| Happy Times |
12-03-09 10:22 PM |
The Finnish special operations forces are rather complex topic.
The Sissi troops being the largest, several batallions in war time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissi_(Finnish_guerilla)
Quote:
Sissi (Finnish light infantry)
The Finnish Army Sissi units are trained to conduct reconnaissance patrols, gather intelligence from concealed observation post, raid enemy installations (especially supply depots), conduct road side ambushes and pursuit and destruction of special forces units.
In wartime, the unknown number of reservists assigned to Sissi battalions would deploy and operate as small groups up to company size. They are meant to stay behind and covertly operate against enemy forces in their area of responsibility even if regular friendly troops have been forced to retreat. Sissi battalions are part of Finnish Army local troops, not jäger and armored brigades meant for operational use. Sissi units are considered as the elites of the Army conscripts, and many of the units, such as the Paratroopers or Frontier Jaegers, are formed of volunteers.
Term and use
In Finnish, "sissi" means guerrilla, but the term is somewhat misleading when referring to Finnish Army Sissi troops. Sissi forces are not irregular guerrilla or militia forces; they are part of the regular Army trained for operations behind enemy lines. Like most of the Finnish Defence Forces, Sissi battalions are composed of reservists. Their closest foreign equivalents are the Swedish Armed Forces Jägare troops.
Sissi as a description is a person of extraordinary stamina (or Sisu) – e.g. "Sissi weather" (Sissin sää) refers to the worst possible weather conditions as Sissi soldiers prefer these for their operations.
In the Finnish Defence Forces, Sissi is used as an umbrella term for all unconventional military applications such as MREs, which are called "Sissi rations."
Training
Volunteers are preferred for Sissi training, but any conscript in decent physical condition has a good chance of being assigned to a Sissi training company. Conscripts with hobbies such as hunting and hiking are also preferred.
Sissi troops are trained in several brigades under the Finnish Defence Forces. Finnish Border Guard, which is under the Ministry of the Interior, also trains Sissi-troops in Frontier Guard units.
In addition to this small groups of conscrips (8-10 people) are bi-annually given marine Sissi and reconnaissance training at the amphibious brigade in Dragsvik. The group is usually taken from the elite "rannikkojääkärit" (Marine Commando) infantry unit. In Finnish Border Guard sissi troops, called Frontier jaegers, are trained in each Border Guard Command. Sissi troops trained in Finnish Border guard are also taught basic duties of border guarding. In Kaakkois-Suomen Rajavartiosto special Sissi troops (Special frontier jaegers) are also trained in Special forces tactics and techniques. Reserve officers for all Sissi troops are trained at Reserviupseerikoulu. Rivalry between Sissi-troops in different services is traditionally high.
Conscript in Sissi-company begins with 8-week basic infantry training. After this training becomes more intense. Conscripts are given survival training during every season of the year, they can specialize further into reconnaissance, sniping, dog handling, battlefield medical service or signals. Sissi NCO/Officer training includes additionally signals, demolitions, extended small arms training as well as advanced escape & evasion techniques and ambush tactics. Those unable to cope for either physical or psychological reasons are either given deferments or transferred to a regular infantry training.
Special Sissi NCOs are also trained to operate in Sissi platoons, called sissiradisti or Sissi signalists. These NCOs are trained in the use of telegraphy for long-range communications.
Besides specially trained sissi troops, everyone in Finnish army at least in theory receives basic training in survival and sissi tactics. All troops and soldiers in Finnish army are theoretically capable of moving from normal warfare to sissi tactics if they are, for example, encircled or their main forces or command structure are destroyed.
Sissi troops are generally not airborne, with the exception of Army Para Jaegers trained in the Utti Jaeger Regiment. Para Jaegers are trained in sissi warfare, with an emphasis on long-range reconnaissance and the addition of close-quarter battle and urban operations training. Para Jaegers carry the sissi insignia on their sleeves.
Sissi troops also resemble Scout troops (tiedustelijat), who are more specialized at gathering intelligence than the aggressive Sissi troops. In some brigades, Sissi are trained in Scout companies, and vice-versa in other brigades, the training is quite similar.
Weapons and equipment
Sissi troops are un-motorized and are not equipped with heavy weapons or equipment, their uniforms and weaponry are almost identical with regular infantry issue. Distinctive personal equipment used by Sissi are Savotta "Para Jäger" backpacks used because of extended hikes[4], camouflage paint and personal camouflage nets. Sissi units have fewer crew served weapons and more sniper rifles than regular infantry.
Mines are an important part of the Sissi tactic of ambushing enemy convoys. They are also used to discourage pursuit after a raid and serve as defences of bivouac. Sissi training includes constructing improvised explosive devices, as well as boobytraps e.g. from dud artillery shells. Sissi units have a wide variety of land mines at their disposal.
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The above mentioned Scout troops receive mostly the same training but specialize in an LRRP role in war time and are deployed as small patrols.
The Sissi troops operate in platoon to batallion size depending on the situation.
Scout troops are also part on the operational brigades.
Sissi troops operate under the regional forces. They have caches preparred in the peace time in their area of operations.
These troops number in thousands of trained resrvists.
There are also active SOF units that have enlisted troops and train only small number of concripts.
They are the elite SF troops with a large set of skills and versatility.
Army-Special Jaeger Battalion
Navy-Combat Divers
Border Guard-Special Border Jaegers
These troops number in the hundreds only and are deployed by the high command. |
