Norwegian Special Forces are being seen as a greater and greater asset among our allies, as well as in general operations abroad. While much secrecy still exists surrounding our Special Forces operatives, some information has been made available to the general public.

The Norwegian Defence has had a Special Forces capability since the 1960s, but it was not until 1999 that the armed forces decided to lift the veil and make information on these forces more available to the public. Since then, Norwegian Special Forces have taken part in operations in the Balkans as well as in Afghanistan.

Product of the Cold War
The first of our Special Forces were established in the 1960s, by the Army and the Navy. The Army and Navy Special Commands are both built up by well-trained troops, with much better equipment and capabilities than regular army forces. The primary tasks of these two commands are special reconnoitering, small-scale offensive operations and military advisory operations.

Special Forces soldiers all have to go through a rigorous selection process, where both their physical and mental capabilities are scrutinized. The selected soldiers are therefore highly suited for their strenuous tasks.

Special Forces tasks
The three primary tasks undertaken by Norwegian Special Forces are, according to the Norwegian Defence Joint Operational Doctrine:

All three of these tasks were performed by Norwegian Special Forces in Afghanistan, and the forces took part in several of the larger operations undertaken against Taliban and Al Qa'ida forces, among others Operation Anaconda.

Anti-Terror
As Norway offshore drilling of oil grew to become a more and more important part of the Norwegian economy in the 1970s, concern grew over the risk of terrorist acts against offshore installations. As a result, the Norwegian police was ordered to establish an anti-terrorist capability. In 1975 the Government was also advised to establish similar capabilities within the Norwegian Defence.

Hence, in 1981 the Norwegian Defence Special Command (FSK) was ordered established. The unit was set up in 1982 with the assistance of our allies, and was operational in 1984. The FSK primarily recruits its operatives from the Navy and Army Special Commands, resulting in an even higher level of operational capability. In case of terrorist strikes in Norway, the Government has to decide whether or not to deploy the FSK to support police operations.

Silence
In spite of a growing interest among Norwegians and the Norwegian media, the Norwegian Defence prefers to keep a lid on the exact details with regards to the capabilities, equipment and identity of the Special Forces. This is done in order to protect both the troops themselves and their future missions.

The primary reason for this is the safety of the personnel involved in this type of operation, as well as the safety of their families back home. This has been an even greater concern after getting involved in operations in Afghanistan, where the targets of operations were not necessarily nation state military forces that would abide to the rules of war.

The Norwegian Defence also declines to comment on the specific numbers of operatives that we have taking part in missions abroad, since knowing exactly how many troops are deployed outside of Norway could pose a threat to our national security at home.