Hærens Spesialstyrker Kommando

Army Special Forces Command
Hærens Spesialstyrker Kommando (HSK)
Active	1982
Country	Nordenland
Allegiance	Nordenland Defense Forces
Branch	Nordenland Nordenland Special Operations Command
Type	Special Forces
Role	Special Operations Counter Terrorism
Size	Classified
Garrison/HQ	Hegra Fortress
Motto(s)	"Pax Per Virtutem" (Peace Through Valor)
Colors	Grey Beret
Engagements	Bosian War Kosovo War Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Anaconda Resolute Support Mission Operation Jacana ISAF Operation Pickaxe-Handle American University of Afghanistan attack Kabul Park Palace Hotel attack 2015 Park Palace guesthouse attack 2015 Coordinated Terrorist Attacks in Europe 2018 Inter-Continental Hotel Kabul attack Fall of Kabul (2021)
Decorations	Army Presidential Unit Citation

Hærens Spesialstyrker Kommando (HSK) (English: Army Special Forces Command) is a special operations force unit within the Nordenland Defense Forces.

The unit was established in 1982 due to the increased risk of terrorist activity against Nordenland’s interests, including critical infrastructure in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.

On 1 January 2014, the Nordenland Special Operations Command (Forsvarsmakts Spesialstyrker, NORSOCOM) was established, uniting the HSK and the Naval Combat Research Group (Nordenic: Marinens Kampforskning Gruppe, MKG) under a unified command within the Nordenland Defense Forces.

Background

Very little is known publicly about Hærens Spesialstyrker Kommando (HSK), as the Nordenland government denied their existence and participation in any military operations for a long time. Some details, however, have emerged after HSK's participation in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

The establishment of HSK was briefly mentioned in an article in the Nordenland newspaper, Norrønposten, in 1983. During a hijacking in Nordenland in 1985, it was reported that HSK operatives had been put on alert at their base in Hegra Fortress but were not requested to assist in any action. but not requested to assist in any action. A proposal to disband the HSK in 1988, as a financial measure, was met with protests, especially from the oil industry and the military. The plan was shelved after much media attention. Norrønposten reported on the unit as a "special military command composed of highly trained operators from the Defense Forces, in addition to other specialists."

The first time HSK was publicly mentioned by a representative of the armed forces, was in connection with the hijacking of Nordenic Airlines Flight 347 at Thordvald International Airport in September 1993. The following year, the magazine Vi Menn published an article about HSK. In 1990, HSK was also mentioned in a research paper: "The Army's Special Forces Command (HSK) is specially trained to respond to terrorist attacks against Arctic energy installations—especially hijacking situations." HSK's existence was only publicly acknowledged by the Nordenland Defense Forces for the first time in 1999, when a piece about the unit appeared in the military magazine Forsvarets Forum (The Defence Forum).

HSK cooperates with special operations forces from several other countries, including the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) of the United Kingdom, and Delta Force, Navy SEALs/DEVGRU of the United States.

History

Hærens Spesialstyrker Kommando can trace its roots back to the Second World War, when Norwegians served in the Nordenic Independent Company 1 (NOR.I.C.1) of the British Special Operations Executiveincluding the famous Operation Gunnerside raid of the heavy water plant at Rjukan.