Viktor Suvorov is a Soviet army officer who has defected to the West. Here is the full story of the Spetsnaz forces, the Soviet army's secret killer elite--fromons such as assassination and the neutralization of enemy governments.

A former GRU officer discusses his career in Soviet military intelligence; the military code of an armed force that kills its own wounded; and the weapons, strategy, and training of the secret spetsnaz special forces

"In Spetsnaz, Tor Bukkvoll presents the first in-depth history of the Soviet, and, later, Russian special operations forces from their establishment in the early 1950s until today. He focuses on three broad topics: (1) Soviet and later Russian thinking on the use of special operations forces; (2) the actual process of constructing these forces and how this was facilitated or hampered by other agencies of the Soviet and Russian states; and (3) the use of these forces in combat"--

Offers a candid view of a war that played a significant role in the ultimate demise of the Soviet Union. Presents analysis absolutely vital to Western policymakers, as well as to political, diplomatic, and military historians and anyone interested in Russian and Soviet history. Provides insights regarding current and future Russian struggles in ethnic conflicts both at and within their borders, struggles that could potentially destroy the Russian Federation.

counterinsurgency punctuated by moments of heady excitement and terror. Colonel Grau, the editor and translator, has added his own commentary to produce a useful guide for commanders to meet the challenges of this kind of war and to help keep his fellow soldiers alive. This book will also be of interest to the historian and general reader, who will discover that advances in technology have had little impact on this kind of war, and that many of the same tactics the British Army used on the Northwest Frontier still apply today.

Under Soviet rule, Russian small arms designers developed some of the most innovative small arms and ammo in history: underwater weapons; weapons that used silent ammo; whole families of rifles, pistols, shotguns and grenade launchers of truly advanced design favored by SPETsNAZ and the revolutionary new AN-94 assault rifle that is destined to replace the AK-74. This book contains detailed descriptions, specs and illustrations of the AN-94, PSS silent pistol, Bizon SMG, Saiga-12 tactical shotgun, GP-25 grenade launcher and more.

In this authoritative, in-depth account, military author and historian James F. Dunnigan uncovers the fascinating evolution of the world's deadliest warriors, from skilled prehistoric hunters, through Stoss Truppen', British SAS, Russia's Spetnaz, the Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrols of the Vietnam War, antiterrorism commandos, SWAT teams, and the commando wars of Afghanistan and Iraq. With brilliant analysis and gripping descriptions, Dunnigan explores the minds, methods and decisive battles of elite forces. This inside look shows the way warfare has changed forever.'