Counter-terrorism units are the national key pillar of maintaining security and stability. They actively and powerfully strive to fight existing and potential terrorist threats at a rapid pace. They are highly specialized and trained, which qualifies them to handle various scenarios and major challenges posed by terrorist organizations. These units have been playing an increasing role over the past two decades with the widespread destabilization on all domestic, regional and international levels. Such military readiness requires qualified equipment to deal with emerging challenges in different contexts on the one hand, and must be up to date with high tech on the other. Such readiness comprises key factors, such as “constant upgrading”, which is highly important for enhancing defensive and offensive capabilities, maintaining and improving security and military preeminence, and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of unit elements. In view of this importance, this article highlights the most important weapons used by counter-terrorism combat units.
Advanced and Diverse Tools
Counter-terrorism units are particularly powerful given their high efficiency and use of sophisticated tools and various weapons to counter complex and emergency terrorist attacks that pose a serious challenge to national sovereignty. Technological development continues to provide more effective means to ensure comprehensive security and effectively address terrorist threats. Thus, these units rely on a variety of advanced tools to carry out their tasks efficiently, ensuring their victory, including:
“Assault rifles” remain the main effective weapon for counter-terrorism units, given their technical features that help perform combat missions in various settings, such as ambushes, raiding, and street warfare. However, there is a huge variety of such rifles with various features, including accuracy, reliability, range, penetration, production figures, number of users, etc., such as:
- Assault Rifles: M16 (American), AK-103 (Russian), Hekcler & Koch G36 (German), and Heckler Koch HK416 (German).
- Sniper Rifles: They provide high precision for sniping from long distances, as good vision, endurance and ability to deal with weapons are basic skills for a sniper of the counter-terrorism unit. A few bullets inflict maximum losses among enemies or their ammunition and equipment. The following are the most famous of these rifles: CheyTac M200 (American), Orsis T5000 (Russian), BarrettM82 (American), AW50 (British), L96A1 (British), and SV99 (Russian).
They include a variety of fast-firing pistols, which are used as side weapons for close combat by counter-terrorism units. They are characterized by their small size and precision and making minimum sound, including Ots-38 silent revolver (Russian), Glock 17 (German), SIG SAUER P226 (Swiss-German), Smith & Wesson (American), CZ 75 (Czech). Counter-terrorism units also use a variety of cold weapons in single combat, including sharp knives in fighting individuals.
Protective armor is an integral part of military equipment used to combat security threats, as it ensures the protection of soldiers against various threats, such as firearms, explosives, etc. It enables units to move confidently within danger zones, reducing the probability of serious injuries and inducing confidence among soldiers in the line of duty. They include body armor made of impenetrable materials that protect soldiers from bullets and shrapnel, as well as head-and-face shields, including military helmets.
They enable security and military units to see in low light or complete darkness, making it easier for units to carry out their missions effectively at night. They are also used to improve the supervision of strategically important areas, monitor movement and activities, support fast and safe mobility without relying on traditional lighting, monitor borders and sensitive areas, and carry out raids and clashes with terrorists in the dark.
Counter-terrorism units use multiple types of bombs and explosives, depending on their purpose and circumstances. They include regular grenades, tear gas and smoke grenades, stun grenades to disable targets by non-lethal methods, special explosives to open roads or destroy structures, as well as tactical grenades to conduct high-impact strikes, including vacuum bombs and precision-guided bombs, and others used according to the targets and their nature.
Armored vehicles are the spearhead in the face of dangerous situations, equipped to resist firearms and limited rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and in some cases to combat landmines. They include BATT-X armored vehicles, INKAS Sentry APC, Mt 13 armored vehicles, Lenco BearCat, MRAP, RMMV, MRAP Cougar, MRAP Oshkosh Alpha, Cheetah Armored Vehicles, Tiger Armored Vehicles, and other models around the world.
- Camouflage and Penetration:
Camouflage and penetration equipment are used to improve the capabilities of special forces and security units in military and security operations. They include:
Uniforms that merge with the surrounding environment such as forests or deserts, made of special materials that reduce light reflection and give combat forces a high ability to camouflage.
They include jamming devices that disrupt communication systems and radar technologies and are used to limit the detection of combat forces by the enemy.
These include thermal vision devices and silent instruments designed to perform tasks discreetly without making noise, such as climbing, sliding fast, efficient navigation equipment, and motion sensors in the surrounding areas, odor-masking devices that can detect the presence of offensive forces.
There are also other devices used to hack security systems and electronic barriers. All this equipment integrates with each other to improve the capabilities of combat and security forces in mobility, camouflage and penetration through counter-terrorism and special operations.
- Laser and Tracking Systems:
Laser and tracking systems improve the effectiveness of military operations given their precision, guiding weapons to hit specific targets. They include green lasers and red lasers. Laser technologies are integrated into night vision systems to provide clear vision in dark areas. This is in addition to using laser tracking systems to accurately identify and track targets, both on the ground and in the air. Such devices are often used to identify targets for drones carrying laser-guided weapons.
There are also laser warning detectors used to detect enemy laser systems and warn combat and security forces of being targeted. These technologies generally contribute to improving the precision and speed of strikes, making them effective tools in the fight against terrorism and advanced military operations.
These are the backbone of combat and security operations. They enable contact and communication between the various forces and units, enhancing an effective coordination between the forces involved. This contributes to the effective implementation of military and security operations tactics and facilitating the connection between units, information exchange and early warning of terrorist movements or suspicious activities, allowing a faster response, making more accurate decisions in due course, and directing forces and aircraft sorties towards targets quickly and accurately. Overall, the integration and efficiency of communications systems is vital to ensure the success of counter-terrorism efforts.
Conclusion
Strengthening the capabilities of the international community to combat terrorist organizations does not solely depend on diversifying military equipment. It also includes the exchange of information and data for more effective joint efforts to combat terrorism and to leverage ever-evolving modern technologies, such as smart sensor systems, to improve early detection and information analysis and develop data collection capabilities. This is to better understand potential threats, enhance training and qualification, enact laws and legislation, enable authorities to effectively respond to terrorist activities, raise public awareness of terrorist threats, enhance community cooperation in reporting suspicious activities, integrate efforts between the military, security, intelligence and civilian sectors, and support innovation and scientific research. All these indicate the need for an integrated strategy that encompasses multiple aspects to strengthen counter-terrorism capabilities at all levels.