Special Operations.Com

Argentina

Special Operations and Counterterrorist Forces

COMPANIA DE COMANDOS 601 (Argentine Army Special Ops Unit)

COMANDOS ANFIBIOS (Argentine Navy amphibious special forces)

BUZOS TACTICOS (Navy's combat swimmers and demolition experts)

Grupo de Operaciones Especiales (Argentina's Air Force Elite Unit) 

Grupo Especial "ALACRAN" (Gendarmeria's Special Forces). 

Grupo ALBATROS (Argentine Prefectura Naval Elite Unit). 

GEOF (Grupo Especial de Operaciones Federales) / Newly formed elite police unit. Highly trained for dealing with all existing crime and terrorist varieties.

Brigada Especial Operativa Halcon (Falcon Special Operations Brigade) - Brigada Halcon

Argentina did not possess a viable counterterrorist capability until 1978 when the nation hosted the World Cup soccer championships. At that time, the government accepted the possibility that such a widely-televised event was a likely forum for a terrorist incident. The result was the formation of the Special Counterterrorist Team, also known as “Brigada Halcon.” Today, the unit is made up of seventy-five commandos, subdivided into fifteen man tactical teams. Each team has two snipers, one medic, one negotiator, an EOD (Explosive Ordinance Demolition) expert, a communications specialist, an intelligence specialist, and eight assaulters. Initial training is divided into three two-month stages. Topics such as combat shooting, heliborne insertion, parachuting, explosives, sniping, intelligence gathering, and offensive driving are covered in this period. The unit also works as VIP protectors and are also responsible for hijacked aircraft throughout the nation. While many current members are veterans of the Argentinean Army, Halcon is under the operational control of the national police, under the direct command of the Buenos Aires (Bonsara) police department.

This 100-man unit, headquartered at Moron Air Base in Buenos Aires, is responsible for resolving aircraft hijacking issues. Members are drawn primarily from the Argentine Air Force military police.

The Gendarmerie unit is located in Evita City and responds to barricade situations throughout Argentina, but primarily in the rural areas. They also provide limited dignitary protection for government officials traveling in these areas.

This Coast Guard unit, located in Buenos Aires, conducts river and maritime operations in the lakes and rivers and anything close to the coast line. In addition to CT mission, they handle search and rescue and criminal responses.

This 100-man combat diver unit, based at Mar del Plata Naval Base, is organized into 6 platoons and is responsible for the resolution of terrorist hijackings of vessels at sea.

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