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Airport Security Unit (Hong Kong)

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Airport Security Unit
機場特警組 (Chinese)
Active14 November 1977 - present[1]
Country Hong Kong
AgencyHong Kong Police Force
TypeAirport police
HeadquartersChek Lap Kok Police station,
8 Catering Road West,
Chek Lap Kok
AbbreviationASU
Structure
Officers130[2]
Commanders
Current
commander		Chief Inspector Hung Yat Na[3]
Website
police.gov.hk
Airport Security Unit
Traditional Chinese機場特警組
Simplified Chinese机场特警组
Literal meaningAirport Special Police Group
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinJī​chǎng Tèjǐng Zǔ
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationGēi chèuhng dahk gíng jóu
JyutpingGei1 coeng4 dak6 ging2 zou2
Airport Security Unit officers on duty.
Airport Security Unit officer on patrol with MP5s.

The Airport Security Unit (ASU; Chinese: 機場特警組) is the airport police of the Hong Kong Police Force tasked with the security of the Hong Kong International Airport. The ASU was originally formed in 1977 as the Special Action Squad on standby for security at Kai Tak Airport and in 1978 following a review it was renamed as the Airport Security Unit and commenced patrolling the airport.[1] In 1998, the ASU moved to the Chek Lap Kok Airport.[1][4]

Duties

ASU is responsible for airport security, primarily targeting terrorist situations such as aircraft hijacking, but in urgent situations, is used as a backup force for situations outside of the airport.

ASU officers can be identified by their distinctive deep blue uniform and are armed with sub machine guns as well as semi-automatic pistols. They also have different patches.

Training

Applicants for the ASU need to complete a two phase selection course the first phase is a one-day fitness test and the second phase is over four days and then complete a ten-week training course.[5] The first woman joined the ASU in 2003.[5]

The ASU has a training range for firing simunition with corridors, rooms and check-in counters to simulate the airport terminal and also a mock-up of an aircraft interior to simulate a plane.[6][7]

Weapons

  • Glock 17[2] - Standard issue sidearm for all ASU officers, loaded with 17 round of 9mm Parabellum magazines and carried in a drop leg holster
  • Heckler & Koch MP5[2] - Standard issue SMG for all ASU officers. Loaded with 30 round of 9mm Parabellum magazines, the MP5 could be deployed in multiple variants, such as A3, A5 and RAS versions.
  • KAC SR-16 M4[2] - One of the standard issue rifles of ASU.

Compared to other units, the Airport Security Unit rarely appeared in the mass media, and there has yet to be any movie or television dedicated to them. However, the Unit was featured occasionally as part of films typically of the Cantonese-action genre:

Film

Television

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "The year 2003 marks the Silver Jubilee of the Airport Security Unit (ASU)". Offbeat – the electronic newspaper of the Royal Hong Kong Police. No. 760 – September 24 to October 7, 2003. Hong Kong Police Force. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Leung, Christy (19 May 2017). "Elite police keep watch for lone-wolf terrorists at Hong Kong airport". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  3. ^ "First-ever female head of Airport Security Unit strives to safeguard Hong Kong's airport". XinhuaNet. Xinhua. 22 May 2020. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Ensuring airport security". Offbeat – the electronic newspaper of the Royal Hong Kong Police. No. 633 - June 10 to June 23, 1998. Hong Kong Police Force. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b 機場特警打得又睇得. Oriental Daily News (in Chinese). 19 October 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  6. ^ "Airport Police training facility opens". news.gov.hk. 20 May 2003. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Simulated live-fire facility for Airport". Offbeat – the electronic newspaper of the Royal Hong Kong Police. No. 751 - May 21 to June 3, 2003. Hong Kong Police Force. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
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