U.S. Navy SEALs Vs. British SAS

[Anaxagoras]

In a battle between a U.S. Navy SEAL tema (i.e. 120 men) against a comparatively-sized force of British SAS, who would emerge the victor? Both are armed and equipped in their respective fashion and the battle takes place in... well, wherever.

[Captain America]

US Seals would win

[Puget Sound]

This sounds like a Clive Cussler novel I read that had this same situation (I can't remember the title, through).

[Anaxagoras]

Originally Posted by Puget Sound

This sounds like a Clive Cussler novel I read that had this same situation (I can't remember the title, through).

Night Probe. One of his best works, in my opinion.

[Hannibal.Caesar]

Wrong forum for something like this ... put it in chat, I suppose.

In any case, I think it's extremely difficult to compare special operations groups in an objective way. Every team has its own way of doing things, not to mention the distinct reasons that each exist. The SEALs, the SAS, Sayeret Matkal, GIS, Marine Recon, GIGN, USAF Pararescue, the USCG AST teams, etc. all have a particular reason why they were created and often have organization-specific ways of ingress, operations, and egress. IMHO you can't make blanket assumptions like, "the SEALs are better than the SAS!" unless you have insider knowledge of how they do things. If that was the case, chances are you wouldn't be posting here.

[The Dean]

The SAS would correctly identify the SEAL team and avoiding discovery avert the conflict.

[EmptyOne]

Originally Posted by The Dean

The SAS would correctly identify the SEAL team and avoiding discovery avert the conflict.

Personally, I think they'd correctly identify each other and proceed to cooperatively take over a small, under-militarized nation ... like Canada.

[Krall]

Originally Posted by Hannibal.Caesar

Wrong forum for something like this ... put it in chat, I suppose.

In any case, I think it's extremely difficult to compare special operations groups in an objective way. Every team has its own way of doing things, not to mention the distinct reasons that each exist. The SEALs, the SAS, Sayeret Matkal, GIS, Marine Recon, GIGN, USAF Pararescue, the USCG AST teams, etc. all have a particular reason why they were created and often have organization-specific ways of ingress, operations, and egress. IMHO you can't make blanket assumptions like, "the SEALs are better than the SAS!" unless you have insider knowledge of how they do things. If that was the case, chances are you wouldn't be posting here.

Agreed, they're meant for different sorts of missions. A better 'fight' would be between Delta Force and the SAS, since Delta Force is based off the SAS and is meant for the same type of missions.

[Chris]

Natually, I voted for Britain

More seriously, as others have pointed out, what reason do they have to fight? I don't mean a war - that's assumed by the OP - but the situation; they're not matched.

Chris

[The Dean]

Originally Posted by EmptyOne

Personally, I think they'd correctly identify each other and proceed to cooperatively take over a small, under-militarized nation ... like Canada.

[Anaxagoras]

Originally Posted by Chris

More seriously, as others have pointed out, what reason do they have to fight? I don't mean a war - that's assumed by the OP - but the situation; they're not matched.

Quit ruining my fun!

[Shimbo]

Originally Posted by Puget Sound

This sounds like a Clive Cussler novel I read that had this same situation (I can't remember the title, through).

As noted, that was Night Probe. It was Royal Marines (and a character who is supposed to be James Bond) vs US Marines (and Dirk Pitt) IIRC.

It is one of Clive Cussler's better works IMO.

It's also rubbish IMO. As it says on Wikipedia "Criticism (of the book) revolves around the primary plot point, the sale of Canada to the United States by Great Britain. The book fails to reconcile the fact that at the time of the (supposed) Treaty, Canada was a British Dominion with its own government, and as a result would not have been in a position where it could have been sold to the USA by Great Britain."

Which is all a bit OT.

IMO the SAS and SEALs would never have some kind of large scale stand up fight (even given the obvious problem of why) because large scale stand up fights are not their role.

Also the SBS is the British equivalent to the SEALs anyway. Delta Force is the SAS equivalent IIRC.

Something like US Marines vs Royal Marines or US paratroopers vs British paratroopers would be a better comparison (if you like that sort of thing).

BTW this is an interesting article on the differences between US and British SF as demonstrated in Iraq: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle2461368.ece

[Hawkeye]

The SEALs will kick ass.

[Hannibal.Caesar]

Originally Posted by Anaxagoras

Quit ruining my fun!

Sorry, but that's something that you're going to have to live with on this forum. People are going to relentlessly overanalyze your post until it dies. It's just the way it is.

[The Dean]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

The SEALs will kick ass.

Yea, each others, while the SAS piss themselves laughing.

[Fellatio Nelson]

Originally Posted by Captain America

US Seals would win

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

The SEALs will kick ass.

These statements convince me far more than documentary evidence ever could.

[Doctor What]

Originally Posted by Anaxagoras

Night Probe. One of his best works, in my opinion.

Night Probe. Best Work.



~looks suspiciously at Anaxagoras~

Glue is NOT for sniffing....

Originally Posted by Fellatio Nelson

These statements convince me far more than documentary evidence ever could.

Shush Fell--you're ruining the Americans' wank-fun again...

[Berra]

Thande will kill both with accidental toxic spill.

[kojak]

It goes against my very British essence to say: the SEALs would win, I guess. As far as I know, the SAS isn't geared towards or trained for large scale engagements such as this, whilst the SEALs are.

[Hannibal.Caesar]

Originally Posted by kojack

It goes against my very British essence to say: the SEALs would win, I guess. As far as I know, the SAS isn't geared towards or trained for large scale engagements such as this, whilst the SEALs are.

AFAIK the SEALs aren't either. As far as I'm concerned part of the entire mission of special operations is to avoid large-scale engagements.