Fri May 16, 2008 7:06 pm
STG - Special Tactics Group
Good footage on TV3 News tonight - STG performing a exercise boarding the Interisland Ferry Awatere in the Cook Strait using three NZ Air Force UH-1H Iroquois Helicopters.
Cook Strait ferry passengers found themselves unwitting props in a full-scale anti-terrorism exercise today.
The ferry was sailing from Picton to Wellington when sub-machine-gun toting police dressed in black dropped in by helicopter and stormed the bridge.
Three air force helicopters were used for the swoop on the ferry in the Cook Strait, and the police Special Tactics Group (STG) used what they describe as a fast-roping technique to get on board.
It was during a normal scheduled sailing, and passengers on the Aratere found themselves in the middle of the anti-terrorism exercise.
As for the STG, they wanted to practice boarding a moving ship and then storm the ferry's bridge, in case they ever have to deal with a ship hijacking for real.
"What they were training on was a very quick approach to a stronghold," says superintendent Bruce Dunstan, "this time on a ship that may or may not need have a need to be boarded."
Passengers were given half an hour's notice in a general announcement that a police exercise was about to take place, but did not know it meant the helicopter swoop with armed men in black.
"The captain said 'don't be alarmed' and we weren't sure what not to be alarmed about, and so it was unexpected," says passenger Mike Colvin.
Not only did they arrive quickly they also left quickly as well. With the exercise confined to the upper desks, many of the passengers down below only had a fleeting glimpse.
While the police team was movingly quickly, it was impossible to miss them coming out of the helicopters.
"While we don't do this every day, we need to take the training opportunities when they come along so that if we are ever called to do it we know we are up to it," says one of the pilots.
The STG kept themselves hidden away for the rest of the journey to Wellington, but their exercise was enough to have the passengers focus their cameras away from the dolphins to the men, and women, in black.
Weapons used - MP5's
- M4 / SR16
http://www.tv3.co.nz/VideoBrowseAll/Nat ... aspx#video
Extra Info
Special Tactics Groups (STG)
The STG provides a 'tactical capability' ie; the management of a situation. They also deal with armed incidents beyond the capability of the Armed Offender Squads, and provides protection to high risk persons. STG staff also collect information about criminal activities.
Armed Offender Squads (AOS)
There are 17 Armed Offender Squads (AOS) with 270 part time members. AOS provide an armed response to incidents involving firearms, or suspected firearms. The squads, formed in the 1960s, cordon, contain and negotiate during an incident. The addition of Police Negotiation Teams has helped in the peaceful resolution of many armed incidents. AOS attended over 500 incidents in 2003
Cook Strait ferry passengers found themselves unwitting props in a full-scale anti-terrorism exercise today.
The ferry was sailing from Picton to Wellington when sub-machine-gun toting police dressed in black dropped in by helicopter and stormed the bridge.
Three air force helicopters were used for the swoop on the ferry in the Cook Strait, and the police Special Tactics Group (STG) used what they describe as a fast-roping technique to get on board.
It was during a normal scheduled sailing, and passengers on the Aratere found themselves in the middle of the anti-terrorism exercise.
As for the STG, they wanted to practice boarding a moving ship and then storm the ferry's bridge, in case they ever have to deal with a ship hijacking for real.
"What they were training on was a very quick approach to a stronghold," says superintendent Bruce Dunstan, "this time on a ship that may or may not need have a need to be boarded."
Passengers were given half an hour's notice in a general announcement that a police exercise was about to take place, but did not know it meant the helicopter swoop with armed men in black.
"The captain said 'don't be alarmed' and we weren't sure what not to be alarmed about, and so it was unexpected," says passenger Mike Colvin.
Not only did they arrive quickly they also left quickly as well. With the exercise confined to the upper desks, many of the passengers down below only had a fleeting glimpse.
While the police team was movingly quickly, it was impossible to miss them coming out of the helicopters.
"While we don't do this every day, we need to take the training opportunities when they come along so that if we are ever called to do it we know we are up to it," says one of the pilots.
The STG kept themselves hidden away for the rest of the journey to Wellington, but their exercise was enough to have the passengers focus their cameras away from the dolphins to the men, and women, in black.
Weapons used - MP5's
- M4 / SR16
http://www.tv3.co.nz/VideoBrowseAll/Nat ... aspx#video
Extra Info
Special Tactics Groups (STG)
The STG provides a 'tactical capability' ie; the management of a situation. They also deal with armed incidents beyond the capability of the Armed Offender Squads, and provides protection to high risk persons. STG staff also collect information about criminal activities.
Armed Offender Squads (AOS)
There are 17 Armed Offender Squads (AOS) with 270 part time members. AOS provide an armed response to incidents involving firearms, or suspected firearms. The squads, formed in the 1960s, cordon, contain and negotiate during an incident. The addition of Police Negotiation Teams has helped in the peaceful resolution of many armed incidents. AOS attended over 500 incidents in 2003
