Snow Leopard Commando Unit

The Snow Leopard Commando Unit (Simplified Chinese: 雪豹突击队), formerly known as the Snow Wolf Commando Unit (Abbreviation: SWCU; Simplified Chinese: 雪狼突击队), is a police tactical unit of the People's Republic of China under the People's Armed Police,[2] tasked with counter-terrorism, riot control, and other special tasks such as anti-hijacking and bomb disposal. The SLCU, along with Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau's SWAT unit, was tasked with many of the security responsibilities of the 2008 Summer Olympics.[3] Officially, the SLCU is known as the 3rd Group, 13th Detachment, People's Armed Police Beijing General Corps.[1]

Snow Wolf Commando Unit
The arm patch formerly used by SWCU operators
AbbreviationSWCU
Agency overview
FormedDecember, 2002 (as SWCU)
Superseding agencySnow Leopard Commando Unit
Employees400 officers
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionChina
General nature
Specialist jurisdiction
Operational structure
Overviewed byPeople's Armed Police
Parent agency3rd Group of the 13th Detachment under the PAP's Beijing General Corps[1]
Significant operations
  • Counter-terrorist operations in Xinjiang province

The former Snow Wolf name was bestowed on the unit because of the known tenacity of Arctic wolves and their ability to both survive and thrive in extremely harsh conditions.[4]

History

After its secret establishment in October 2002, the Snow Wolf Commando Unit (SWCU) trained out of the public eye for five years.[5] The SWCU and the Beijing SWAT unit were unveiled in a demonstration at the Beijing Police Academy on 27 April 2006[6] as part of a public relations effort to illustrate the capabilities of the People's Armed Police to deal with terrorism, the protection of delegates, and to enforce law and order in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[2] The SWCU had participated in anti-terrorist exercises with Russia on 4 September 2007 known as "Cooperation-2007."[7] SWCU operators have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq to protect Chinese diplomatic personnel.[1]

The unit underwent a name change and became officially known as the Snow Wolf Commando Unit'.[4] According to Qu Liangfeng, a senior PAP officer in charge of the daily operations of SWCU, the name change was "inspired by the story of a brave and cunning snow wolf, which escaped an ambush by a hunter and his eight hunting dogs."[4]

In 2011, the SLCU was deployed to Xinjiang in order to assist local police forces in quelling the unrest.[8] They were also present to ensure security at the China-Eurasian Expo convention being held there.[9]

In 2013 and 2014, the SLCU has participated in the Annual Warrior Competition.[10][11]

Training and selection

Only officers who have served in the People's Armed Police for a period of 1 to 2 years are eligible to apply, after which they will be put through a process of interviews and physical and psychological tests.[2] The average age (as of 2006) of SLCU officers is 22 years, as most entered the unit at about 18 years of age, making them amongst the youngest in the counter-terrorism community.[12]

The officers who are eventually selected for the course undergo an arduous period of physical training, driving lessons for various vehicles, and weapons training.[13][14] Their physical training includes 200 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 100 squats, lifting barbells 200 times and carrying a 35 kg load for a 10 km cross-country run.[2] They are then assigned to the Beijing General Corps' 13th Detachment, where the SLCU is based.[1][15]

Some of the training includes masquerading as women in certain operations where a disguise is needed to resolve a situation.[16]

Organisation

The SLCU consists of four squadrons assigned with very specific responsibilities:[15]

Squadron Duty
9th and 10th SquadronsCounter-Terrorism
11th SquadronObstacle Removal, Bomb Disposal, Anti-WMD Terrorism
12th SquadronSnipers

Weapons and equipment

The SLCU was shown in the demonstrations armed with the QBZ-95B-1 and QSZ-92,[16] but they will most likely also be armed with a wide variety of submachine guns and other firearms.[17] The SLCU is armed with the JS9, the QBS06, QBZ09, the PF89 and the QLU-11.[16]

The unit has spent about CNY 2 million (approximately US$ 258,000) in domestically manufactured armored personnel carriers for riot control and has also imported CNY 4 million worth of American-manufactured vehicles and equipment.[17]

Each SLCU operator is estimated to be outfitted with CNY 300,000 (approximately US$ 48,000) worth of equipment, including their body armor and communications equipment.[18][19] The SLCU is the first unit in the PAP to be equipped with the W-15 helmet, an improved version of the QGF11, in 2015.[20]

Uniform

The SLCU is known to wear the Type 05 digital camouflage uniform issued by the PAP, although they are now using the Type 07 digital camouflage uniform.[21] In overseas operations, they have velcro patches with the Chinese flag and CHINA on the patch, usually with the language of the region where they're operating in.[21]

See also
  • Special Police Unit

References
  1. "People's Armed Police Beijing General Corps". Archived from the original on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  2. 装备堪比欧美：中国雪狼突击队揭开神秘面纱 (in Chinese). Sina. 13 September 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  3. "People's Armed Police Special Police Units". Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  4. "Beijing's Answer to Bond". Beijing Review. 17 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  5. MacLeod, Calum (17 July 2008). "Missiles, 100K police on China's Olympic team". USA Today. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  6. 图文：雪狼突击队员手持95式自动步枪射击 (in Chinese). Sina.com. 13 September 2006. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  7. "Sino-Russian Anti-terror Exercise Kicks Off". Xinhua. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  8. https://www.dw.com/en/china-sentences-four-to-death-for-violence-in-xinjiang/a-6618204
  9. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinese-commandos-in-campaign-against-xinjiangs-islamist-rebels-2339635.html
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530101241/https://k.sina.cn/article_6692093258_18ee13d4a00100k29v.html?from=mil
  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530105540/http://www.mod.gov.cn/pic/2014-12/16/content_4558566_11.htm
  12. 直击北京奥运反恐训练：雪狼突击队秘密集训3年 (in Chinese). Sina.com. 10 August 2006. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  13. "Snow Leopards, Blue Swords ready to keep Games safe". China.org. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  14. "Snow Leopard Commando Ready for Combat". CRI English. 20 June 2008. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  15. "People's Armed Police Special Police Units". Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  16. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530101821/https://www.sohu.com/a/334009965_805242
  17. 奥运安保进入实战演练 反恐精英雪狼突击队(图) (in Chinese). Sohu.com. 6 January 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  18. "Anti-terrorism force in action ahead of Olympics". China.org.cn. 18 June 2008. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  19. 奥运雪狼：北京奥运反恐训练直击 (in Chinese). Sina.com. 10 August 2006. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  20. http://www.js7tv.cn/news/201703_84075.html
  21. Lai 2012, p. 58.

Bibliography
  • Lai, Benjamin (2012). The Chinese People’s Liberation Army since 1949: Ground Forces. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781780960562.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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