Are Tactical Ops teams basically Modern day ninja.

[kyrax12]

Anyone with knowledge of the two want to chime in?

 

[MixMasterTang]

Similarities but many differences as well.

 

[kyrax12]

Similarities but many differences as well.

Can you elaborate on those similarities and differences?

 

[phucheneh]

It depends on how you define 'ninja.' If you think of it as this magical silent, deadly guy that appears and disappears at will; no, not the same.

But if you realize the reality, it's pretty similar. Advanced training and tactics among a unit considered 'elite.' There's nothing magic about SEALS, Rangers, or similar. Or their even more advanced counterparts (DEVGRU and Delta).

But they often appear magic to their enemies. Perhaps even moreso than ninjas because of technology. Uncanny awareness with thermals, NVG's and whatnot. Dropping out of the sky, or approaching under water (with rebreathers, not bamboo snorkels...). Ect.

edit: also, from what I know, modern units are a lot more 'warrior' than ninjas were. The latter were often employed more in roles of espionage/intelligence and other things are more considered the realm of 'spies.' 'Commando' units may do reconnaisance, but are generally more known to just to be a precision tool for acting upon previously-gathered information.

 

[irishScott]

It depends on how you define 'ninja.' If you think of it as this magical silent, deadly guy that appears and disappears at will; no, not the same.

But if you realize the reality, it's pretty similar. Advanced training and tactics among a unit considered 'elite.' There's nothing magic about SEALS, Rangers, or similar. Or their even more advanced counterparts (DEVGRU and Delta).

But they often appear magic to their enemies. Perhaps even moreso than ninjas because of technology. Uncanny awareness with thermals, NVG's and whatnot. Dropping out of the sky, or approaching under water (with rebreathers, not bamboo snorkels...). Ect.

edit: also, from what I know, modern units are a lot more 'warrior' than ninjas were. The latter were often employed more in roles of espionage/intelligence and other things are more considered the realm of 'spies.' 'Commando' units may do reconnaisance, but are generally more known to just to be a precision tool for acting upon previously-gathered information.

This. The "magic" technology in the Ninja days was small, hand-held explosives, poison, and claws that let you walk on walls, nowadays it's laser-guided bombs, night-vision scopes, and silencers no civilian can acquire.

OP: Read "Inside Delta Force" by Eric Haney. He's a founding (ex)Delta member himself and he goes quite in-depth as to the nature of the training they received. I remember once he commented that the unit was scolded by their commander for expending only a million rounds of ammo in one month of shoot-house training.

These guys are warriors 24/7, and in peacetime they train 8-14 hours a day. A lot of them apparently seem themselves as more successors to the Spartans and other warrior-elites than the Ninja.

 

[kyrax12]

It depends on how you define 'ninja.' If you think of it as this magical silent, deadly guy that appears and disappears at will; no, not the same.

But if you realize the reality, it's pretty similar. Advanced training and tactics among a unit considered 'elite.' There's nothing magic about SEALS, Rangers, or similar. Or their even more advanced counterparts (DEVGRU and Delta).

But they often appear magic to their enemies. Perhaps even moreso than ninjas because of technology. Uncanny awareness with thermals, NVG's and whatnot. Dropping out of the sky, or approaching under water (with rebreathers, not bamboo snorkels...). Ect.

edit: also, from what I know, modern units are a lot more 'warrior' than ninjas were. The latter were often employed more in roles of espionage/intelligence and other things are more considered the realm of 'spies.' 'Commando' units may do reconnaisance, but are generally more known to just to be a precision tool for acting upon previously-gathered information.

Aren't Ninjas a type of warrior?

 

[Sulaco]

Oh, if ONLY JohnOfSheffield weren't banned...

 

[Murloc]

well if ninjas are supertrained killers above other soldiers of their time, I guess they are.

 

[Jeeebus]

Ninjas don't write books about their lives/tactics. They're too busy killing shit and fucking your wife while she sleeps to be writing books.

 

[Crono]

From Wikipedia:"...a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan who specialized in unorthodox warfare. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, and open combat in certain situations.Their covert methods of waging war contrasted the ninja with the samurai, who observed strict rules about honor and combat."

Sounds like special forces/tactical ops to me. Specialized warriors who may use unorthodox tactics beyond the scope of a normal soldier. For both the ninja of Japan and modern spec ops stealth and surprise is the main tactical tool.

EDIT: I claim no particular knowledge of either.

 

[brainhulk]

 

[Garet Jax]

Why yes, yes they are.

Having been both, I can tell you that the skills learned in one are very transferable to the other.

 

[Josh123]

I would say "no" after doing some research.

http://www.realultimatepower.net/index4.htm

 

[preslove]

The difference is a special ops soldier > a normal infantryman in straightforward fighting. A samurai would make mincemeat out of a ninja on a field with katanas.

 

[cannabis2468]

I went through ranger school and got my tab back in 07 (Note- I was never in a ranger batt so I will not be claiming to be a ranger. I was in the 82nd and completed the on base PRC and was able to get slotted for the school). The school was tough but if you are in fairly good shape I wouldn't say it was a lifes accomplishment or anything. The toughestpart for me was lack of sleep. I would hardly describe myself as ninja. im sure its different for the guys in a ranger batt though. Was kinda just infantry training on steroids

 

[momeNt]

We will never know the training that true ninjas underwent, nor will we know their work in the field. So it is impossible to compare the two.

Ninjas still exist btw, so modern day ninjas doesn't really make sense in this thread.

Perhaps just a compare and contrast ninja vs tactical ops?

 

[Lash444]

Personally, I don't think so. The biggest difference is that a real ninja would win in hand-to-hand combat (to the death) against an elite mma fighter.

 

[Legios]

With the armor and vests available today to the Spec Ops they are more like Ninja Turtles.

 

[Broheim]

The difference is a special ops soldier > a normal infantryman in straightforward fighting. A samurai would make mincemeat out of a ninja on a field with katanas.

a SOF operator is just a soldier who the military has spent a lot more money on training and equipping, that's the only real difference.

you can take a seal to any frontline company and you're going to find someone there who's stronger, someone who's faster, someone who's a better marksman and so on (a bit of a hyperbole, but you get my point), but they're just the whole package and held to a higher standard so you know what you're "getting".

and most of what they do is downright boring, I remember talking to an officer from the danish huntsmen corps and he told me about one of their ops in Afghanistan where they spent an undisclosed amount of time camped out on a mountainside observing and gathering intel from the valley down below. shitting in a bag, eating cold MREs and doing fuckall for (probably) weeks.

 

[preslove]

a SOF operator is just a soldier who the military has spent a lot more money on training and equipping, that's the only real difference.

you can take a seal to any frontline company and you're going to find someone there who's stronger, someone who's faster, someone who's a better marksman and so on (a bit of a hyperbole, but you get my point), but they're just the whole package and held to a higher standard so you know what you're "getting".

and most of what they do is downright boring, I remember talking to an officer from the danish huntsmen corps and he told me about one of their ops in Afghanistan where they spent an undisclosed amount of time camped out on a mountainside observing and gathering intel from the valley down below. shitting in a bag, eating cold MREs and doing fuckall for (probably) weeks.

I'm sure that's true, but a special ops soldier will be a top notch infantry man. A ninja in a black jumpsuit would have been straight up murdered an average samurai in a normal battle situation.

 

[Broheim]

I'm sure that's true, but a special ops soldier will be a top notch infantry man. A ninja in a black jumpsuit would have been straight up murdered an average samurai in a normal battle situation.

yeah, that's exactly my point.

well except for the ninja part, which is also true though.

ninjas were pussy assassins who stayed clear of actual combat because a samurai would fuck them up.

the CIA is basically the bitchass ninjas of today.

 

[alkemyst]

Aren't Ninjas a type of warrior?

I think it's more because they weren't white.

Modern special ops = ninja

 

[Jeeebus]

Aren't Ninjas a type of warrior?

Ninja Warrior is the best show... ever.

And no, not that shitty US version.