Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE)
| Spanish UOE | |
|---|---|
Spanish UOE Insignia
|
|
| Active | 1952 (officially 1967) - 2009 |
| Country | Spain |
| Branch | Spanish Navy and Marines |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role | Maritime Special Operations |
| Size | 130 (approx.) |
| Part of |
Naval Special Warfare Command (Mando de Guerra Naval Especial) |
| Garrison/HQ | Tercio de Armada |
| Nickname(s) |
La Unidad (The Unit) Boinas Verdes (Green Berets) |
| Motto(s) |
"Entra quien puede, no quien quiere" (Enter those who can, not those who want) |
Naval Special Warfare Command
La Unidad (The Unit)
"Entra quien puede, no quien quiere"
The Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (Special Operations Unit - UOE) was the elite special operations force of the Spanish Navy and Marines from 1967 to 2009. In June 2009, the unit was absorbed into the newly formed Naval Special Warfare Force (Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial). The UOE, which was formerly garrisoned in the Tercio de Armada in San Fernando, Cádiz, operated under the direct control of the Admiralty and Naval Special Warfare Command. It was thought to comprise approximately 100 men organized into three Operational Teams (Estoles) as well as command and support personnel.
The UOE was tasked with Special Operations in maritime, coastal and inland environments usually up to 50 km from the sea, though this was not a restriction and its teams were known to operate deep inland. The unit's remit covered all aspects of modern Naval Special Warfare, including: Maritime Counter-Terrorism, shipboarding (MIO-Non Compliant), combat diving and swimming, coastal infiltration, airborne insertion, Special Reconnaissance, Direct Action, VIP protection and escort, and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR).
For these purposes the UOE employed a wide range of naval and other military platforms, including submarines, frigates, soft- and rigid-hull inflatable boats, land vehicles, as well as helicopters and airplanes for airborne insertions.
La Unidad ("The Unit"), as it was informally known in Spain, traces its roots to the Amphibious Climbing Company (Compañía de Escaladores Anfibios), established in 1952 as an all-volunteer unit tasked with coastal assaults and infiltration. In 1967, using the US Navy SEALs and British SBS as its guides, the unit expanded its mandate and range of skills to include combat diving, underwater demolitions, airborne insertions and direct action missions. In 1985 the UOE was re-designated COMANFES (Comando Anfibio Especial), but reverted to its original name in the early 1990s. Today, the unit is one of two operational elements within the Spanish Navy's Naval Special Warfare Force.
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