Beach & Shore Reconnaissance

One of the main roles of the SBS is to survey and recon the beaches and shoreline prior to amphibious landings by main forces . Not only must they report on the numbers and disposition of any nearby enemy, they must also survey the approaches to the beaches to ensure they are suitable for a landing. .

SBS divers are also highly trained in explosives and demolitions which gives them the capability to clear any mines and obstructions from the beaches.

Maritime Counter Terrorism (MCT)

As the  naval special operations unit, The Special Boat Service would have the responsibility of responding to the threat of terrorism against any  maritime interests.Rescuing hostages on oil rigs, cruise ships and cross-channel ferries. When one considers the prospect of mounting a rescue operation against a oil rig from the freezing cold seas below, one can speculate that the SBS sometimes has a more challenging task on their hands than their SAS colleagues!

Drug Interdiction

The capabilities and methods they have developed for the MCT role make the SBS uniquely suited to boarding potentially hostile drug-running cargo ships on the high seas. On such missions they have worked side by side with  customs officials

Anti-shipping tasks

A task of the SBS involves sabotaging ships and harbor installations. Canoeists, swimmers or divers infiltrate the target areas, sometimes with the assistance of mini-subs and swimmer delivery vehicles. Once on target, the operators attach magnetic limpet mines to the ship's hulls. The fuses on the mines are time delayed to enable the SBS saboteurs to withdraw to a safe distance.

Sabotage

Special Boat Service commandos are trained to infiltrate deep behind enemy lines and carry out sabotage missions against vital enemy installations such as ammo dumps, bridges and communications installations. Movement into the target area could be by boat, submarine, Klepper canoe, helicopter or by HALO parachute. Their expertise with waterborne also makes them the perfect choice for attacking coastal installations such as enemy ports and radar stations.

Covert Operations

Perhaps more so than the higher profile SAS, the shadowy SBS are would be suited for so called 'black ops' : deniable operations that would be too controversial for official recognition.  Intelligence Services (SIS), such as ASIS, may occasionally have a use for men with the qualities of an SBS operator. Such men might temporarily 'leave' the military to work for a front company of the ASIS. Whilst precise details of the activities that an SBS man 'on holiday' may perform are unknown, one can speculate that they include:

• Inciting unrest and revolution amongst the populations of hostile countries
  
• Assisting foreign 'freedom fighters'
  
• Terminating 'undesirables' or 'dangerous' individuals (anyone from national leaders, to nuclear scientists, to enemy agents)
  
• Secretly training foreign militaries
  
• Ferrying secret agents or sensitive materials in and out of countries