UK Joint Special Forces Selection

This five-day programme tests basic fitness and skills such as swimming and map reading. The swim test consists of a high water entry (10m), treading water for 9 minutes, followed immediately by a 500m timed swim, then a 10m underwater swim to recover a small weight from the bottom of the water. Candidates are interviewed individually on their motivation for joining UKSF.[2]

The Aptitude Phase, commonly referred to as Hills Phase, takes place in the Brecon Beacons, with candidates based at Sennybridge Camp. This is the endurance and navigation portion of selection and tests for physical fitness, mental determination, and capacitry for self-sufficiency. The Hills Phase lasts 4 weeks, with candidates having to perform increasingly difficult loaded marches, navigating between checkpoints individually using only a compass and hand-drawn sketch map.[1][2][3][4]

Exercise High Walk, known as the Fan Dance, is a 16-mile (26 km) march that takes place at the end of the first week of the phase. It is used as the first major indicator of whether a candidate has the physical and mental aptitude to complete selection. The candidates climb Pen y Fan's west slope (facing Corn Du) and then descend on the far side, known as Jacob's Ladder. The rest of the route follows the old Roman road, before going back on itself, ascending Pen y Fan again for the return leg. Candidates are allowed 4 hours 10 minutes to complete the route.[1][3]

A member of British Armed Forces training in the Brecon Beacons, potentially on UKSF Selection, above Llyn y Fan Fawr.

In 2013, three Army reservists died while undertaking the Fan Dance. They collapsed at the end of the march, after temperatures soared to 30c, while they had carried a rifle and bergen weighing at least 27kg (60lb).[5][6][3]

Simon Jeffries, a former member of the SBS, describes how at one point in the second week of the Hills Phase, on what is known as either 'Black Tuesday' or 'Black Wednesday', candidates will conduct an arduous march in the daytime, but instead of being taken back to camp, they are taken to another location to conduct a night march. This is exceptionally difficult, as candidates are already exhausted, sore, and hungry, and are not expecting this.[7]

This phase culminates with the 'Long Drag', a 40 mile (64 km) trek carrying a 25kg (55lb) bergen (not including food, water & rifle), that must be completed in under 20 hours, navigating from checkpoint to checkpoint individually and against the clock, throughout the day and regardless of the weather conditions. Candidates are forbidden from using paths and trails.[1][3]

Andy McNab, former sergeant in the SAS, stated that at the end of the Hills Phase, his group had gone from 220 down to 24 candidates.[8]

The second phase of selection consists of 14 weeks of SF tactics, techniques and procedures training, held at a candidates' respective unit, Stirling Lines for the SAS, and RM Poole for the SBS. Soldiers are taught advanced weapon handling with weapons used by UKSF, as well as weapons used by foreign militaries and adversaries. Patrolling, ambush, break contact, close target reconnaissance, demolitions, vehicle handling, close quarters battles (CQB), battlefield casualty, and dynamic shooting drills are also learned. Candidates who cannot absorb and apply these skills are RTU'd.[1][9][10]

Royal Marines (not UKSF) during a live fire exercise in the jungles of Belize, where the Jungle Phase is held.

The third phase of selection takes place deep in the jungle of Brunei or Belize. Candidates are expected to apply and demonstrate skills learned from continuation training, whilst in an arduous, humid, dirty, wet, hot environment, where toxic and poisonous animals and plants are rife, and a simple cut could lead to a severe infection.[11] Candidates are watched and assessed constantly by the Directing Staff (DS). Soldiers use live rounds, and simulate being a member of a 4-man jungle long range recce patrol (LRRP), deep behind enemy lines, for a month.[12][13][14]

Chris Ryan, former sergeant in the SAS, credits this training for saving his life after his patrol, callsign Bravo Two Zero, was compromised while conducting a reconnaissance patrol north of Baghdad. Forced to trek 190 miles through the Iraqi desert to cross the border into Syria, it was the longest escape and evasion in the history of the SAS.[15]

Mandatory for all UKSF. Operators are trained in High altitude/high opening and High Altitude Low Opening by the Parachute Training Squadron, Airborne Delivery Wing at RAF Brize Norton.[16]

For SBS personnel only, the SC3 course involves training in diving in all conditions, canoeing (often over long distances), underwater demolitions, beach reconnaissance and surveying techniques. Any man that has reached this stage is now in the SBS, but is considered under probation and subject to being RTU'd if he fails to meet the standards.[16]