Ready to go at a moment's notice, members of the
heavily-armed police Special Tactics and Rescue unit were trained
to knock out hostage-taking gunmen. These top cops tell Defence
Correspondent DAVID BOEY how their mission has changed since
9/11
THE crack hostage rescue unit, the Special Tactics and Rescue unit
(Star), has its sights trained on terrorists who may use suicide
bombers.
Countering terrorist attacks is a new role that this elite police
unit has taken on, together with other Homeland Security agencies
and the Singapore Armed Forces.
Of all the police units, the Star unit has the best and fittest
police officers - its selection criteria is so stringent that six
out of every seven applicants do not make the grade - and the most
formidable arsenal.
The firepower available includes various models of pistols and
shotguns, as well as the German-made Heckler & Koch 9mm
sub-machine guns. This last is a favourite with elite units because
of its accuracy and hitting power.
The unit's snipers are armed with powerful rifles that can hit a
target no bigger than a playing card, 800m away.
Its assault teams are trained to use explosives to blast their way
into barricaded buildings and force their way through bolted
doors.
A fleet of vehicles modified for assault missions in urban settings
can be found in the unit's motor pool. These include unmarked cars
and vans.
There are also more rugged vehicles, such as the Land Rover
Defender 110 and Land Rover Discovery, which are fitted with
assault ladders on their roofs to allow for the storming of
buildings.
The usually secretive unit demonstrated its capabilities to the
media last week. The session also included the showcasing of
special weapons and tactics that can be used to resolve hostage
situations in an urban setting.
The unit was set up in 1993, and its expanded capabilities were
developed in the former Police Tactical Team, which was then a
part-time unit.
Star is now a fully dedicated unit. It serves as the Singaporean
equivalent to Special Weapons and Tactics units, commonly known as
Swat teams, fielded by police forces overseas.
The Star unit is trained to react quickly 'to engage in
neutralising armed and dangerous criminals' and to resolve urban
sieges that may involve hostages and firearms.
It also provides security coverage for very very important persons
(VVIPs) and escorts dangerous prisoners and those judged likely to
attempt escape.
The team's commanding officer, who cannot be named, outlined how
the unit's role has changed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on
America: Where it once dealt with criminal hostage situations and
protecting VVIPs, 'right now, we're very much into the handling of
terrorists, especially suicide bombers'.
It is developing new tactics for this because suicide bombers are
known to keep upgrading their tactics, he said. 'We have to
pre-empt tactics that are coming up and train our officers... to
deal with these suicide bombers,' he said.
Its new anti-terrorist duties underscore why it needs top-calibre
officers.
Said the group's commanding officer: 'We believe the quality of the
men determines the quality of the unit.'
Apart from being in top physical form, members of the team must be
able to 'make decisions and exercise judgment on the spot, without
guidance' and under stressful conditions.
Those who satisfy these criteria get to go through a 12-day course,
known among the police as 'Star Hell Week', which pushes them to
their physical and psychological limits.
Only those who make it through this course are selected for the
main training course, which lasts six months and is run by
the unit.
Looking ahead, the commanding officer said his unit would continue
to maintain a high level of readiness as it gears up against
unconventional threats.
-ST