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Originally Posted by 95th Rifleman
Pretty much.
There is an endearing myth about the SAS that goes back to their WW2 days as raiders. The modern incarnation of the SAS are mostly recon and observation units. The Gulf war was a good example, the SAS was tasked with finding Iraqi scuds and calling down airstrikes, they where not tasked with going after them directly.
Compare that to the Russian Spetsnaz whose task is to go behind enemy lines and sabotage rear areas and eliminate HVTs.
Another role the SAS has found themselves in the past is as advisors and trainers, in asimilar fashion to the US green berets. In the twilight war I can envision SAS teams assistin anti-communist units behind soviet lines.
That's not to say the SAS can't or won't go after HVTs, especialy after the NATO air forces start to wind down operations due to losses and lack of parts. But it's not their primary role anymore.
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I'm going by reports comming out of the first Gulf war. Yes they did mostly call in Airstrikes...But they also did some direct action missions. A Squadron of the 22nd SAS did perform a direct action at a high value target at Victor 2. the target was supost to be protected by a platoon of about 30 men. Durring the strike they found themselveds in a firefight with ten times that number. Other scudhunting groups prepared to go with direct actions in the case of Human shields. I'm not saying that it's their primary mission, most of my kin's actions in the past 50 years was gathering intelligence and leading a Firqua. That's one of the gratest strenghts of the SAS they adapt to the tactical and stratigic needs of Great Britan.