Maritime Squadron Rapid Deployment Team  

RDT Photos:

Fast-roping onto ferry

Ferry #2

RDT takes detainee during exercise

The Maritime Squadron Rapid Deployment Team was established in 1997 to serve the Armed Forces of Malta in heliborne law enforcement operations and to participate with other naval units during the annual bi-lateral exercise “Canale” between Malta and Italy.

In 1999, the Maritime Squadron’s Rapid Deployment Team was transformed into a full-time specialized unit capable of undergoing delicate operations at sea and to serve the Armed Forces of Malta as the front-line force against activities ranging from illegal migration of persons, contraband seizure and narcotics interdiction.

Kitted in the latest “state-of-the-art” personal equipment and weapons, the Maritime Squadron Rapid Deployment Team can be deployed both by helicopters or by rigid-hull inflatable dinghies. The team members are all regular serving Maritime Squadron personnel and the selection process for team members is extremely arduous. Both Maltese military instructors as well as Italian Special Forces form part of the selection and training team. Once selected for the RDT training programme, the candidate must go through a series of daily activities which include, amongst others, rigorous physical fitness training, seamanship and boat handling, small arms shooting, close quarter battle (CQB), abseiling and “fast roping,” the latter being the technique used for deploying troops onto a moving platform by helicopter in the shortest possible time.  Specialized courses overseas with foreign special forces units help improve the element of interoperability amongst team members.

The Maritime Squadron Rapid Deployment Team would ideally be deployed on board a vessel involved in “high-risk” scenarios, including hostage-taking situations and circumstances which warrant the speedy control of command on a vessel carrying out illegal activity.