Danish Special Forces Get Rare Attention for Pirate Raid

(Feb. 5) -- Today's military rescue of a ship attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia brought some rare publicity to Denmark's elite special forces. Danish frogmen rescued the Ariella, which had been boarded by pirates who approached the ship in a small skiff, The Associated Press reports.

If Denmark's special forces don't get much press, one reason may simply be their size: They are counted in the hundreds. By comparison, the U.S. Special Operations Command has some some 55,000 personnel.

But Denmark over the past few years has been increasing an emphasis on its special forces, which consist of the Jægerkorpset, an Army unit similar to British commandos, and the Frømandskorpset, the rough equivalent of U.S. Navy SEALs. Not only have they grown their ranks; they are seeking action as well.

"Events happen rapidly in our field, and if we are to measure up to the best special forces out there, it doesn't do any good if we only train," the special forces corps chief, Lt. Col. Henrik Friis, said in 2005, according to the trade publication Defense News. "We need to get out and complete some missions."

Indeed, Danish special forces have spent time in Afghanistan. A book last year by a former member of the elite unit focusing on Afghan operations sparked a political firestorm in Denmark. Government officials accused the author of compromising security by describing operational details.

Today's rescue may demonstrate Denmark's commitment to deploying its special forces, but it doesn't mean those operations are always dramatic. When Danish special forces arrived to free the crew, the pirates were already gone, according to the AP.