British Special Forces unit SAS could be deployed on the streets in case of attacks like in France 1.

The Special Air Service (SAS) is a unit of the British Army founded in 1941 as a regiment, and later reconstituted as a corps in 1950. Serving as a model for special forces around the world, the unit undertakes a number of roles including covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, direct action and human intelligence gathering.

The SAS unit includes also the Special projects team, the Special Air Service anti–hijacking counter–terrorism team. It is trained in Close Quarter Battle (CQB) and sniper techniques and specialises in hostage rescue in buildings or on public transport. The team was formed in 1975 after Prime Minister Edward Heath asked the Ministry of Defence to prepare for any possible terrorist attack similar to the massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics and ordered that the SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) wing be raised.

The elite soldiers will take part in training exercises in which firearms police will re-create the horror witnessed in France last week.

A defence source said: ‘Special forces will be involved in re-enacting the Paris attack because they are the ones who will be deployed immediately should there be a terror threat.

‘They are always on standby but if there is an attack, armed police and the SAS will be ready. Who would you want swooping in through a window rescuing you from a terror attack? You would want special forces – and that is who would come.’

Ministers and officials never confirm the involvement of the SAS in operations.

However, there has been speculation the military helped the police respond to the 2005 attacks in London on July 7 and the failed plot of July 21.

As well as expertise in specialist weapons and hostage-rescue, SAS units can be used for surveillance operations or for ‘spotting’ suspects.

Security officials believe this could be crucial in the immediate aftermath of an atrocity.