Special Warfare Diving and Salvage
Encyclopedia
The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage or SWADS is an elite Special Operations
Force of the Bangladesh Navy
.
. The team is composed of the very best members of the forces who are not only are employed in action in Bangladesh but around the world through UN Peacekeeping missions.
and the Republic of Korea.
The SWADS are composed of one unit. Although information about individual units is classified, the size of the organization is believed to be of battalion
strength and its command centre is in the southern port city of Chittagong
.
as well as overseas.
Their missions are including but not limited to:
Instructors of these schools are known for their “brutality
”, which are designed to mold individual candidates into some of the finest warriors.
Advanced training for instructors are primarily conducted in the Republic of Korea, Turkey
and the United States
with their respective SEAL/UDT’s.
There is a whole host of weapons that are used for the SWADS. SWADS operators are not only adept at handing all types of different combat weapons but can also handle ballistic helmets, are equipped with night vision sights, as well as underwater gear. One of the aspects about the SWADS that makes them so unique is that they not only operate on land, but also under water.
Some of the weapons that the SWADS use include the Colt M4 Carbine SOPMOD, the Daewoo K2 5.56 assault rifles, HK MP5 9 mm submachine guns, sniper rifles, 9mm semi-automatic pistols, HK M-416, M 16a4 and the MK 19. The SWADS generally handle more weapons than any other special forces team across the world.The weapon's are listed below:
Specialized weapons, Night vision device, Ballistic vest, Diving equipment
and vehicles are available to SWADS teams for completion of their missions. A typical SWADS operator
may be seen armed with:
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
Force of the Bangladesh Navy
Bangladesh Navy
The Bangladesh Navy is the naval arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. At present the navy is mostly limited to coastal patrolling, however it is implementing an ambitious procurement and expansion program to ensure the security of Bangladesh's maritime boundary...
.
Organization
The Bangladesh Special Warfare Diving and Salvage is a specially organized and elite team of highly trained personnel who are equipped and trained using many of the same guidelines as the United States Navy SEALsUnited States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
. The team is composed of the very best members of the forces who are not only are employed in action in Bangladesh but around the world through UN Peacekeeping missions.
History
The brigade began in the 1970s and adapted not only the techniques of the United States Navy SEALs but also those of the Koreans as well. The SWADS, as they are known, is considered to offer one of the most advanced and strenuous weapons training program in the world.Selection Process for SWADS
SWADS operatives are recruited from the Navy and are Navy trained. Those who excel in their services in the Navy and are considered fit for this branch of the special service are recommended by their superiors to try out for this special forces team.SWADS specialization
The SWADS teams are well equipped to take on several different types of challenging missions including hostage rescue, anti piracy, counterinsurgency, counter narcotics, counterterrorism, covert extractions and insertions, intelligence gathering raids and underwater demolition. SWADS are a division of the Navy in Bangladesh.Known Missions
Missions of the SWADS are domestic, regional, and global in nature. In addition to being an special forces unit of the Bangladesh Navy, the SWADS can also operate on land as well. During domestic crisis, they are called in for peace keeping as well as rescue operations in the advent of natural disasters. Currently, their missions have been of a domestic nature. However, during acts of terrorism or global conflict, they will become a sought after elite special forces unit known for being well adapted to both land and sea operations.Units
The SWADS are professional soldiers and are recruited through the Bangladesh Navy. The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS) is organized, trained and equipped along the lines of SEAL/UDT teams of the United States Navy SEALsUnited States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
and the Republic of Korea.
The SWADS are composed of one unit. Although information about individual units is classified, the size of the organization is believed to be of battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
strength and its command centre is in the southern port city of Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
.
Duties
SWADS teams are employed both inside BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
as well as overseas.
Their missions are including but not limited to:
- Antipiracy
- Counter-insurgencyCounter-insurgencyA counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
- Counternarcotics
- Counter-terrorismCounter-terrorismCounter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
- Covert insertions/extractions
- Hostage rescue and personnel recovery
- Hydrographic reconnaissance
- Intelligence gathering
- RaidRaid (military)Raid, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare mission which has a specific purpose and is not normally intended to capture and hold terrain, but instead finish with the raiding force quickly retreating to a previous defended position prior to the enemy forces being...
s - Underwater demolitionUnderwater demolitionUnderwater demolition refers to the deliberate destruction or neutralization of man-made or natural underwater obstacles, both for military and civilian purposes.-John G. Foster:...
Training
To join this maritime special operations forces unit members of Bangladesh Navy undergo some of the world’s most extreme mental, psychical and advanced weapons training at special warfare schools in Bangladesh and abroad where the average failure rate is over 95%.Instructors for this special forces team in Bangladesh come from Korea, Turkey and the United States. Only 2-3 percent of those who are Navy trained in Bangladesh make it through the rigorous training that also includes physical endurance training, mental training and the weapons trainingInstructors of these schools are known for their “brutality
Brutality
Brutality or brutal may refer to:* Brutality , an American death metal band* Brutality , a 1912 film* Brutality , a finishing move in the video game Mortal Kombat* Brutalist architecture, an architectural style...
”, which are designed to mold individual candidates into some of the finest warriors.
Advanced training for instructors are primarily conducted in the Republic of Korea, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with their respective SEAL/UDT’s.
Weapons & Equipments
The weapons training received by the SWADS is very intense.There is a whole host of weapons that are used for the SWADS. SWADS operators are not only adept at handing all types of different combat weapons but can also handle ballistic helmets, are equipped with night vision sights, as well as underwater gear. One of the aspects about the SWADS that makes them so unique is that they not only operate on land, but also under water.
Some of the weapons that the SWADS use include the Colt M4 Carbine SOPMOD, the Daewoo K2 5.56 assault rifles, HK MP5 9 mm submachine guns, sniper rifles, 9mm semi-automatic pistols, HK M-416, M 16a4 and the MK 19. The SWADS generally handle more weapons than any other special forces team across the world.The weapon's are listed below:
Specialized weapons, Night vision device, Ballistic vest, Diving equipment
Diving equipment
Diving equipment is equipment used by underwater divers for the purpose of facilitating diving activities. This may be equipment primarily intended for this purpose, or equipment intended for other puprposes which is found to be suitable for diving use....
and vehicles are available to SWADS teams for completion of their missions. A typical SWADS operator
Operator (profession)
An operator is a professional designation used in various industries, including broadcasting , computing, customer service, physics, and construction. Operators are day-to-day end users of systems, that may or may not be mission-critical, but are typically managed and maintained by technicians or...
may be seen armed with:
- 9mm semi-automatic pistols
- K5K5-Military:* K5 pistol, used by the South Korean military* HMS K5, a Royal Navy submarine sunk in 1921* HMS Lobelia or FFL Lobelia , a 1940 British Royal Navy then Free France Navy Flower class corvette...
Semi-automatic pistol - Daewoo Precision Industries K7 sub-machine gun
- HK MP5 9mm sub-machine gun
- BD-08 Assault Rifle
- Daewoo K2Daewoo K2The Daewoo Precision Industries K2 is an assault rifle of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, manufactured by Daewoo Precision Industries. It is a shoulder-fired, gas-operated, selective-fire assault rifle that feeds from a 20 or 30 round magazine and is chambered for 5.56 NATO. The K2 replaced the...
5.56 assault rifles - M-16a4M16 rifleThe M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
- Colt M4 CarbineM4 CarbineThe M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
SOPMODSOPMODThe Special Operations Peculiar MODification kit is an accessory system for the M4A1 carbine and FN SCAR Mk 16/17 used by USSOCOM... - HK M-416
- M24 sniper rifleSniper rifleIn military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
- Accuracy International AS50Accuracy International AS50The AS50 is a .50 BMG sniper/anti-materiel rifle manufactured by British firearms producer Accuracy International. The AS50 enables operators to engage targets at very long range with high accuracy using explosive or incendiary ammunition...
- MK19http://www.bdmilitary.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=324&Itemid=138