5th Special Forces Regiment (Slovakia)

The 5. Pluk špeciálneho určenia, 5. PŠU (literally 5th Special Purpose Regiment, 5th Special Forces Regiment) is based in Žilina, and serves as the Slovak Armed Forces primary counter-terrorism and special operations unit. The unit is directly attached to the Slovak Armed Forces General Staff, but is under the operational command of the Operational Reconnaissance Bureau.

It has a strength of over 450 personnel, organized into a command and staff section, a training detachment, medical section, and six detachments: four special purpose detachments, one signal platoon and one special support company. Each special purpose detachment has four ten-man teams composed of two officers, two medics, a radio operator, two snipers, an engineer, an operator, and a technician. These teams will then be specialized in special reconnaissance, Direct Action, communications, medicine, or demolitions/heavy weapons. The special support detachment has a section of 9 snipers, a combat diver section, and an anti-tank section equipped with anti-tank missiles.

The 5. PŠU regularly trains with western special operations units, including the US Army's 10th Special Forces Group and the French 1er RPIMa. Since the unit's creation in 1994, 5. Pluk špeciálneho určenia has increasingly adopted western special forces techniques and equipment, and has, in recent years, been a participant in the EUFOR Althea, and since 2011 within ISAF War in Afghanistan (2001-present).

Weapons

File:110623-A-CO174-007.jpg

5. PŠU gunner with Mk 19 grenade launcher in HMMWV

• Glock 17
• M4 carbine
• Heckler & Koch MP5
• Heckler & Koch UMP
• Heckler & Koch HK416
• Heckler & Koch G36
• FN Minimi
• Barrett M82
• M2 Browning
• M320 Grenade Launcher Module

Vehicles

• Iveco LMV 10
• HMMWV 3+
• International MaxxPro 2+

Links

• 5. PŠU WWW site
• 5. PŠU presentation
• 5. PŠU unofficial site