) of the Federal Border Protection (Bundesgrenzschutz) from 1972 to 2005, has continued to be the specialized police tactical unit of the German Federal Police for counter-terrorism since 2005. Established as a counter-terrorism unit by the Bundesgrenzschutz in 1972 following the Munich Massacre, the GSG 9 served as a model for the formation and alignment of the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) in 1996.

Their counterpart at the state police level (Landespolizei) is the Spezialeinsatzkommandos (SEK).

The Brandenburgers were a special forces unit of Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht during World War II. Formed in 1939, they were initially part of the Abwehr, the military intelligence service. The unit was created by Theodor von Hippel, who envisioned small, highly trained groups capable of sabotage and infiltration behind enemy lines.

The Brandenburgers were known for their ability to blend in with local populations, often using their proficiency in foreign languages and knowledge of local customs to carry out their missions. They operated in various theatres, including Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.