In the wake of the massacre at the Munich Olympics in 1972, countries around the world rushed to form units capable of preventing a similar incident on their soil. Some units were chosen from the military, some from the police, and some from paramilitary police units. Rigorous selection courses and training regimes were established so that each operator who entered the units was an intelligent, physically fit, highly motivated, and highly trained member of a true elite.
In this practical guide, renowned specialist author Leroy Thompson analyses the organization of such elite teams, the arming and equipping of units, and methods for a variety of missions from hostage rescue to securing foreign embassies and counter-WMD strikes. Open the pages of this book and enter the world of the counterterrorist operator.
List of Illustrations 7
Introduction 11
Chapter I Antiterrorism: Background and Evolution 19
Chapter II Recruiting and Selecting the Antiterrorist Operator 51
Chapter III Training the Antiterrorist Operator 69
Chapter IV Antiterrorist Unit Organization 120
Chapter V Weapons and Equipment 136
Chapter VI Missions and Tactics 181
Glossary 243
Suggested Reading 247
Overview
In the wake of the massacre at the Munich Olympics in 1972, countries around the world rushed to form units capable of preventing a similar incident on their soil. Some units were chosen from the military, some from the police, and some from paramilitary police units. Rigorous selection courses and training regimes were established so that each operator who entered the units was an intelligent, physically fit, highly motivated, and highly trained member of a true elite.
In this ...