1O years ago there was a TV documentary (in one of the main channels in the USA) about the KAIBIL Special Forces of Guatemala and they were saying that the KAIBILES were consider the 3er. best trained SF in the world just behind the US and Russians.  The KAIBILES may not have the best technology as others but they know how to make good use of the weapons and enviroment around them.  Many latinoamerican nations had sent they soldiers to the KAIBIL school in Guatemala some of these nations are Mexico,Venezuela, El Salvador, Peru, etc.    They are not only train to performe unconvencional jungle warfare, inteligence, survival (Kaibiles are drop in the middle of the guatemalan jungle for 15 days without food, only with a knife and a compass to hunt for their food and to find the spot where they are going to be pick up  by a helicopter after 15 days), surveillance, etc. and now they are also train as an antiterror force.   In 2006 a group of 80 KAIBILES were choosen by the ONU to conduct a secret mission in the jungles of The Republic of Congo (eventhough they were there only for peaceful purposes) to try to capture the leader of the rebel group under suveillance by the British intelligence services but they were ambush, 8 KAIBILES die but more than 70 rebels were killed in a gunbattle that lasted more than 5 hours.  Now anwsering your question if the KAIBILES were to fihgt against Belize forces, the KAIBILES will rule; but probably the UK will send  its troops in help of Belize and that will tip the balance in favor of them since Guatemala does not have a modern Navy and Air Force if not ask the Argentines (Falkland war).

Kaibil is a Special Operation Force about 450 memebers, created in 1974 in order to face the subversive forces opposed to goverment and also to face the Ghurkas of Belize.  Obviously the resources of Guatemala were too short to provide advanced equipment so the design of the traininig focused in the human resource, through the increased stamina, mental strength and surviving skills of the elements of Kaibil Force. The basic equipment for  Kaibil includes: Galila ssault rifle 5.56 mm, Bowie steel knife, night googles (few ones), Garmin GPS (few ones), Remington Sniper Rifle (very few), motorola radios, not satellital comm, neither satellite links or advanced  electronic devices  It is also known  that the Ghurkas,who  are one of the top jungle combatants, also recognize the Kaibiles as a very respected foe.  I understand that very few foreigners have succeded in Kaibil training, even the U.S. Marine Corps have participated, with few of their  fellows acomplishing the full training.

 

A very important point to be consider is that the military budget of US its over 400 billion US $, brits with over 30 billion US $ and Guatemala with 160 million US $, so  the comparisions are not fair, but consider what happens when your GPS, Radio, Lamp and other electric activated devices run out of batteries, what happens? are you still 100% ready for combat?  I left this questions to be answered.

but consider what happens when your GPS, Radio, Lamp and other electric activated devices run out of batteries, what happens? are you still 100% ready for combat? 

I think that the Guatamalan SF would do quite well if they were just doing a quick raid etc. If they got into a Slug Fest vs the British Reservists they would come out the losers...they may be better individually in Small unit tactics but the territorials would have Artlillery, Air Support, more mobility, etc. The Territorials would also have a fair amout of individuals with actual combat experience from Iraq or Afganistan so they aren't really a green unit. The Guat SF would be the only unit in the entire Guatamalan military that could actually fight a British Line unit...they would lose but not easily. The Guatamalan regular army would be slapped silly.

Not to detract from the Guat SF but if you're a light infantry force, mostly foot mobile, with crap to back you up...it's tough going against a western style army with advanced Command and Control, GPS, Artillery, Air power, Armor and a much better Logistical support system. Individual bravey is great but Galils kind of suck vs a Challenger or a Warrior. The Guat SF would have to operate in small groups, no radio contact, and under dense cover or Recon, UAV's, Satellites, and Electronic Survellience will find them and they'll be destroyed very quickly.

 

 

Random rant, nothing against your post...but...

Why in the heck would any SOF unit wanna get into a slug-fest with an infantry unit? That's not in the job description most of the time. I would imagine that being outnumbered against heavier forces would suck balls, no matter how well trained you were. They may not lose easily, but they would lose. And that's what matter in the end. Too many times on this site people assume that an elite, smaller force could dominate a heavier force. CAG was not designed to take on the 82nd AB. On the Armed Forces page, there was humongous thread about "The FLL vs. the USMC". And alot of the French assumed that the FFL could take on the much larger, and much heavier USMC (which has it's own heavy armor, it's on air assets, etc etc) and win. SOF is almost never called on to go head to head with a heavier force by itself. If the Kaibiles (sp) ran into a large Territorial Army unit during a war, they would probably break contact and get the heck out of dodge, depending on their SOP's.

GOP - I agree with you that a SF unit has no business going head to head with a heavier conventional force...it's not their misssion nor are they equipped for it. But I'm assuming a "Scenario" of Guatamala vs Belize...the regular Guatamalan forces would be easily shredded by the British. It would probably fall on the Guatamalan SF to either try to "win" or keep the British from "winning"...In my opinion it would be ugly and bloody but I don't think the Guatamalan SF can win.

The Gautamalan SF should avoid a slug it out fight but what happens if they're the only Guatamalan combat effective force in the fight?...sheer bravery and superb light infantry tactics won't prevail against Armor, Artillery, and Air superiority especially againts a Western style well trained unit.

Guatamalan would be better off training and equipping their conventional army to Western standards...even if it means less headcount...rather than having a suberb but small SF force and crap for everything else...I'm not saying the regular Guatamalan soldier is crap but if you don't get good equipment, training, and leadership you won't be very effective.

Take a look at the Arab armies...mostly crap. They're good at killing each other because they're equally inept...the only really good Arab fighters in the last 50 yrs were the Jordanians...British training, Western style leadership, and good equipment.

Just my 2 cents

If anything happened between the British and Guats for example over Belize, then trust me. The Kaibles would not ever try to go head to head. They would reek havoc in the Jungle using Guerilla tactics. It'd be a Guerilla war from the start, it would have to be. Going head to head against the British would be suicidal. They have extremely well trained infantrymen, great armor, great CAS/air assets, great command and control, etc.

As far as what the Guats should do, they can't afford to equip their force to such high standards. However, they could certainly improve their light infantry. Armor, jets, choppers, etc cost a crap ton of money, but with ingenuity and know-how you can easily improve light infantry tactics with low cost. They should, in my opinion, have a top notch SOF unit. Again, it's extremely cost effective.

Jordan has alot more money than Guatamala, and they are heavily influenced by the Western way of war. They have apparently also learned alot from Israel's success. 

i have been on both sides and in a head to head on the boarder and if it was territorial inf etc and it was just the kaibil as the brits come over or start to think about what to do the kaibil would kill all.. if the the brits had req inf then it would be a little harder but if the brits start to go into the green then the kaibil would kill.. if the brits had reg inf (RGJ or PARA) it would be a little diff but if the reg guatemalan army was fighting as well then it would depend on the scope of the companys in the brits and on the day..

 

but i know if i was patrol and the brits started over it would not take long to sucker them into the green and sit and watch as they would stumble though the green and not see the traps till to late ..

as i would sit and sweat the comp b and use that to run a trap. the reg brits just dont have the training to watch and think before they move fast

 

as most kaibil has explosive training as well as sniper and hand to hand

 some brit reg have the same depending on the personal 

 if the brits send in 22 then in the green it would depend on the day and each person 

 but it would come down to man power and troop costs

kaibil would go to ground in the end and wait same as any 22 would 

 

so what would my money be on  ME.

because at 50 i still can bench 540lbs and take on any in hand to hand and still know enough to make life hard in the green without rounds in the mag.

 

kaibil would win  BUT depending on the man power  from the brits and then the power of the person  just you have to remember  with KAIBIL its 

If I advance, follow me. If I stop, urge me on. If I retreat, kill me

with the brits its ? honor but sometimes thats not enough

 

lee garner