A fully-illustrated account of the status and role of Special Forces today and what the future holds in view of dramatic advances in technology, their increasing use as political enforcers and the changing face of the battlefield. Why do we need Special Forces and what will their role be in the future? Including histories of individual units, selection and training procedures, tactics and equipment, The Operators is an extraordinary insight into Special Forces. World-renowned units such as the SAS, Delta Force, French Foreign Legion and Germany's GSG-9 are all covered in detail with personal accounts of recent operations, as are lesser-known specialist outfits including Spain's anti-terrorist Unidad Especial de Intervencion (UEI) and Japan's Special Assault Team. Every unit, tactic and weapon is backed up with photographs of it in action, as well as testimony from operators in the field and a full analysis of its effectiveness. The War on Terror and the most recent operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans are fully examined and the role of Special Forces in future decades is explored.