The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. While a small and secretive institution, it sometimes attracts a disproportionate amount of media coverage.
The SAS forms a significant part of United Kingdom Special Forces, alongside the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The SAS, ranked by many as one of the best special forces units in the world, today serves as a model for similar units fielded by other countries.
The SAS can trace its existence back to 1941, when British Army volunteers conducted raids behind enemy lines in the North African Campaign of WWII. The Regiment's motto is "Who Dares Wins".