Special Air Service
The Special Air Service or SAS is a special forces regiment of the British Army that has served as a model for the special forces of other countries. The Special Air Service together with the Special Boat Service (SBS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) comprise Special Forces of the United Kingdom, under overall command of the Director Special Forces.
The Special Air Service traces its origins to 1941 during the Second World War. It gained world wide fame after its successful assault and hostages rescue which ended the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege in London. Prior to that few outside of the military special operations community knew the regiment existed.
The Special Air Service comprises 21 and 22 Special Air Service Regiments of the Regular Army and 23 Special Air Service Regiment of the Territorial Army.
