Now as I promised time for some contribution from my side too.
I'll first be picking up Poland. As
@ghost has discussed about GROM, I'll move on to the other ones.
Poland since the fall of the USSR has adopted at what I might call the US structure of Special Operations i.e
1)A Counter-Terrorism force that can be deployed anywhere in the world rapidly for any sort of operation.
2) An SF unit in the Army and the Navy that stay focussed on drills like Unconventional Warfare,Foreign Internal Defense and raids during wartime in case of the Army SF and maritime water based ops by the Navy SF.
3) A force like the Rangers that is capable of Direct Action at a larger platoon sized level.
Hence this is how Polish SOF are structured:
1)Counter-Terrorism force: JW GROM.
2)Army SF: JW Komondosaw.
3)Navy SF : JW Formoza.
4)JW AGAT(Rangers equivalent).
5)JW Nil.
JW Komandosow
JW Komandosaw is the oldest Polish SOF unit, formed in 1961.
The unit, based in Lubliniec, near Częstochowa, is currently operating under the command of pułkownik (COL) Wiesław Kukuła. The Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów have Zespoły Bojowe A, B, C (teams) carries on the traditions of several World War II special mission units. These units, organised with the assistance and of the Britain, USSR; units like: 6 Troop No. 10 Commando, Polski Samodzielny Batalion Specjalny, and the Armia Krajowa Batalion Parasol. JWK also carries II World War Zośka Sabotage Battalion traditions.
Prior to 1993, this military unit existed as detached battalion 1 Samodzielny Batalion Szturmowy (en. 1 Detached Assault Battalion). Between 1993 and 1995 the unit was named 1st Special Regiment and was composed of three battalions and support elements. Since 2011 in 50th anniversary JW 4101 is called Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów. Currently it is organised into three special (in future into four) Zespół Bojowy (detachments), within the structure of a military unit, there are also frogmen squads. Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów have command, staff, 3 detachments, and support elements.
Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów is a professional and experienced force composed entirely of highly trained and selected soldiers. The military unit from Lubliniec, along with the JW Grom, JW Formoza, JW Agat, JW Nil is part of Wojska Specjalne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. All five Republic of Poland SF units are subordinated to Dowództwo Wojsk Specjalnych (special operations command).
Selection
Candidates wanting to serve in the Regiment must first successfully undertake a basic military training course. They then move on to a three-month "Junior Specialist" training course. During this phase recruits receive training in close combat, hand to hand combat, fighting with specialised equipment, parachuting, land navigation, weapons handling, basic survival, and several other military-related skills. Troops who successfully complete the second phase then move onto the unit, where they are assigned to Zespół Bojowy. Once there, additional training continues (mountain and cold weather training, sniper, Casevac, amphibious operations, etc.).
Operations
The regiment has been quite active over the last few years. In 2003 troops being deployed to support NATO operations in the Republic of Macedonia during the Kosovo conflict. A 13-man detachment was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Polish support for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). In 2006, had charge of protecting the Polski Kontyngent Wojskowy (Polish Military Contingent) in Pakistan which helps in technical rescue after the Pakistan earthquake. Till 2008 the unit had deployed a 56-man company to Iraq (Iraq War), as part of the Multinational Division Central-South in Diwaniyah. Soldiers fought together with the 5th SFG ODA. Soldiers of 1 PSK was fighting, led special operations in Kandahar Province and other Afghan provinces. Since 2010 JWK compound formed ISAF SOF Task Force 50 which perform special operations like capturing JPEL's, Special Reconnaissance, FID. TF-50 soldiers are operating in Ghazni Province and Paktika (War in Afghanistan).
Equipment
The JWK armouries are currently in a state of flux as the unit tries to upgrade the equipment used by its operators. Weapons in use by the unit include the 9mm Luger small arms: Heckler & Koch USP also SD, Glock 17 and in reserve WIST-94 pistols, Heckler & Koch HK416 and kbk wz. 96 Beryl 5.56x45mm assault rifles, RPG-76 Komar, RPG-7, Pallad grenade launcher, GMG, grenade launchers, Grom AA-missile, Heckler & Koch AG-C/GLM, Carl Gustav M3, Heckler & Koch HK69A1, Remington 870 MCS, Glauberyt 9X19mm, PKM, UKM-2000, Minimi, M2 machine guns. Unit snipers are equipped with the Finnish 7.62mm NATO SAKO TRG-21, TRG-22, 7.62mm NATO Bor, .338 Lapua Magnum AWM-F, 12.7mm NATO Tor, 12.7mm NATO M107 sniper rifles. Many of the weapons have been modified with the addition of foregrips, laser aiming devices, aiming lights/illumination devices, and various optics such as Tasco telescopic scopes and/or night vision devices.
Pictures