Roles
The UTK is primarily a SWAT-style unit but with a difference; UTK operatives operate mostly in plain-clothes and also perform undercover missions. It has approximately 300 members. The unit operates to execute special security services such as anti-terrorism and counter-terrorism in Malaysian urban areas, supporting the police on missions such as dealing with armed criminals, and escorting and protecting top leaders and VVIPs. VAT 69 operatives however are jungle warfare specialists given the VAT 69's origins as a force established to fight the communist threat in 1969 and the insurgency years. Originally trained by the British SAS, VAT 69 conducts in land, sea and air special operation techniques with speciality in jungle warfare and deep reconnaissance missions, VAT 69 mission is to execute special operation in support of Police's Special Branch fight against subversive organisation and terrorist activities, offensive operations using special weapons and tactics, anti-terrorism, counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, close protection and supporting the Malaysian Armed Forces special forces, RDF or infantry force in any security measures. There are four infantry squadrons in VAT 69 with its own logistic unit, totalling around 1900 members.
PGK snipers, technicians and explosive expertise regularly cross-train with foreign special forces including the Special Air Service Regiments of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the Royal Thai Border Patrol Police, the French GIGN, the German Federal Police Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG-9), and a number of US services including the US Navy SEALs, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and others. UTK members wear maroon berets while VAT 69 members wear the sand coloured beret given to them by their founding trainers, the 22nd SAS.
On 14 November 2006, for the first time in the history of PGK, the maroon and sand coloured berets were honoured as Royal Berets by Yang Dipertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putera Jamalullail, the then King of Malaysia.
Read more about this topic: VAT 69/UTK
Famous quotes containing the word roles:
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