Special Warfare Diving and Salvage

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with SWAT (Bangladesh).

Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS)
স্পেশাল ওয়ারফেয়ার ডাইভিং অ্যান্ড স্যালভেজ
Active2009 - Present (official creation)
Country Bangladesh
Branch Bangladesh Navy
TypeSpecial forces
RoleSpecial Operations, Diving and Salvage
Part ofBangladesh Special Operational Commands (BSOC)
Garrison/HQChittagong
Nickname(s)SWADS
Motto(s)Valour. Vigour. Victory
Commanders
Current
commander		Commodore Mohammad Abdul Wadud Tarafder

The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS) (

Republic of Korea Navy UDT/SEAL
.

As of 2014, SWADS is believed to number a few hundred strong,[1] and is based in the southern port city of Chittagong.[2] Its base is formally known as "BNS Nirvik".[3]

History

Bangladesh Navy SWADS.

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 Nou Commando

frogmen of Sector 10 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

Bangladesh Navy SWADS demonstration

SWADS operatives are volunteers from the Navy and are trained in Bangladesh and abroad. They do the Naval Commando Basic Course (similar to BUD/S of US Navy SEALs) from the SWADS Training area at

US Navy SEALS and Turkish SAT
.

Duties

US Navy
in 2011.

SWADS commandos are currently deployed in South Sudan as Bangladesh Force Marine Unit, part of

UNMISS
. They were the first SF unit to respond during Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Dhaka and later assisted the Army's 1 Para-Commando Battalion in Operation Thunderbolt, by securing the lake side and cutting of the possible escape route of the terrorists.

SWADS has also performed several Anti-Drug raids in the Bay of Bengal and captured some major drug shipments. They have also conducted Anti-Human Trafficking operations off the coast of Teknaf.

Weapons and equipment

Ford F350
and Defender Class RB-S

The range of weapons and equipment used by members SWADS's is extensive. SWADS members are trained to handle all types of light & medium weapons with proficiency. Because of their close relations with US & ROK SEALs, SWADS mostly use 5.56 caliber weapons unlike other Bangladeshi SOF units.

Some of the weapons used by SWADS are:

Besides these weapons, SWADS personnel uses Level-III & Level-IIIA bulletproof vests and ballistic helmets as standard issue. SWADS divers use various European diving and hydrographic research equipment.

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-84832-330-8
    .
  2. ^ "Moriarty_Balance_Buffalo_Closing_Ceremony" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b "Speeches & Remarks 2009 - Embassy of the United States Dhaka, Bangladesh". Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Joint U.S.-Bangladesh Military Exercise Concludes in Chittagong" (PDF). Embassy of the United States of America (Press release). 12 November 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2010.

Further reading

  • "US donates 16 defender boats for Navy". UNB. 13 April 2010. Sixteen 25-foot (8 meter) Defender Class Boats, donated by the US, were handed over to the Bangladesh Navy today ... The United States Government provided the Defender boats at Bangladesh's request to improve its Navy's and Coast Guard's abilities to disrupt criminal organizations and transnational terrorist groups seeking to exploit Bangladesh's maritime borders ... These first sixteen boats will significantly improve the maritime interdiction and counterterrorism capabilities of Bangladesh's new Navy Special Operations Force at the Navy Special Warfare Diving and Salvage Command.
  • Khan, Sharier (10 May 2012). "Navy adds spl war unit to fight terror". The Daily Star.
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