The 9 most elite special forces in the world

They go where other soldiers fear to tread, scoping out potential threats, taking out strategic targets, and conducting daring rescue missions.

These really are the best of the best.

Although it's extremely difficult to rank these forces relative to each other, there are some units that rise above the rest in terms of their track record and the fear they instill in their adversaries. These soldiers have been through weeks of rigorous training exercises explicitly designed to weed out those who can't hit their exacting standards.

In a world where the importance of the sheer size of a country's military forces is no longer a guide to their effectiveness, these soldiers are the ones state's look to in order to get the job done.