1st Special Operations Regiment (Romania)
Brigăzii 6 Operaţii Speciale "Mihai Viteazu" (English: 6th Special Operations Brigade "Mihai Viteazu") is a Romanian Land Forces brigade formed in 25 October 2011. Brigada 6 is composed of Batalionul 610 Operaţii Speciale, Batalionul 60 Paraşutişti, Batalionul 498 Paraşutişti, Batalionul 640 Logistic. Mihai Viteazu Brigade headquarters is in City of Târgu Mureş.
An earlier structure which is the Regimentul 1 Operaţii Speciale was established in 1 August 2009.
In the late 1990s, the Romanian Armed Forces considered the possibility of creating a unified special operations force (SOF). The Romanian Joint Chiefs of Staff had discussions in which they sought to decide whether to keep the existing orders of battle of elite units incorporated into each separate category of forces (ground forces, the air force and the navy), or to create a new, integrated unit. They decided on the latter plan, especially considering the (at that time) future integration of Romania into NATO.
Rapid changes took place soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when the decision was made to create this new unit, which would "embed the best soldiers from all three categories of the armed forces, the ground forces, the air force and the navy" (General Chief of Staff, Gen. dr. Mihail Popescu).
Selection started in 2003. Four allied nations—the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Turkey—advised in the selection process, incorporating their experience into the new SOF battalion.
In preparation for the creation of the military unit, several elite units were disbanded. These included the 119th Recon Battalion in Oradea, the 56th Para battalion in Caracal-Deveselu, the 64th Para battalion at Titu-Boteni, as well as another para battalion in Câmpia Turzii. All but the last were elite units that participated in a large number of international exercises, as well as deployments abroad.
Read more about 1st Special Operations Regiment (Romania): Batalionul 610 Operaţii Speciale "Vulturi", Batalionul 60 Paraşutişti "Băneasa-Otopeni", Batalionul 498 Paraşutişti "Smaranda Brăescu", Structure, Timeline
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