Special Air Service

The Special Air Service (SAS ) is a special forces corps of the British Army. It has served as a model for the special forces of other countries.[2][3] The SAS forms a significant section of United Kingdom Special Forces alongside the Special Boat Service (SBS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The SAS gained fame and recognition world wide after the Iranian Embassy Storming (or Operation Nimrod) in 1980 which was one of the first of its kind and was broadcast live all over the globe.[4]The Special Air Service is divided into two distinct parts: the 22 Regiment Special Air Service, the regular regiment of the SAS, which is the unit associated with most well-known SAS operations; and two Territorial Army units: the 21 Regiment Special Air Service and 23 Regiment Special Air Service.

History
Main article: History of the SAS

The SAS was a unit of the British Army during World War II formed in 1941 by David Stirling as a commando force operating behind enemy lines during the war in North Africa and Europe. It was officially disbanded on November 30, 1946. In 1947 the Artists Rifles regiment was remodelled as the nucleus of the reformed Special Air Service.