Special Warfare Diving and Salvage

Special Warfare Diving and Salvage
SWADS Operatives
Active 2009 - Present (Official creation)
Country  Bangladesh
Branch Bangladesh Navy
Type Special Operations Force
SEALS / UDT
Role

Primary tasks:

Other roles:

  • Anti piracy.
  • Counter insurgency.
  • Counter narcotics.
  • Counter terrorism.
  • Covert insertions/extractions.
  • Hostage rescue and personnel recovery.
  • Hydro-graphic reconnaissance.
  • Intelligence gathering.
  • Raid.
  • Underwater demolition.
Size Classified
Part of Bangladesh Special Operational Commands
Garrison/HQ Chittagong
Nickname(s) SWADS
Motto(s) In War and Peace Invincible at Sea

The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (Bengali: স্পেশাল ওয়ারফেয়ার ডাইভিং অ্যান্ড স্যালভেজ) or SWADS is an elite Special Operations unit of the Bangladesh Navy. 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 SEALs and the Republic of Korea Navy UDT/SEAL.[1]

SWADS is believed to number around one-thousand and its base is in the southern port city of Chittagong.[2] Its base is formally known as "Nirvik".[3]

History

Although Bangladeshi Navy personnel were trained on American soil since the 1970s, United States Navy instructors were instrumental in creating SWADS in late 2008.[4] SWADS was formally created in 2009 with 150 commandos and 200 divers recruited.[3] US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena provided assistance in the creation of the unit.[3]

The unit's lineage is traced back to the Nau Commandos during the country's Liberation War against Pakistan.[5][6] SWADS operators have participated alongside American Navy SEALs in Joint Combined Training Exchange programs under the Tiger Shark exercises.[5]

Selection

SWADS operatives are recruited from the Navy and are trained in Bangladesh and abroad. They are trained by various navy special forces instructors from South Korea, Turkey and the United States. The average drop rate is 95%.[1]

Duties

SWADS personnel at a joint military exercise with the US Navy in 2011.

SWADS teams are deployed within Bangladesh and as well as overseas.

Weapons and equipment

The range of weapons and equipment used by members SWADS’s is extensive. SWADS members are trained to handle all types of combat weapons, in addition to standard gear such as ballistic helmets with night optics, and underwater video equipment. One fact that makes SWADS’s unique is that they can operate in water, under water and in the air.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bangladesh Military Forces - BDMilitary.com". Bangladesh Military Forces - BDMilitary.com. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Moriarty_Balance_Buffalo_Closing_Ceremony" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "PM inaugurates Naval Aviation, names SWADS naval command base "Nirvik"". Priyo News. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Bangladesh navy adds special war unit to fight terror - ANN". Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Speeches & Remarks 2009 - Embassy of the United States Dhaka, Bangladesh". Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  6. ↑ http://dhaka.usembassy.gov/uploads/images/hSceCcaxqZek1JcQr1LWmQ/12_nov_09_Closing_Tiger-Shark.pdf
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