Grupo de Acción Rápida
Grupo de Acción Rápida (GAR) (English: Rapid Action Group) is the rural police tactical unit of the Spanish Civil Guard (Spanish: Guardia Civil).[3][4]
| Rapid Action Group | |
|---|---|
| Grupo de Acción Rápida (Spanish) | |
| Active | 1982–present[1] |
| Country | Spain |
| Agency | Guardia Civil |
| Type | Police tactical unit |
| Part of | Jefatura de Unidades Especiales y de Reserva[2] |
| Headquarters | Logroño |
| Abbreviation | GAR |
| Structure | |
| Agents | Approx. 500[3] |
| Companies | Four[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Lieutenant Colonel Jesús Gayoso Rey[3] |
Tracing its origins to the Unidad Antiterrorista Rural (UAR) formed in April 1978.[5] The Grupo Antiterrorista Rural was formed in 1982 and later renamed to Grupo de Acción Rápida.[1] It is based in Logroño.[6]
Initially aimed to counter ETA, since 1998 it has re-oriented towards international deployments, taking part in NATO, United Nations and European Union missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Haiti and the Central African Republic.[6]
Applicants to GAR have to complete over five months of training with between 25% and 30% completing the course.[7]
Firearms used include the Heckler & Koch USP Compact 9×19mm, Heckler & Koch MP5 9×19mm and the Heckler & Koch HK417 7.62×51mm respectively.
References edit
- ^ a b c "Unidad de Acción Rural de la Guardia Civil (UAR)". Guardia Civil (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ "Operations Division". Guardia Civil (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Molpereces, Diego; Martínez, Javier (23 November 2017). "Un día de maniobras con los GAR, el grupo antiterrorista de élite de la Guardia Civil". Voz Pópuli. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Special Operations Force returns to the desert with Exercise Flintlock". Ministry of Defence (Press release). 24 February 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "Grupo de Acción Rápida (GAR)". Guardia Civil (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ a b Vallejo, César; Mahia, Irene (26 October 2015). "G.A.R.: La lucha contra el terrorismo continúa". RTVE. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Villamayor Jimenez, Valentin (December 1999). "The Terrorist Fighters". KFOR Chronicle. NATO Kosovo Force. p. 11. Retrieved 25 August 2020.