Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment
| Special Forces Regiment | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | December 1986 - Present |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Branch | Sri Lanka Army |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role |
Asymmetric warfare, Counter Terrorism, Special Operations |
| Size | Four Regiments |
| Part of | Special Forces Brigade |
| Regimental Centre | Seeduwa |
| Nickname(s) | SF |
| Motto(s) | “Determined, Dared and Done”(අධිෂ්ඨානයෙන් අභීතව අරමුණ කරා) |
| Colours | Red and Black |
| Decorations | 2 Parama Weera Vibhushanaya |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Vacant |
| Notable commanders |
Col A.F. Lafir PWV RWP RSP † |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
Black beret with regimental cap badge with Jolly Roger skull-and-crossed-bones arm patch "Special Forces" shoulder tab |
The Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment (SF) (Sinhalese: විශේෂ බලකාය Visesha Balakaya) (Tamil: சிறப்பு படைகள் ரெஜிமென்ட்) is one of two special operations units of the Sri Lanka Army alongside the Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment. Since its inception as a combat tracker team in 1986, the unit gradually expanded into a brigade consisting of several regiments. It is the most secretive unit in the Sri Lanka Army.
The Sri Lanka Army Special Forces evolved from organization initially known as “Combat Tracker Team”. This group at the inception in 1985 had two Officers and 38 men and was to be tasked to carry out small group operations which have capability of operating deep in enemy territory against LTTE terrorism in time of war. This Combat Tracker Team led by the dedicated and devoted leadership of Maj Gen (retired) G. Hettiarachchi, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP, psc from the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) (then Major) and Col A. F. Lafir, PWV, RWP, RSP, (posthumous) (Then Lt). Subsequently with the formation of the Special Service Group (SSG) the Combat Tracker Team becomes the reconnaissance element of the SSG. Later as the SSG concept failed to materialized, the Combat Tracker Team changes its name as Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) (Special Force) and operated independently. With the massive successful results of the RDF it was gradually expanded to 04 squadrons. In December 1988 the RDF (SF) was officially designated as 1 st Regiment Special Forces. At present the Special Forces consist of a Regimental Centre, SF Brigade, Training School, 4 Battalions and Regimental Headquarter Battalion –Special Forces.
Current SF roles are believed to include:
Passing selection training to join the Sri Lankan Army Special Forces is extremely tough, but the regiment does not aim to break the men or shatter their morale, what it wants recruits who can think ahead with initiative and a strong drive of determination to accomplish mission objectives. To this end the regiment has devised a very thorough shifting process, one that ensures that only the right men and highest quality applicants are selected. Training is punishing to ensure that the Sri Lankan Army Special Forces Regiment remains a high quality revolutionary outfit in the country. The Selection test consists of several stages such as Weapons handling, underwater training, Close-Combat training, Live Ammunition training, Jungle warfare, survival, Reconnaissance, Sniper training etc. After undergoing basic military training, recruits are deployed into several treacherous terrains such as jungles without any equipment or weapons and are ordered to survive for a period as specified by the relevant instructors (usually 45–60 days).
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Wikipedia