Bangladesh Special Warfare Diving and Salvage SWADS and DR300 assault rifle

[kalu_miah]

Special Warfare Diving and Salvage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage or SWADS is an elite Special Operations Force of the Bangladesh Navy.

Organization

Bangladesh Navy Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS) personnel amid a joint military exercise with the US Navy in 2011.
The Bangladesh Special Warfare Diving and Salvage is a specially organized and elite team of highly trained personnel who are equipped and trained using many of the same guidelines as the United States Navy SEALs and the Republic of Korea UDT SEALs. At present the core of the SWADS are the Republic of Korea UDT SEALs. It includes officers and other ranks trained from Republic of Korea (South Korea). The team is composed of the very best members of the forces who are not only are employed in action in Bangladesh but around the world through UN Peacekeeping missions.

History

The brigade began in the 1970s and adapted not only the techniques of the United States Navy SEALs but also those of the Koreans as well. The SWADS, as they are known, is considered to offer one of the most advanced and strenuous weapons training program in the world.

Selection Process for SWADS

SWADS operatives are recruited from the Navy and are Navy trained. Those who excel in their services in the Navy and are considered fit for this branch of the special service are recommended by their superiors to try out for this special forces team.

SWADS specialization

A SWADS trainer is photographed demonstrating an action with an M-4 Carbine, equipped with M68 CCO and AN/PVS-4 night vision, in an undisclosed military facility inside Bangladesh.
The SWADS teams are well equipped to take on several different types of challenging missions including hostage rescue, anti piracy, counterinsurgency, counter narcotics, counterterrorism, covert extractions and insertions, intelligence gathering raids and underwater demolition. SWADS are a division of the Navy in Bangladesh.

Known Missions

Missions of the SWADS are domestic, regional, and global in nature. In addition to being a special forces unit of the Bangladesh Navy, the SWADS can also operate on land as well. During domestic crisis, they are called in for peace keeping as well as rescue operations in the advent of natural disasters. Currently, their missions have been of a domestic nature. However, during acts of terrorism or global conflict, they will become a sought after elite special forces unit known for being well adapted to both land and sea operations.

Units

The SWADS are professional soldiers and are recruited through the Bangladesh Navy. The Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS) is organized, trained and equipped along the lines of SEAL/UDT teams of the United States Navy SEALs and the Republic of Korea UDT SEALs.[1]
The SWADS are composed of one unit. Although information about individual units is classified, the size of the organization is believed to be around thousand and its command centre is in the southern port city of Chittagong.

Duties

SWADS teams are employed both inside Bangladesh as well as overseas.[2] Their missions are including but not limited to:
Antipiracy
Counter-insurgency
Counternarcotics
Counter-terrorism
Covert insertions/extractions
Hostage rescue and personnel recovery
Hydrographic reconnaissance
Intelligence gathering
Raids
Underwater demolition

Training

Advanced training for instructors are primarily conducted in the Republic of Korea, Turkey and the United States with their respective SEAL/UDT’s.[3]

Weapons & Equipments

The weapons training received by the SWADS is very intense.
There is a whole host of weapons that are used for the SWADS. SWADS operators are not only adept at handing all types of different combat weapons but can also handle ballistic helmets, are equipped with night vision sights, as well as underwater gear. One of the aspects about the SWADS that makes them so unique is that they not only operate on land, but also under water and in the air.
Some of the weapons that the SWADS use include the Colt M4 Carbine SOPMOD, the Daewoo K2 5.56 assault rifles, HK MP5 9 mm submachine guns, sniper rifles, 9mm semi-automatic pistols, HK M-416, M 16a4 and the MK 19. The SWADS generally handle more weapons than any other special forces team across the world.The weapon's are listed below:
Specialized weapons, Night vision device, Ballistic vest, Diving equipment and vehicles are available to SWADS teams for completion of their missions. A typical SWADS operator may be seen armed with:
9mm semi-automatic pistols
Daewoo Precision Industries K5 Semi-automatic pistol
Daewoo Precision Industries K7 sub-machine gun
HK MP5 9mm sub-machine gun
BD-08 Assault Rifle
Daewoo K2 5.56 assault rifles
M-16a4
Colt M4 Carbine SOPMOD
HK M-416
M24 sniper rifle
Accuracy International AS50
MK19[1]
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Looks like Bangladesh has some history with Korean armed forces. I was wondering if we could use the Korean rifle for future, either k2 or DR300

 

[bdslph]

i think BD seals dont use that much

 

[PlanetSoldier]

Looks like Bangladesh has some history with Korean armed forces. I was wondering if we could use the Korean rifle for future, either k2 or DR300

Yeah..back in 1997/98 when BN started to build its SEAL commandos, it sent its members for training to Korea and China.

 

[kalu_miah]

Yeah..back in 1997/98 when BN started to build its SEAL commandos, it sent its members for training to Korea and China.

Anyone knows this DR300, it has same caliber bullet, K2 has the smaller bullet. Although China's product quality is improving, I think Korean quality is always a notch above and we might be able to export to other countries, as our labor is cheap.

 

[Icewolf]

So SWADS was started by Pakistan??

 

[kalu_miah]

So SWADS was started by Pakistan??

The wiki article says the brigade was started in 1970's, which would mean after 1971, but others with more first-hand knowledge can give more info.

 

[PlanetSoldier]

The wiki article says the brigade was started in 1970's, which would mean after 1971, but others with more first-hand knowledge can give more info.

It's probably the Pakistani elite force named SSG or something like that who are SEAL type forces, correct me if I'm wrong and anyone has the knowledge.

 

[Zabaniyah]

Anyone knows this DR300, it has same caliber bullet, K2 has the smaller bullet. Although China's product quality is improving, I think Korean quality is always a notch above and we might be able to export to other countries, as our labor is cheap.

They mostly use M-4 carbines.

So SWADS was started by Pakistan??

After.

A very early picture of SWADS. Remember the frogmen back in 71' war? That was when they were born:

Remember this BanglaLink commercial?

 

[Zabaniyah]

Okay, some very, very rare pictures of SWAD officers:

Some recent vids....notice SWAD commandos there (they are really bada$$):

Now some of the finest Special Forces in the world

 

[PlanetSoldier]

They mostly use M-4 carbines.

After.

A very early picture of SWADS. Remember the frogmen back in 71' war? That was when they were born:

Remember this BanglaLink commercial?

Awesome commercial.

 

[Zabaniyah]

 

[wild_fire1979]

DR300 looks like a M4 clone with a blow back mechanism

 

[kalu_miah]

Problem with M4 is that we will not get technology to produce locally, but Koreans are well known for using Bangladeshi cheap labor for many industries. So DR300, DR200, K2 etc. we may be able to make for domestic use and export. Korean craftsmanship and attention to detail is much better than the US. Just compare Korean and American cars, you will know what I am talking about.

 

[Zabaniyah]

DR300 looks like a M4 clone with a blow back mechanism

Problem with M4 is that we will not get technology to produce locally, but Koreans are well known for using Bangladeshi cheap labor for many industries. So DR300, DR200, K2 etc. we may be able to make for domestic use and export. Korean craftsmanship and attention to detail is much better than the US. Just compare Korean and American cars, you will know what I am talking about.

I'm not sure if the Koreans would offer us ToT. It isn't particularly the most popular assault rifle in the world as far as exports are concerned.

That rifle you are mentioning has design elements from the AR18 (an old US-made rifle), M-16 and the legendary AK-47.

Versions use 5.56 NATO rounds - which we do not produce.

We only produce 7.62 rounds for the Type-56, Type-81 (BD-08) and the good old G-3 which we have been producing since the Pakistan-era.

For 5.56 rounds, we need to new factory settings and machinery to produce them. And this is very expensive.

Although, the DR-300 fires 7.62s (Soviet version). I'm not sure, Bangladesh military seem to have always preferred those large Soviet rounds.

I doubt if the DR-300 is used a lot among them. Especially considering that it is heavier than the M-4 Carbine - a very important factor for covert ops.

On second thoughts, why not design, engineer and produce our own rifle?

May be I'm being too utopian, but we can at least try Who knows?

And besides, there are many problems associated with the M-4 Carbine.

 

[PlanetSoldier]

I'm not sure if the Koreans would offer us ToT. It isn't particularly the most popular assault rifle in the world as far as exports are concerned.

That rifle you are mentioning has design elements from the AR18 (an old US-made rifle), M-16 and the legendary AK-47.

Versions use 5.56 NATO rounds - which we do not produce.

We only produce 7.62 rounds for the Type-56, Type-81 (BD-08) and the good old G-3 which we have been producing since the Pakistan-era.

For 5.56 rounds, we need to new factory settings and machinery to produce them. And this is very expensive.

Although, the DR-300 fires 7.62s (Soviet version). I'm not sure, Bangladesh military seem to have always preferred those large Soviet rounds.

I doubt if the DR-300 is used a lot among them. Especially considering that it is heavier than the M-4 Carbine - a very important factor for covert ops.

On second thoughts, why not design, engineer and produce our own rifle?

May be I'm being too utopian, but we can at least try Who knows?

And besides, there are many problems associated with the M-4 Carbine.

This is what we need. There's nothing wrong in being utopian, you have to have the dream first unless achieving the goal isn't possible. Bangladesh so far is spending little money on some military R&D projects that include air force too. So, investing in R&D for a gun is not a big dream.