| abstract | - The Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (Special Operations Unit - UOE) was the elite special operations force of the Spanish Navy and Marines from 1967 to 2009. In June 2009, the unit was absorbed into the newly formed Naval Special Warfare Force (Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial). The UOE, which was formerly garrisoned in the Tercio de Armada in San Fernando, Cádiz, operated under the direct control of the Admiralty and Naval Special Warfare Command. It was thought to comprise approximately 100 men organized into three Operational Teams (Estoles) as well as command and support personnel. The UOE was tasked with Special Operations in maritime, coastal and inland environments usually up to 50 km from the sea, though this was not a restriction and its teams were known to operate deep inland. The unit's remit covered all aspects of modern Naval Special Warfare, including: Maritime Counter-Terrorism, shipboarding (MIO-Non Compliant), combat diving and swimming, coastal infiltration, airborne insertion, Special Reconnaissance, Direct Action, VIP protection and escort, and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR). For these purposes the UOE employed a wide range of naval and other military platforms, including submarines, frigates, soft- and rigid-hull inflatable boats, land vehicles, as well as helicopters and airplanes for airborne insertions.
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