Starfleet Special Forces

There is an interesting blog about Special Operations Forces in science fiction, dated July 30, 2014. These are some of its highlights concerning Star Trek:

The Starfleet Rescue Party from Star Trek V: The Final Insult


There is little debate that Star Trek: V was the bottom of the barrel, and it broke a string of "good" ST films. However, there [are] two very unique elements about this film, the Rescue Party itself and their uber-cool "type 2 assault phaser". When [the negotiations] break down at Nimbus III with Sybok and his Army of Galactic Light, the Enterprise-A deploys an elite, heavily armed away team, with a mix of senior officers and security personnel. . . .



[. . .]

There is little [or] nothing mentioned about the team [in] the official magazine of the film, . . . the producers were thinking of encasing the commandos in full-body armor with [a] badass phaser rifle. That was replaced by [the] Starfleet security officers in cool "commando" style sweaters and the new Assault Phaser that was more weapon-like than previous phaser seen.



Of course, [in] typical Star Trek fashion, the captain of the ship, the XO/Science Officer, with the Helmsmen, comms officer, and the chief of surgery [are all] on an armed away party to rescue [the] hostages. I call [bull****] on that, especially when you examine the rescue team. . . . You soon realize that the writers of ST:V were clueless on Special Operations. After all, they left the head of security for the Enterprise-A in command of [the] ship, but included the comms officer and the chief of surgery on the mission? What the frak? . . . In the end, the rescue team from Star Trek V: The Final Insult is a rare example of Starfleet's on-planet capability.

[. . .]

The Celtris III Covert-Operations Team from Star Trek: TNG: "Chain of Command"


In one of the best episodes of TNG, 1992's Chain of Command two-parter, we see a rare example of a clandestine Starfleet mission. During the original Federation/Cardassian War, the Cardassian Union was attempting to annex Minos Korva. After the [Cardassians] lost the war, they never forgot that failure to capture Minos Korva for themselves. In 2369, the [Cardassians] hatched an ingenious plan to learn the Federation's plans about Minos Korva. Picard, Crusher, and [Worf] are all reassigned per Admiral's orders to a covert team to [an] uninhabited planet in Cardassian space, Celtris III, using the shuttle Feynman.

It was believed by Starfleet Intelligence that given the theta-band radiation emissions coming from the planet, that the Cardassians were creating [a metagenic] device. [Metagenic] weapons were outlawed biological weapons. This came at the same time as [the] increased Cardassian military activity. Picard was chosen due to his knowledge of theta-band emissions, Dr. Crusher was there to confirm the bio-weapon and [neutralize] it, and [Worf] was the muscle on the op. The Cardassians designed all of this to lure Picard into their hands so that they could learn more on Minos Korva and use Picard as a high-level hostage.



[. . .]

While the [episode features] some of the best acting and [storylines] in all of TNG, it is flawed logically. The Cardassians take a big risk with their Trojan horse, and because Starfleet is stupid, they send one of their most senior officers and commander of the Federation flagship on a covert mission with limited protection all on [a] chance of the [Cardassians] developing a super bio-weapon. I [especially] love the black ninja kit that they wear.

Starfleet "Section 31" from the Star Trek Universe


The original Starfleet charter in Article 14 Section 31 . . . gives Starfleet wide powers during [a] time of war or threat. Forged out of [this section] is the Section 31 Starfleet intelligence clandestine organization that has been in operation since before the founding of the Federation in 2161. The goal of Section 31 is to be [the] shadow of the Federation, and [to] investigate . . . and counter . . . threats. Given their black operations and illegal actions, Section 31 [has] no central location nor any official record. In the ST universe, Section 31 is similar to the [Romulan] Tal Shiar and the Cardassian [Obsidian] Order.​

ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS

According to Phasers.net: Assault Phaser, The Making of the Trek Films has the following information about the Starfleet rescue party in Star Trek V:

Laughed Greg Jein, "There were a lot of things we wanted to build into the new phasers, to make them more believable as a weapon than a squirtgun. In one scene, a Federation SWAT team is preparing an assault, and the new phasers give the feeling of an old war movie."​

Typical identifying equipment of a SWAT team is a ballistic shield. The Star Trek V's version is likely a more advanced type of shield that includes protection against energy weapons.

This SWAT team looks like the Starfleet's equivalent of the U.S. Navy Special Response Team and similar forces:

U.S. Navy Special Response Teams are specially-trained Naval Security Force (Military Police) personnel, typically Master-At-Arms, stationed with a given Naval installation / vessel.

As with USMC, Army and USAF SRTs, Navy Special Response Teams / Special Response Forces are special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams tasked with responding to crisis situations such as active shooters, hostage taking, barricaded suspects and with providing additional security during high profile events.​

This is what Wikipedia: Special Operations article has to say about such forces:

While not formally designated as Special Operations Forces, there are several units whose missions and training are identical to SOF but operate in support of conventional combatant commanders, to include: US Army Long Range Reconnaissance Companies/Detachments (LRSC/LRSD), US Army Pathfinder Companies (PFDR), Military Police Special Reaction Teams (equivalent to civilian police SWAT teams), Marine Force Recon, Explosive Ordnance Disposal units (EOD), and various sniper teams.​

This is as close to the official Starfleet special forces as it gets, and they are part of Starfleet Security.

Regarding the Assault Phaser itself, as described at Phasers.net: Assault Phaser:

An unusual design in that the butt contains a [removable] magazine powerpack.

[. . .]

Another unusual setting: a beam that cuts into the flesh it hits without cauterization, one of the few times we’ve seen what these weapons might actually do – the novelization of ST6 calls them ‘burning phasers’ and says they’re outlawed.

There were several other facts established about phasers in general, but which might only relate to this model: a stun beam at close range to the skull can kill. . . .

[. . .]

Liam Kavanagh has recently turned up the following information from The Making of the Trek Films, edited by Edward Gross: "William Shatner's hoped for revolutionary approach to Star Trek V extended to such things as the crew's hand held [weaponry], the phasers, which are a far cry from the small plastic weapons of the earlier films and TV series: big, black and very dangerous looking, they may well change the look of STAR TREK hardware to come.

"I didn't want them to be squirt-guns," said Shatner. "I wanted them to be .45's. We load them on camera and you can run out of power - you can run out of bullets, in other words. It makes sense. So we could have a gun, and then not have a gun. Also, I wanted the phasers to sound differently, too. Instead of tinkling, I wanted them to crackle."

[. . .]

I'm not sure now why this is called an Assault Phaser; was it me who started it, or did I pick up on it from someone else? It's a powerful weapon, yes, and one that could conceivably be carried on a starship in tandem with the TMP-TWOK phaser that we surmise could have been in service during the same period. But why, then, have an easily-accessible locker containing FOUR of these weapons. . . in a kitchen?!​

Well, it looks like at least one of the prop makers themselves may have given the phaser its name:

Greg Jein mastered and made the Assault Phaser, Ed [Miarecki] was hired to make the machined metal parts and I [Richard Coyle] was hired to build the lighting system with the working trigger.​

This is how the Wikipedia: Assault weapon article describes an assault weapon:

The definition varies among regulating jurisdictions, but usually includes semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magazine and a pistol grip, and sometimes other features such as a flash suppressor or barrel shroud. Some firearms are specified by name. At the time that the now-defunct Federal Assault Weapons Ban passed in 1994, the U.S. Justice Department said, "In general, assault weapons are semiautomatic firearms with a large magazine of ammunition that were designed and configured for rapid fire and combat use."​

As for being available in an easily-accessible kitchen locker, Phasers.net quotes The Making of the Trek Films, which, in regards to the Assault Phasers, states, "they may well change the look of STAR TREK hardware to come."

What do you think?

 

The guys from Trek V were actually intended to be Marines. Behind the scenes sources identified them as Marines, and costuming even went so far as to create a special new colour of turtleneck to represent this (blue). They are unfortunately never identified on screen as Marines.

The novels have heavily featured Starfleet Special Forces, and indeed a special forces background is heavily featured for the novel character Elias Vaughn. And there is the matter of are the MACOs actually a military organization or the special forces of a United Earth military.

 

Kirk with kung fu grip:
Hikeeba

 

And of course there's COLONEL West from ST VI.

 

Why am I sensing that the OP is @Baxten on a new account?

 

Such a suspicion should be expressed to a moderator or admin via a PM and not posted in a public thread.