Elite units have long been prominent in the armies of South-East Asia and, given the turmoil in the region after the 1960s, these forces have had ample opportunity to be tested in combat.

Acknowledged expert on South-East Asia Ken Conboy outlines the history, organization and insignia of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indonesian, Malaysian and various other South-East Asian special forces from their origins up until the late 80s, covering such groups as the Vietnamese Luc Luong Dac Biet ('Special Forces') and Lien Doi Ngoui Nhia underwater demolition team and the Cambodian Airborne Brigade Group.

Ken Conboy was educated as an undergraduate at Georgetown University and took his graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. He also studied at Sophia University in Tokyo. He is the Deputy Director of the Asian Studies Centre, a Washington based think tank, which studies US strategic and economic policy towards South-East Asia, and he has travelled extensively in that region. Ken has written widely on the military forces of South-East Asia including two titles in the Men-at-Arms series on the wars in Laos and Cambodia, and Elite 33, South-East Asian Special Forces.

Republic of Vietnam: Special Forces
Vietnamese Naval Special Forces
Cambodia: Army Airborne
Khmer Special Forces
Laos
Indonesia: Marine Special Forces
Air Force Special Forces
Army Special Forces
Army Airborne Infantry
Malaysia: Army Special Forces
The Philippines: Scout Rangers
Army Special Forces
Singapore
Thailand: Police Special Forces
Army Special Forces
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Burma
The Plates