Volume Volume Volume Volume 5 55 5 200 200 200 2006 66 6 Issue Issue Issue Issue 1 11 1

USP USP USP USP (Special Unit) (Special Unit) (Special Unit) (Special Unit)
Luxemb Luxemb Luxemb Luxembo oo ourg urg urg urg

1. Introduction

Untill1999 the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg just like Belgium had two
police services, the Gendarmerie and the Police. Each had its own special
unit.
The Groupe dIntervention de la Police (GIP, Police Intervention Group), has
been raised in 1986.
It had for mission the struggle against terrorism and organised crime.
In the nineties the GIP has been regrouped with the snipers and the K-9
operators into GSP (Groupement Spcial de la Police, Special Police Group).
The GIP originally counted 10 operators and the GSP finished with 24
operators.
In 1978 the Brigade Mobile de la Gendarmerie grand-ducale has been
raised (BMG, Mobile Brigade of the Grand Duchy Gendarmerie) to fight
terrorism, heavy banditism and to protect the Grand Duchy family as well as
foreign VIPs visiting Luxembourg.
Somewhere in the eighties the BMG has been consolidated with the
Gendarmerie K-9 operators, the Bomb Squad and the Observation Unit to
Groupe Mobile de la Gendarmerie (GMG, Gendarmerie Mobile Group).
The BMG started with 8 operators and the GMG finally counted 30 operators.
After the police reform, only one service called Police remained and the GSP
and GMG were put together into one group, USP, Unit Spciale or also
called Units Spciales (Special Unit or Special Units).
This was rather easy because both original units had almost the same
competences, training and specialisations, mostly followed abroad, e.g. at
Belgian DSU.
Only the specialised sweeping dogs stayed as part of the USP.



USP new logo

2. Selection Training - Organisation

Candidats cannot be older than 30 when passing the selection and have to
stay at least 5 years at the unit.
The selections take a week (similar to Belgian DSU) and contain several
fysical and psychological tests.
Especially group spirit, initiative, engagement and reasonable sense are
tested.
The base course has 3 large sub-domains : intervention, observation and
close-protection.
More detailled it looks into shooting, self defense, sports, camouflage, driving
skills, intervention technics and roping skills.
Within the unit weekly and monthly trainings and recyclings are organised.
Certain brevets are obtained abroad, such as paratrooper in France as well
as shooting instructor, and pyrotechnician in Germany.
Each team member can become expert in certain areas, as for example
opening and penetration technics, technical observation equipment etc




USP section
There is no maximum age for team members, but due to a numerus clausus,
only 7 operators can stay at the unit till retirement.
Each year team operators have to succeed sports tests to remain at the unit.
A lot of team members received their training abroad, because some years
ago, Luxembourg did not have enough own qualified instructors.
Also further training and courses are followed abroad, mainly because of the
lack of infrastructure.
Very good contacts exist with Belgian DSU and German SEK of Baden-
Wrttemberg and Saarland.



USP operator with FN 303

The USP is a fulltime unit, with exception of a part of the negotiators and
snipers, which remain at their original unit and are deployed only for training
and missions.
The unit has 2 fulltime female operators and 1 parttime female negotiator.
Actually 52 operators are active.



Organigram


3. Operations

The missions of USP are : hostage sieges, kidnappings, extorsions,
dangerous arrests, defensive observations, close protection, protection of
important transports, escort of dangerous prisoners, EOD/IED missions,
video and audio technical support, sniper missions and negotiations.




Escort

In 2004 the unit accomplished 308 missions, of which 66% interventions and
observations and 34% protection missions.
Major incidents were the siege of 45 children at a kindergarten in Wasserbillig
in 2000, where the hostage keeper has been neutralised; the kidnapping of
the son of a Swedish business man in 2002 which ended by arresting the
kidnappers and the arrest in 2003 of an Al-Qaida cell.




Different mission for the USP, different outfit

4. Equipment

Also here we find a traditional series of armoury :

- pistol Sig Sauer P228 with Sure-Fire
- revolver Smith & Wesson 586 4pc 357 Magnum
- revolver Manurhin MR73 4pc 357 Magnum
- HK MP5A3 and MP5SD with Holo-Sight and Sure-Fire
- FN P90 with Sure-Fire and Aimpoint Police and laser
- HK53 223 Winchester with Aimpoint and telescope 12x40
- Steyr Aug 223 Winchester with telescope
- shotgun Benelli M3
- sniper rifle AMP DSR1 300 Winchester Magnum with telescope Schmidt-
Bender P/M II and night vision NS V80
- sniper rifle Mauser 86 308 Winchester with night vision SR86
- sniper rifle HK PSG1 308 Winchester
- grenade launcher HK Multilauncher 40mm
- grenade launcher HK MZP1 40mm
- FN 303 (less-lethal)
- Manurhin MR35 Punch (less-lethal)

The unit uses a light ballistic helmet RBR Pastac Helmet F6 and a heavy
model Ulbrichts Titanium Helmet AM95.
The bullet-proofed vests are Systme Comoditex Niveau IIIA and heavy
model Mehler, and tactical jacket New Eagle Tac V2.
Shoes are Legero GoreTex and Adidas GSG9, night vision Liton and
communication set Motorola XTS 3000 with New Eagle system.

USP has several vehicles, but does not use a specific attack vehicle like DSU
(mounted on Toyoto Landcruiser) or the French GIGN SWATEC system.




USP sniper



USP operators with FN P90 and Steyr Aug




NEXT ISSUE

SPII Costa Rica
Will appear in May 2006

RESPONSIBLE EDITOR

Free internet magazine
Appears every four months
Nothing of this issue may be reproduced for commercial use
Edition of Hans Badgecollector
Photographs : USP
Special thanks to the unit and the Luxemburg Police
Communication Service
An article on USP written by Juan Pablo Lasterra will also be
published in the French RAIDS and Spanish ARMAS
specialunits@telenet.be
www.specialunits.be