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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
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Candidates are free to drop out of the course at any moment, from the first day to the last. Though some drop-outs result from physical injury (or even death), most instances are voluntary. The attrition rate for the UOE selection process can occasionally be as high as 100% and averages from 70 to
516:
phase lasts for about four weeks and is aimed at testing the physical and psychological endurance of candidates through a grueling combination of intense physical exercise, long-distance marches carrying up to 50 kilograms (110 lb) of weight, and numerous trials at sea and in mountain
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80%—the highest failure rate of any course in the
Spanish armed forces. It is not uncommon that by the end of the course the instructor-candidate ratio is 3:1. The unit's harsh entrance criteria have furnished its official motto, "
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and having served in a conventional unit, candidates aspiring to attain the "green beret" must undergo comprehensive medical and psychological reviews as well as physical trials, and then, if approved, pass a selection course
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The UOE was first deployed overseas in 1969, just two years after it was founded, when it spearheaded the evacuation of
Spanish citizens from the former Spanish colony of
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430:), 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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The UOE and its parent Naval
Special Warfare Force are one of only three units in the Spanish military formally tasked with Special Operations, along with the
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phase of selection lasts for about two months and, though the physical rigor of the course steadily increases, candidates also receive more specific
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on arrival at the UOE and proceed to more advanced and specialized training in Naval
Special Warfare skills (diving, sniping, intelligence, etc.).
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329:) as well as command and support personnel. The unit (and today's FGNE) has long been one of Europe's most respected special forces.
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and
Special Naval Warfare Command. It was thought to comprise approximately 100 men organized into three Operational Teams (
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phases and is staffed exclusively by UOE officers and NCOs, all of them fully qualified in special operations.
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For these purposes, the UOE employed a wide range of naval and other military platforms, including submarines,
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from 1967 to 2009. In June 2009, the unit was absorbed into the newly formed
Special Naval Warfare Force (
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387:("The Unit"), as it was informally known in Spain, traces its roots to the Amphibious Climbing Company (
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as part of the
Spanish IFOR and SFOR contingents. Also, in December 2002, while participating in
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inflatable boats, land vehicles, as well as helicopters and airplanes for airborne insertions.
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violence inside Spain (though today this is strictly the preserve of civilian police forces).
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in Africa. Since then, the unit has been reported to have participated in the fight against
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809:(in Spanish). Asociación de Veteranos Boinas Verdes de la Fuerza de Infantería de Marina.
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More recently, among its publicly known missions, the UOE was deployed to the former
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393:), established in 1952 as an all-volunteer unit tasked with coastal assaults and
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Weapons held at the UOE armory include, but are not limited to, the following:
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in the Indian Ocean, UOE commandos stormed a suspect North Korean vessel, the
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The UOE always maintains one of its three operational teams on maximum alert (
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The UOE collaborated and trained closely with similar NATO units, such as the
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as its guides, the unit expanded its mandate and range of skills to include
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Elite Forces: The World's Most
Formidable Secret Armies
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The UOE is a central element of the
Spanish Maritime
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ShadowSpear Special Ops Website (includes UOE video)
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48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
627:) for immediate deployment on a rotational basis.
821:"The 8 most elite special forces in the world"
613:UOE team boards North Korean vessel. (Source:
597:Successful candidates are immediately sent to
424:. In 1985 the UOE was re-designated COMANFES (
679:UOE commandos with German Heckler & Koch
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880:"Spanish official details high seas drama"
486:UOE commandos rendezvous with a submarine.
108:Learn how and when to remove this message
869:, by Richard M. Bennett (London: 2003).
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267:Enter those who can, not those who want
947:Military units and formations of Spain
305:Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial - FGNE
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574:Escape and evasion in enemy territory
7:
46:adding citations to reliable sources
591:Entra quien puede, no quien quiere
261:Entra quien puede, no quien quiere
57:"Unidad de Operaciones Especiales"
14:
919:UOE veterans website (unofficial)
345:, VIP protection and escort, and
390:Compañía de Escaladores Anfibios
281:Unidad de Operaciones Especiales
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22:
911:Official website (Spanish Navy)
33:needs additional citations for
501:). The course is divided into
130:Mando de Guerra Naval Especial
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372:Origins of the UOE. (Source:
218:Naval Special Warfare Command
152:1952 (officially 1967) – 2009
788:Spanish special forces units
847:"UOE official Navy website"
202:Maritime Special Operations
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650:Operation Enduring Freedom
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427:Comando Anfibio Especial
347:combat search and rescue
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397:. In 1967, using the
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289:– UOE) was the elite
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143:Spanish UOE Insignia
42:improve this article
579:survival techniques
547:Mountaineering and
415:airborne insertions
317:San Fernando, Cádiz
886:. 11 December 2002
771:heavy sniper rifle
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599:parachuting school
517:environments. The
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435:United States Navy
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291:special operations
748:light machine gun
698:Sound-suppressed
691:Sound-suppressed
665:counter-terrorism
632:Equatorial Guinea
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712:submachine guns
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53:Find sources:
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31:This article
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942:Spanish Navy
924:(in English)
916:(in Spanish)
908:(in Spanish)
888:. Retrieved
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850:. Retrieved
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829:. Retrieved
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765:sniper rifle
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667:capability.
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570:Orienteering
557:Marksmanship
544:Shipboarding
538:Small-craft
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498:Capacitación
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401:and British
395:infiltration
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356:, soft- and
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295:Spanish Navy
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215:Part of
179:Spanish Navy
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98:January 2013
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40:Please help
35:verification
32:
15:
769:Barrett M95
763:Accuracy AW
759:machine gun
742:machine gun
605:Deployments
553:Demolitions
472:Air Force's
235:Nickname(s)
223:Garrison/HQ
123:Spanish UOE
936:Categories
852:7 December
794:References
646:Yugoslavia
549:rappelling
540:navigation
358:rigid-hull
243:(The Unit)
68:newspapers
831:13 August
740:FN MINIMI
683:carbines.
384:La Unidad
321:Admiralty
240:La Unidad
890:25 April
782:See also
722:HK G36KE
700:Sterling
523:training
519:Advanced
507:Advanced
474:EZAPAC.
470:and the
442:COMSUBIN
422:missions
354:frigates
349:(CSAR).
255:Motto(s)
736:shotgun
724:carbine
716:HK G36E
671:Weapons
625:Alpha-1
364:History
326:Estoles
299:marines
183:Marines
157:Country
82:scholar
775:HK 416
695:pistol
654:So San
636:Basque
465:Army's
175:Branch
166:
149:Active
84:
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63:
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746:Ameli
710:MP5SD
681:G36KE
658:Yemen
514:Basic
503:Basic
438:SEALs
169:Spain
89:JSTOR
75:books
892:2007
854:2008
833:2019
708:and
512:The
505:and
456:and
417:and
297:and
277:The
207:Size
199:Role
189:Type
181:and
61:news
884:CNN
757:MG3
728:M16
706:MP5
639:ETA
468:MOE
460:).
458:GEO
454:UEI
450:DAE
403:SBS
315:in
44:by
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