FAQ

Yes, they are. They are not named in the film's credits, however.

Yes. Christo is based on Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian billionaire currently awaiting trial in the US for black market arms dealing. Like Christo he enjoyed an immensely lavish lifestyle, ran his own fleet of smuggling planes, skilfully circumvented international law and ruthlessly sold to the highest bidder. He also inspired Nicholas Cage's film Lord of War. Abu Shabal is based on Shamil Basayev, Chechen terrorist leader and Jihadi who amongst other atrocities was responsible for the 2004 Beslan School massacre. Like Shabal he advocated the indiscriminate mass killing of civilians using explosive vests and utilised the wives of his dead fighters as suicide bombers, nicknaming them "Black Widows". He was killed in 2006 by an explosion during an arms deal, possibly assassinated by the Russian secret service.

The Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG-7) is expelled from the launch tube by a primary charge and then carried towards the target by a rocket motor. However, the rocket motor doesn't initiate and the armour piercing warhead doesn't arm until it is some distance from the launcher so that the firer isn't killed by the backblast or a premature detonation. When the SEAL is struck by the warhead he is so close to the firer that the rocket motor hasn't kicked in yet and the warhead hasn't had time to arm so his body armour is able to save him.

The SEALs not only rescued Morales but were able to recover the Blackberry phone belonging to Christo's henchman. This is a crucial plot point as the information they recover from it leads them to the arms transfer in Somalia and Christo's yacht in the Pacific. Terrorists worldwide from the IRA to the Viet Cong to Al-Quaeda have a reputation for obsessively writing their plans down, the SEAL's killing of Osama bin Laden was not nearly as important in the War on Terror as their recovery of his mobile phones, laptop computers etc which provided invaluable information on his organisation.

Fast-rope: rappel from a helicopter using a rope

Frag: fragmentation grenade

HAHO: high-altitude, high-opening: parachuting and opening the canopy at a high altitude to allow a long stealthy approach to a distant target

HALO: high-altitude, low-opening: free-falling from a high altitude and opening the canopy at the last minute to allow a rapid stealthy approach directly onto a target

JSOC: Joint Special Operations Command

LAW: light antitank weapon: one-shot disposable anti-armour rocket

M4: standard assault carbine used by the SEALs

Overwatch: SEAL commander and sniper observing at a distance in order to provide support and command and control to SEALs in action.

QRF: quick reaction force

Raven: small remote-controlled drone used for forwards reconnaissance

RPG: rocket-propelled grenade, Soviet era anti-armour weapon.

SDV: swimmer delivery vehicle, mini submarine which deploys SEALs from the SSGN

Squirters: terrorist suspects fleeing scene

SSGN: nuclear submarine optimized for special operations, equipped with cruise missiles and able to carry an SDV attached to its' deck

SWIFT boat: small, heavily-armed boats manned by Special Warfare Combat Crews used to support SEALs

Task Force 160 / Nightstalkers: Army Special Aviation Regiment flying helicopters in support of SEALs and Delta Force

Yes and no, we see it shot off and hanging by a strip of flesh in the final confrontation but later at the funeral and whilst writing the letter we see that he still has it. Presumably it must have been surgically re-attached.

Several alterations were made for the international cut of the movie: some of the footage was either cut out or re-dubbed for international markets which mitigates the movie's message. Sometimes there is the exact same dialogue happening during an entirely different shot. Mostly the offscreen comments were changed but there are also five altered scenes resulting in a time difference of almost 1 minute between both versions.