SAS (Action Force)
Encyclopedia
SAS Force is a fictional special forces military unit that features in the Action Force
Action Force
Action Force was a 1980s range of European action figures initially based on Action Man, and later used to introduce G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys to European markets...

 universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...

 action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...

 and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

 series.

SAS Force was depicted both in the Battle Action Force comic books and also with a range of action figures and vehicles from Palitoy Limited
Palitoy
Palitoy was the name of a British toy company.It manufactured some of the most popular toys in Britain, some original items and others under licence...

.

Graphic Representation

The SAS characters and their representative figures and vehicles were based on the SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...

 and SBS
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...

 special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...

 regiments of the British
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...

, New Zealand and Australian armed forces. The Action Force characters were devised around the time of the Iranian Embassy Siege
Iranian Embassy Siege
The Iranian Embassy siege took place from 30 April to 5 May 1980, after a group of six armed men stormed the Iranian embassy in South Kensington, London. The gunmen took 26 people hostage—mostly embassy staff, but several visitors and a police officer, who had been guarding the embassy, were also...

 (later depicted in the movie Who Dares Wins)
Who Dares Wins (film)
Who Dares Wins is a 1982 British film starring Lewis Collins, Judy Davis, Richard Widmark and Edward Woodward, directed by Ian Sharp. The title is the motto of the elite Special Air Service ....

 when the SAS were extremely highly regarded in the British popular media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...

.

Described in promotional material as:
"The behind the lines team, skilled in sabotage and disruption. They are usually the first to go into action against Baron Ironblood
Baron Ironblood
Baron Ironblood is a fictional character from Action Force, the British equivalent to the G. I. Joe Franchise. He appeared in the Battle Action Force comic books and annuals of the 1980s and was cast as an action figure by toy-makers Palitoy and distributed around Europe.In West Germany, he was...

's fanatical Red Shadows
Red Shadows
The Red Shadows are the fictional fighting force opposed to Action Force and depicted in the UK Battle Action Force comic books. They were also portrayed in action figures by Palitoy as a European version of the G.I. Joe range. Later US G.I. Joe storylines have revived the Red Shadows as an...

"
the unit was introduced as part of the second generation of Action Force (see Action Force – second generation). The graphic representation of the SAS Force characters and vehicles borrowed heavily from their real-world counterparts by using the dark camouflage of the SAS and SBS units, although adding yellow for some of the armaments and insignia. Despite taking its name from the SAS units of the United Kingdom, Australia
Australian Special Air Service Regiment
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR but commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army...

 and New Zealand
Special Air Service of New Zealand
The New Zealand Special Air Service was formed on 7 July 1955 and is a special forces unit of the New Zealand Army modelled on the British Special Air Service . The New Zealand Government states that NZ SAS is the "premier combat unit of the New Zealand Defence Force". Its key roles are to...

, the SAS unit was written as a single multi-national fighting force including soldiers from Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, the USA, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

 and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 among others.

In another departure from their real-life counterparts, the Action Force SAS unit was not entirely under cover or "behind the lines" (despite the promotional brief). The range included the overt Wolverine missile tank, multi-missile system and the Hawk attack helicopter. Despite the marine/aquatic function of Q Force
Q Force
Q Force is a fictional marine military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....

 (which also included military frogmen) the SAS unit included waterborne operatives such as Beaver and Stakeout, echoing the role of the SBS for inland waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...

s whilst Q Force dealt with marine scenarios.

The Battle Action Force back stories that accompanied the release of the figures (see Battle Action Force tie in), were more extensive than were the case for the other Action Force ranges, with the possible exception of Z Force
Z Force (Action Force)
Z Force is a fictional infantry military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....

. Capitalising on the popularity of the real SAS, many of the comic back-stories
Back-story
A back-story, background story, or backstory is the literary device of a narrative chronologically earlier than, and related to, a narrative of primary interest. Generally, it is the history of characters or other elements that underlie the situation existing at the main narrative's start...

 of the characters and storylines involved SAS Force. Indeed, after appearing in the first-ever Action Force story, the SAS were the only Action Force unit that consistently appeared in storylines following the introduction of the third generation and the arrival of Cobra.

Three of the SAS characters had their own dedicated features exploring their back-stories: Quickfire, Beaver and Stakeout whilst characters such as Blades and Stalker also had dedicated storylines and frequent appearances in Battle Action Force.

The largest of the Action Force units, later releases ignored existing figures and their specialities and resulted in some duplication: for example, the Hawk helicopter was released with pilot Blades, notwithstanding the SAS range already included a helicopter pilot, Chopper. In addition, the unit included only marginally distinct SAS Commando (Quickfire), SAS Para Attack (Sparrowhawk), SAS Boat Patrol (Stakeout) and generic SAS Attack Trooper figures.

The figures were the least updated of the second generation of Action Force. Since the First Generation figures included SAS characters, the first wave of released figures were minor repaints, variations and repackages of the First Generation figures - for example the SAS Frogman, Pilot and Commando. Later releases were repaints of G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...

figures and vehicles - including from the 'enemy' Cobra range (e.g. Hunter as a repaint of the 1982 Cobra Officer figure).

Both Hunter and Blades re-appeared as characters in the G.I. Joe universe over 20 years later with cameos in G.I. Joe: America's Elite issue #30. Blades then made a second appearance in 2009 to coincide with the G.I. Joe Convention of that year. This time however the character was re-released as both a toy and comicbook character although he was written in as a member of the "Special Action Force" (or S.A.F) and retconned as being British rather than retaining the American nationality of the original character.

Characters

Code Name Function (figure) Real Name Birthplace Serial number Primary military speciality Secondary military speciality File card or comic book 'Datafile' description Equipment Notes
None Attack Trooper Not applicable Not applicable Various Storm and siege Shock attack Selected from the most elite Military Forces around the world only the top 1% are even considered. Must be highly experienced but willing to learn via specialist training at Action Force academies. Must demonstrate the ability to move up through the ranks of SAS, and be able to operate as a member of the Team. breathing apparatus
Gas mask
A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word...

 and a MP5 submachine gun
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....

Carded figure released as a generic SAS character.
Quickfire Commando Hans-Jorge Muller Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

AF 342998 Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...

 assault
Hand to hand combat
Hand to hand combat
Hand-to-hand combat is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons...

The best in his field. Ex-leader of German commando group. Trained to the peak of physical fitness, can attempt tasks well beyond normal capability. Instructor in Advanced Hand-to-Hand combat course at Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

 Military training school.
Tommy gun
Tommy Gun
Tommy Gun may refer to:*Thompson submachine gun or Tommy gun, a submachine gun*"Tommy Gun" , a song by The Clash...

 and a plunge detonator
Detonator
A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....

Primarily a carded figure, variants were however also packaged with some vehicles. The Quickfire character was a principal feature in SAS comic book storylines.
Barracuda Frogman Jean-Luc Bouvier Marseilles AF 342102 Underwater assault Sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...

Champion swimmer. Barracuda has vast experience in scuba diving and spent several years diving for an oil rig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...

 company. Joined French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...

 to escape arms smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...

 charge, where he swiftly became an expert knife fighter, and explosives expert. Joined Action Force when he left the Legion.
Underwater breathing apparatus
Scuba set
A scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving....

 and flippers
Swimfin
Swimfins, swim fins, fins or flippers are worn on the foot or leg and made from finlike rubber or plastic, to aid movement through the water in water sports activities such as swimming, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, kneeboarding, riverboarding, and various types of underwater diving.Scuba divers use...

The action figure was an unaltered re-release of the First Generation SAS Frogman figure.
Chopper Pilot Pete Sanderson Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

AF 342999 Helicopters Jets Stunt flier in Hollywood for MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...

 but left following disagreement with female co-star. Qualified instructor USAF
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 in Helicopter and VTOL
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...

 aircraft. Special training in HALO Assault Parachuting
The figure was supplied with an ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...

 case, a pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

 and a yellow life preserver
Personal flotation device
A personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...

The Sparrowhawk figure (see below) is a repaint of the same figure which in turn is a repaint of a First Generation release.
Eagle Squad Leader Charles Richard Buckingham Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...

AF 34698 Guerilla warfare Commando assault Son of a hereditary Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...

. Eagle was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

 and Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...

, where he won the Sword of Honour. After a brilliant Army Career he transferred to Action Force in search of more action. Familiar with all forms of Guerrilla Tactics and most weaponry used by military forces worldwide.
Supplied with a MP5 machine gun
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....

, and grappling hook
Grappling hook
A grappling hook is an anchor with multiple hooks , attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge...

 with rope.
A straight repaint of the First Generation SAS Trooper figure including gas mask
Gas mask
A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word...

 and hood, a direct copy of the uniform and equipment worn by the real-life SAS soldiers during Operation Nimrod which had occurred shortly before the figure's release and which resulted in the popular perception of SAS soldiers being dressed in such a way.
Stakeout Boat Patrol commando Albert Roger Jones Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

AF 342100 Seaborne assault Small arms Son of a Liverpool Docker
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....

. Jailed for armed robbery but released on condition he joined Action Force. Since then a reformed character and has made Assault Landings
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...

 in small boats his speciality. Expert in use of small calibre weapons of all types.
Supplied with the Boat Patrol pack (see below) which included a small armoured boat together with a M60 machine gun
M60 machine gun
The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...

, pack, machete
Machete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...

 and plunge detonator.
A direct repaint of the SAS Commando figure.
Blades Pilot of the Hawk helicopter Herbert J. Rotweiler American, Mid West AF 342153 Airborne Rapid Strike Close Quarters Battle Flying Kids called him "mother's boy" at school, but Action Force training turned him into one mean individual. Now a world renowned air strike pilot, with a reputation for keeping a cool head in a crisis. Subsidiary training in small arms weaponry - can tell you a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...

's calibre
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....

 from 30 paces.
Accompanied the Hawk helicopter A repaint of the G.I. Joe Tripwire
Tripwire (G.I. Joe)
Tripwire is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. He appeared as a minor character in both the comic books and the animated series.-Fictional character biography:...

 figure. Blades was the first character from the Action Force range to be re-released in toy form and to appear definitively in a new limited edition comic to coincide with the 2009 G.I. Joe Convention
Stalker Driver of the Panther jeep Ragnar Ragnarsson Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...

AF 342102 Rough terrain driving Heavy machine guns Three-times winner of Trans-Globe Rally, Stalker knows all there is to know about off road driving. Enlisted as a mercenary during Angola war
Angolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...

. Evaded imprisonment after major battle by solo escape through African desert. SAS Force driver of Panther vehicle.
Accompanied the Panther jeep A repaint of the 1982 G.I. Joe Snake-Eyes figure. Stalker is one of only a handful of Second Generation characters (together with Z Force's Breaker, Q Force
Q Force
Q Force is a fictional marine military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....

's Dolphin and Space Force
Space Force (Action Force)
Space Force is a fictional space military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....

's Moondancer) whose codename is duplicated in the Third Generation 'AF
AF (Action Figures)
AF or the Action Force were the third generation of Action Force action figures and comic book heroes released in the United Kingdom. Originally featuring in the Battle Action Force comics and cast as action figures by Palitoy, they were an internationally re-worked version of the G.I...

' range.
Sparrowhawk Para Attack trooper Peter Van der Berg Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

AF 342101 Shock paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...

Automatic weapons Member of Belgium's crack display parachute team. Since transferred to Action Force following discharge on compassionate grounds from Air Force. Qualified expert in all NATO and Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...

 automatic weapons. Hang glides in his spare time.
Packaged with a working parachute attachment, machine gun, machete, ammunition box and detonator. Figure is a repaint of the First Generation US Paratrooper.
Hunter Driver of the Wolverine Chico Rodrigues Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

AF 342996 Missile assault Tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...

 mechanics
Ex-Mexican bandit, who stole from the rich to give to the poor. Given asylum by Action Force. However, he's still wanted by certain Mexican authorities - that's why he always keeps his mask on. Responded well to Action Force training, and looks certain to earn an early parole. Supplied with the Wolverine missile tank Figure is a repaint of Cobra and G.I. Joe figures from the United States, including the mold of the Cobra officer. The equivalent Wolverine driver in the United States was the female, Cover Girl
Cover Girl (G.I. Joe)
Cover Girl is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline comic books and cartoon series. She is a tank jockey, specializing in the Wolverine missile tank, and debuted in 1983.-Profile:...

 and a later Third Generation (AF) Wolverine was driven by Ton Up
AF (Action Figures)
AF or the Action Force were the third generation of Action Force action figures and comic book heroes released in the United Kingdom. Originally featuring in the Battle Action Force comics and cast as action figures by Palitoy, they were an internationally re-worked version of the G.I...

.
Beaver Pilot of the Silent Attack kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...

Jacques-Peter Smith Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

AF 342746 Waterborne Sabotage Night Attack Brought up on the banks of the river Hudson
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

. Schooled in watercrafts at an early age. Recruited by the Canadian Special Forces
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command , is a command of the Canadian Forces...

 for undercover patrol, where he learnt to shoot whitewater rapids. Action Force training has developed his silent, but deadly attack techniques.
Silent Attack armoured kayak and submachine gun Beaver was another variant of the same Commando figure used for Stakeout.

Vehicles, weaponry and armour

Initially, in the first wave of release, in keeping with their "behind enemy lines" brief, the SAS Force had few vehicles. Later releases saw the introduction of more heavy weaponry – such as the Wolverine vehicle and Hawk gyrocopter.

First release

  • Panther – a heavily-armed jeep, driven by Stalker The Panther jeep was the second such vehicle in the Action Force range in addition to the Z Force jeep. A repaint of the G.I. Joe/Cobra V.A.M.P. jeep, the vehicle came with high octane
    Octane rating
    Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the anti-knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating...

     fuel tanks, was armed with a dual 7.62 mm machine gun and was capable of towing the Mobile Missile System (below)
  • Mobile Missile System – a mobile surface-to-air missile
    Surface-to-air missile
    A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...

     battery. Not provided with a character to operate it, the MMS was provided with three large Patriot
    MIM-104 Patriot
    The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the Raytheon Company of the United States. The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary High to Medium...

     missiles attached to a wheeled unit, capable of being towed by the SAS Panther jeep. The weapons unit was a re-issue of the G.I. Joe multi-missile system.
  • Boat Patrol – a small, rigid power boat, piloted by Stakeout. Actually a re-issue of the removable roof boat unit from the First Generation AF-3 jeep, the boat had an outboard motor
    Outboard motor
    An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom and are the most common motorized method of propelling small watercraft...

     (as well as a single oar
    Oar
    An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles are that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by...

    ) and a heavy machine-gun (in addition to the M60 machine gun provided with Stakeout).

Second release

  • Wolverine – A tracked tank-style missile launcher, driven by Hunter. A black and grey camouflaged tank, the Wolverine was another mobile missile system however in contrast to the MMS (see above) the Wolverine battery was intended to have ground-to-ground
    Surface-to-surface missile
    A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...

     capability. The vehicle was a repaint of an existing G.I. Joe vehicle of the same name, driven by Cover Girl. A later Third Generation release had a new driver, Ton Up.
  • Hawk - A one-man light helicopter, piloted by Blades The aircraft was a black and yellow single seat helicopter, similar in design to a microlight helicopter or gyrocopter. The aircraft was still supposedly within the SAS stealth
    Stealth aircraft
    Stealth aircraft are aircraft that use stealth technology to avoid detection by employing a combination of features to interfere with radar as well as reduce visibility in the infrared, visual, audio, and radio frequency spectrum. Development of stealth technology likely began in Germany during...

     remit being capable of flying below radar
    Radar
    Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...

     and with non-reflective paint. Accompanied by four air-to-air
    Air-to-air missile
    An air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...

     heat seeking rockets and a nose-mounted rotary cannon
    Gatling gun
    The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...

    , the vehicle was a repaint of the Cobra F.A.N.G. helicopter released with the G.I. Joe range and later with the Third Generation. Piloted by Blades, the range appeared to ignore the existing SAS helicopter pilot character, Chopper. Outside of the spacecraft
    Spacecraft
    A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....

     of Space Force
    Space Force (Action Force)
    Space Force is a fictional space military unit that features in the Action Force universe, a European version of the G.I. Joe action figure and comic book series....

    , the Hawk was the only aircraft in the First or Second Generation of Action Force.
  • Silent Attack – A kayak
    Kayak
    A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...

    , piloted by Beaver The black and yellow kayak included short-wave communications and an infrared
    Infrared
    Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...

     searchlight
    Searchlight
    A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...

    . It also had so-called "integrated land transport" (i.e. wheels) and, confusingly for a craft with a stealth and reconnaissance
    Reconnaissance
    Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

     function, a "team pennant
    Pennon
    A pennon was one of the principal three varieties of flags carried during the Middle Ages . Pennoncells and streamers or pendants are considered as minor varieties of this style of flag. The pennon is a flag resembling the guidon in shape, but only half the size...

    ". The craft was repainted for the Third Generation and packaged with the figure Recondo
    AF (Action Figures)
    AF or the Action Force were the third generation of Action Force action figures and comic book heroes released in the United Kingdom. Originally featuring in the Battle Action Force comics and cast as action figures by Palitoy, they were an internationally re-worked version of the G.I...

    .
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