Denmark | SpecialOperations.com

Danish special operations forces (SOF) units:

The Jaegercorps, army (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsmen_Corps_(Denmark))
The Frogmancorps, navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_Frogman_Corps)
Sirius Sledge Patrol, navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slædepatruljen_Sirius)

History of the Jaegercorps
During the 1960s, the Cold War was at its height and the Berlin Wall was established in 1961. It was decided that Denmark should create a special forces unit in order to gather information during a so-called ‘Grey Period’ – a prewar-phase between the Warzaw Pact and NATO. Thus the Jaegercorps was established on November 1st 1961 as a long range reconnaissence patrol unit (LRRP). During the years following the Cold War (1992-95) the Jaegercorps was transformed into a SOF-unit.

The Jaegercorps has participated in special opeations on the Balkans (1993-2007), Iraq (2003-08), Afghanistan (2001-present) and Africa. As a part of Task Force K-Bar, the Jaegercorps was awarded ‘The Presidential Unit citation’ on December 7th, 2004, for its effort as part of the joint-forces special operations forces group in Afghanistan.

The number of operators is confidential (but way to low).

Selection (in total 18 months)

Basic selection test (2 days)

Written tests (autobiography, English, mathematics)
Interview with a psychologist
PT (Coopers test, ‘yo-yo’ test, coretest)
Medical examination

Pre-course
Pre-course 1 (5 days, 6 months before the actual selection course)
Introduces the candidate to the subjects covered in the actual selection course and gives the
candidate a feel for what he must get better at (orienteering, PT, shooting skills etc.).
Pre-course 2 (2 days, 4 months before the actual selction course)
More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects.
Pre-course 3 (2 days, 2 months before the actual selction course)
More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects with tougher requirements.
(PIX 3 – completing Patrol Course, selection)

Patrol Course (8 weeks)

Physical and mental skills are tested.
• Shooting
• Helicopter insertion/extraction
• Maritime insertion/extraction (RIB, rubber dinghy)
• Orienteering (technique, theory, orienteering race/march, day/night)
• March
• Cold water habituation (7-10° C (44,5 F°)/combat swimming
• PT – running, core
• Demolition
• Medic
• Survival
• Self-confidence tests
• Patrol exercises

Completing the course the candidate will be rated with either ‘satisfactory’ or ‘very satisfactory’. The candidate must have ‘very satisfactory’ in order to continue on Selection Course.

Selection Course (8 weeks, begins 1 week after end of Patrol Course)

Physical and mental skills are further tested.
• Shooting/CQB
• Helicopter insertion/extraction
• Maritime insertion/extraction (RIB, rubber dinghy)
• Orienteering
• March*
• Cold water habituation (7-10° C (44,5 F°)/combat swimming
• PT – running, core**
• Demolition/breaching
• Medic
• Survival
• Self-confidence tests
• Patrol exercises

(PIX 4 – rope/RIB)

* During Patrol- and Selection Course the candidate marches and runs in average 2000 kilometers (1250 mi) (final march test: 60 km (37,3 mi)/40 kilo equipment in maximum 12 hrs in terrain + 2 x 50 km/40 kilo equipment in maximum 48 hrs in terrain). The candidate swims in average 45 km (28 mi) in a pool and/or in seawater.

** Core Test

Mistakes and forgetfulness are ‘rewarded’ during the courses. For example the author to this article forgot the key to his quarter and was rewarded with a 1.70 meters (5.5 ft) and 20 kilo heavy ‘key’ which he had to carry everywhere at all times in a period of 5 days. (PIX 5 – KEY)

The Selection Course is completed with a self-confidence test (rope-drop from 18 meter/22 yd) whereafter the candidates are awarded the insignia of the Jaegercorps.

(PIX 6 – team, night HALO from c130 making TLZ)

Basic parachuting – static line (2 weeks)

Combat Swimming Course (3 weeks)

Conducted by The Danish Frogman Corps.

The maroon beret

After completing the Combat Swimming Course the candidates will receive the maroon beret.

(PIX 7 – beret)

(PIX 8 – arctic warfare training northern Sweden)

Basic SOF-training (52 weeks)
• Mobility (US, Australia, Spain)
• Arctic warfare (Sweden)
• Jungle warfare (Belize)
• Mountaineering (Switzerland)
• HAHO/HALO (Eloy, Arizona/US, Denmark)
• CQB shooting
• Weapons specialist training
• Specialist training (demolition/breaching, medic, comms, intel, sniper)

(PIX 9 – basic training)

(PIX 10 – mountain, Schwitzerland)

(PIX 11 – sniper)
(PIX 12 – mobility training, Supercat)

Jaeger Status (operative status)
The Jaeger badge is handed over. The author of this article was among the 8 candidates who out of 97 completed the course.

(PIX 13 – JAEGER)

Denmark’s Fromandskorpset (Frogman Corps), is an amphibious Special Operations unit modeled after the British Special Boat Squadron (S.B.S.). It became active on June 17th, 1957, a brainchild of Danish officers who trained in a U.S. military diving school. This brought about the country’s first Special Forces , where it became part of the Danish Navy.

However, since 1970, it has been an independent unit operating first with the submarine squadron, and now as part of the navy’s operational command. They serve as both combat swimmers and an assault unit, capable of conducting long range reconnaissance, direct action and other tasks similar in scope to the U.S Navy SEAL Teams. Fromandskorpset may also conduct counterterrorist task,s as well as aiding Danish police during crime investigation involving specialized diving.

Some 500 to 600 applicants apply yearly to become a member of the unit. Of these, less than a dozen survive the nine-month course. At one point, one of those graduating was Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

Though mostly coming from the Navy, Army recruits can apply provided they obtain a recommendation.

Those who wish to try out for the Corps must meet the following requirements:

Must be between nineteen and thirty years of age. (Officers can be thirty five), and have security clearance.
Undergo a recruit exam that lasts two days, most of the time in August.
Some of the physical exercises that must be completed during this exam are:
Muscle endurance/Bronze Circle exercise properly performed 3 times at a maximum of 12 minutes.
Cooper running test. It must be run at least 2800 meters in 12 minutes.
Tests must be performed within an hour with approximately 15 minutes pause between samples.  Additionally, there will be written tests to uncover skills in arithmetic / mathematics, English / Danish and technical understanding. There will be further tests of logical sense, sense of direction, and in performing work under pressure.
A mental evaluation with a psychologist review the applicant’s experience and considerations in relation to the choice of their particular education, collaboration and independent work, stress management and reactions under pressure and handling of unpredictability, overview and structure. The interview takes ½ – 1 hour.

If they pass recruits move on to the entrance exam that lasts 92 hours, divided into two modules, land and aquatic.

The land portion involves 70 hours and includes:

Muscle endurance/Bronze circle performed 3 times as fast as possible.
Diving medical examination
March with a 10 kg pack (about 70 km)
Sailing in black rubber dinghy
Dive Cooperation Exercises
Cross Country (15 km race)
Inflatable Exercises

The aquatic portion is 12 hours and includes:

300 meter swim test(crawl or breaststroke) in 8 minutes or less
25 meters underwater swim
Water acclimatization
Extended underwater exercises
Confidence exercise

Completion of these invites the recruit to attend a one day specialist study class in Copenhagen.

After this, if selected, candidates sign a contract in December and begin intense instruction, involving:

January: naval basic training (5 weeks)
February: Frogman Corps basic training (18 weeks)
June: Frogman Corps basic training (16 weeks)
October: Status as a frogman, to serve at least two years.

After graduation, the frogman may find himself deployed anywhere in the world, from freeing hostages held by pirates off Somalia, to trudging through the mountains of Afghanistan or cities of Iraq working alongside allied Special Forces.