Special Action Force: Encyclopedia II - Special Action Force - Overview

Special Action Force - Overview

The Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) is formed along the lines of the British (SAS) Special Air Service, but have different recruitment and selection procedures. The SAF has received training from the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), RAID and YAMAM. The Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) of the PNP-SAF is responsible for nationwide Police Counter-terrorism (CT) operations nationwide. Meanwhile, the regions have specially equipped and trained Regional Mobile Forces (RMF) which used to be the Light Reaction Unit (LRU) in Metro Manila and the Regional SAF (RSAF) in the provinces.

Members or police trainees who undergo SAF training undergo several special military combat related training such as airborne forces training, military diving (UDT), and K-9 handling.

Some of the best members of the PNP-SAF are chosen to undergo bomb disposal or Explosives and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Training, and Very Important Person (VIP) Security Training with the Detective and Protection Services Division of the PNP. Graduates of these courses are furthermore handpicked to join the ranks of the president's elite bodyguard unit known as the Presidential Security Group (PSG).

SAF members who are distributed either regionally or within Metro Manila are furthermore assigned to SWAT units or SWAT training units.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Overview", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki