Special Warfare Wing

The Bangladesh Army Special Warfare Wing (SWW) is an institution for training special forces.[1] It is open to soldiers (commissioned and non-commissioned officers), sailors, and airmen in the Bangladesh Armed Forces, and select allied military students.[2][3]

Special Warfare Wing
বিশেষ যুদ্ধ শাখা
Country Bangladesh
Branch Bangladesh Army
TypeMilitary training
RoleSpecial warfare Training
Garrison/HQJalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet, Bangladesh

It was established in 1976 as the Special Warfare School. In 1982, it was reorganized under the army's main training institute as the Special Warfare Wing of the School of Infantry and Tactics in Jalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet.

Overview

The Special Warfare Wing (SWW) falls under the control of the Bangladesh Army Training and Doctrine Command as a school open to most members of the Bangladesh Army.[4] Students come from units in the Bangladesh Army, Air Force, Navy, Border Guards, Coast Guard, and select foreign military services.

Most courses are held at Sylhet. Training in the Sylhet Phase occurs in and around Sylhet Cantonment. Training at the Mountain Phase is conducted at the Chittagong Hill Tracts and in the mountains near Sylhet. The Chittagong Phase is conducted at various locations near Chittagong Cantonment, Bangladesh Military Academy, Hathazari firing range, and Battle Inoculation Range, Chittagong.

History

The Bangladesh Army has a cultural history of special forces operations, dating to the guerrilla warfare practices of the Mukti Bahini during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. In 1976, a special warfare school was established at Chittagong Cantonment, and was relocated to the Sylhet Cantonment in 1979. An army commando course and counter-insurgency course began in 1980, and in 1982 the school was reorganized as the Special Warfare Wing of the Bangladesh Army School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T).[5][4]

Training and courses

SWW provides courses in commando operations, paratrooper operations, counter-terrorism, sniper operations, and some advanced courses.

Army Commando Course

The army commando course (a.k.a. ParaCommando Course) is a six-month commando and airborne course. These courses are very difficult and demanding, and hazardous for those not adequately prepared. Successful graduates earn the Commando Bravet..

Sniper Course

Sniper Course is another very physical and mental demanding course of Bangladesh Army.This course is designed with various types of training.Thouse who complete the course achieve the sniper bravet. They are commonly known as 'Black Eagle'.They are trained in various types of situation and terrain.

There is a Sniper Unit in Bangladesh Army which is Commonly known as 'Black Eagle's Nest' was born in 2009 and headquartered in Sylhet.This unit is divided into different parts,like-Jungle Warfare, Urban Warfare, Dessert Warfare, Arctic Warfare etc. The 'Jungle Warfare Unit' is known as Green Hornet, Desert warfare unit is known as Scorpion etc.

Recent achievements: Bangladeshi 'Black Eagles' participated in International Military Sniper Competition 2017 in Kazakhstan and 2019 in Belarus,both year the competitors from this unit placed 7th and 5th place in order. This unit regularly participate in many military operations in UN peacekeeping missions and Chittagong Hill tracks counter insurgency operations.This has placed as the best Sniper Unit among the South-East asian military snipers.[6]

The Arms used by Black Eagle Unit: SVD Dragonov,Type-85,Accuracy International AX-308,Accuracy International AX-338,Accuracy International Arctic Warfare (AWM), RPA Rangemaster,SCD-76 AS-50 Anti Material sniper,Berett, M-82, M24A1,SR-25 etc.

Army Basic Parachutist Course

The Basic Parachutist Course (BPC) is a four-week course. Successful graduates earn the BPC Bravet.

Counter-Terrorism Course

This one-month anti-terrorism course aims to prepare soldiers for unconventional threats.[7]

Advanced Para Courses

Selected elite forces can participate in these courses at Sylhet:

  • Freefall Parachutist – Includes special operations training for high-altitude parachute jumps, conducted by the Para leg of the SWW.[8] Graduates earn the freefall badge.[9]
  • Jump Master – Applicants of this course must have completed all prior para courses,[10][11][12] have been on jump status for 12 months, and recommended by a senior officer.
  • Path-Finder: A three-week course in navigation, establishing a helicopter landing zone and parachutist drop zones, sling load operations, and providing air traffic control (ATC) and navigational assistance for airborne operations.
  • Rigger-parachute expert – A parachute rigger course is also held.

Aircraft used in training

The following aircraft and helicopters are used by SWW for airborne training:

See also

References
  1. GoArmy.com. "GoArmy.com: Training". US Army. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  2. "Maj Gen Kabir new Bangladesh envoy to Indonesia". The Daily Star. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  3. "Waiting for answers | Dhaka Tribune". archive.dhakatribune.com. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  4. "Army Training Institute - Bangladesh Army". www.army.mil.bd.
  5. "Military Personnel". GlobalSecurity.org. Alexandria, Virginia, US. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  6. https://m.daily-bangladesh.com/english/Army-Sniper-Team-to-visit-Belarus/26334
  7. "Recounting 'Operation Thunderbolt'". The Daily Star. 3 July 2017.
  8. MFFPC ATRRS Information Changes, U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 22 April 2017
  9. Military Free-Fall Jump master Course (MFFJMC), U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 22 April 2017
  10. Fred L. Borch and Robert F. Dorr. "Duty, Honor, Country: Today's parachutist badges reflect jumpers' experience". Army Times, p. 18. stated that "Additions were made to the requirements for senior and master badges after 1950, including satisfactory completion of the jump master course". The same article states, "When not enough men volunteered for airborne training, the Army forcibly assigned soldiers to airborne units and made units conduct their own airborne training. In the late 1940s, for example, the 11th Airborne Division, then in Japan, conducted its own parachute and glider training."
  11. U.S. Army Fort Bragg, Advanced Airborne School Homepage, bragg.army.mil, last accessed 27 May 2017
  12. HHC/1-507 PIR, United States Army Jump master School Homepage, benning.army.mil, last accessed 27 May 2017
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