Ghosts in the Enemy's Rear: How the Commando Units That Changed History Were Born | Weekend Special

The article reviews the birth of modern commando units, from the British SAS in the Sahara Desert in 1941 to Israeli elite units. It describes David Stirling's vision, the establishment of Unit 101 and Sayeret Matkal, and ranks the world's top five elite units: SAS, Delta Force, Navy SEALs, Shayetet 13, and Sayeret Matkal. The article emphasizes the Israeli DNA of 'Who Dares Wins' and the operational advantage of units in daily friction.

The article reviews the history of modern commando units, starting with the establishment of the British SAS in 1941 by David Stirling in the Sahara Desert. Stirling developed a concept of deep warfare, whereby a small team of ten fighters could cause more damage than an entire division on the front. The name Special Air Service was a deliberate deception to make the Germans think it was a large paratrooper brigade. In Israel, the commando legacy evolved from an existential need. Unit 101 was established in 1953 under Ariel Sharon, and Sayeret Matkal was established in 1957 by Avraham Arnan inspired by the SAS. The motto 'Who Dares Wins' was translated into Hebrew as 'HaMe'az Menatzeach'. The article ranks the world's top five elite units: the British SAS, American Delta Force, Navy SEALs, Israeli Shayetet 13, and Sayeret Matkal. The main advantage of the Israeli units and the SAS is 'operational friction' - daily combat friction under fire, giving them experience that other units, which spend most of their time training, lack.