Snow Leopard Commando Unit

Snow Leopard Commando Unit
雪豹突击队 (Chinese)
The arm patch formerly used by SWCU operators
The arm patch formerly used by SWCU operators
ActiveDecember 2002 (existence only revealed on 29 August 2006)[1] – present
Country China
AgencyPeople's Armed Police
TypePolice tactical unit
Role
Part ofBeijing General Corps[2]
HeadquartersGuangzhou, Guangdong Province
AbbreviationSLCU
Structure
Officers400
Notables
Significant operation(s)

The Snow Leopard Commando Unit (SLCU, Simplified Chinese: 雪豹突击队), formerly known as the Snow Wolf Commando Unit (SWCU, Simplified Chinese: 雪狼突击队), is a People's Armed Police (PAP) tactical unit in the People's Republic of China.[1] Its tasks include counterterrorism, hostage rescue, riot control, serving high-risk arrest and search warrants, anti-hijacking, anti-WMD terrorism, bomb disposal, counterinsurgency, crowd control, law enforcement tactics against crime, VBSS, and VIP protection. The SLCU, along with Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau's SWAT unit (under the Ministry of Public Security (MPS)), was tasked with many of the security responsibilities of the 2008 Summer Olympics.[3]

Officially, the SLCU is the 3rd Group, 13th Detachment, People's Armed Police Beijing General Corps.[2]

The former "Snow Wolf" name was inspired by the ability of the Arctic wolf to survive and thrive under harsh conditions.[4]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Sina was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "People's Armed Police Beijing General Corps". Archived from the original on 10 April 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  3. ^ "People's Armed Police Special Police Units". Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  4. ^ "Beijing's Answer to Bond". Beijing Review. 17 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2010.