Hærens Spesialstyrker Kommando
| Army Special Forces Command | |
|---|---|
| Hærens Spesialstyrker Kommando | |
| Country |  Nordenland |
| Allegiance |  Nordenland Defense Forces |
| Branch | .png){kind=small} Nordenland Nordenland Special Operations Command |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Size | Classified |
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, Kaldaposten, 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. A proposal to disband HSK in 1988, as a financial measure, was met with protests, especially from the Arctic energy sector and the military. The plan was shelved after significant media attention. Kaldaposten reported on the unit as a "special military command composed of highly trained operators from Hærens Jegerkommando and Marinens Kampforskning Gruppe, 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 a commercial flight at Kalda International Airport in September 1993. The following year, the magazine Nordens 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.