The Special Duties Unit (SDU; ), nicknamed the "Flying Tigers" (), is a police tactical unit of the Hong Kong Police Force tasked with countering terrorist attacks, hostage rescue, underwater search and recovery, and tackling serious crime involving firearms.

The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) comprises two other tactical units, the Airport Security Unit and the Counter Terrorism Response Unit; the SDU is the primary tactical unit of the HKPF.

In 2024, the SDU was placed under the command of the Counter Terrorism and Major Incidents Bureau which is part of 'A' Department Operations Wing. the British Hong Kong government decided to raise a police tactical unit within the RHKP. The unit was known as the Marksman Unit (). Officers recruited to MU received British training at the time.

MU officers were deployed in 1973 in the hijacking of a Thai Airways jet and on 24 May 1974 during an armed robbery incident at Po Sang Bank. In 1974, the MU was renamed to the SDU and became a dedicated full-time unit to deal with terrorist attacks and serious crimes involving firearms. taking over MU’s role.

In early 1978, the British Special Air Service sent an advisory team to Hong Kong, which was initially to evaluate the SDU and subsequently trained two land assault teams resulting in considerable changes to SDU equipment and tactics.

  • 2014: In a heavily televised standoff, the Unit was deployed to a flat in a residential skyscraper in Kowloon Bay after a disgruntled man armed with a heavy calibre pistol shot and killed another man in the building and barricaded himself in the flat. Multiple shots were exchanged, along with the use of flashbang grenades, which were clearly seen and heard on live television. Several SDU officers breached the flat through the front door while others rappelled from the roof of the skyscraper and entered the flat through the windows. By the time the officers reached the man, he had shot himself. The man later died from suicide.
  • 2019: During the Christchurch mosque shootings, two members of the Unit training in Christchurch helped respond to the shooting alongside local police by providing medical treatment to victims of the attacks.
  • 2019-2020: During the anti-extradition protests, SDU operators as part of the Special Tactical Contingent (STC) took part in riot control duties. Amnesty International accused the STC of excessive force, claiming that the STC was responsible for "the worst violence" by the police force. Apple Daily reported that SDU operators disguised as protesters provoked fights with protestors in order for them to be arrested. Newtalk reported that SDU operators disguised as protestors committed illegal acts such as setting fire on the street as part of a false flag operation. Police arrested a Hong Kong Museum of History employee for obstruction who uploaded photos to social media of a SDU observation post in the museum that was observing the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Organisation

The Special Duties Unit consists of a support group, administration group, and the action group. The action group is the core of the SDU, further categorized into the assault team and the sniper team.

The SDU structure consists of the following as of 2014:

  • Administration Group (Headquarters) which is responsible for all administrative works, as well as providing intelligence to operations
  • Action Group
  • Assault Teams
  • Team A, Team B, Team C (Training of SDU officers)
  • Sniper Team
  • Boat Team: Provides sea transportation for the assault team, and maintains the SDU fleet of small vessels
  • Support Group
  • Medical Support Team: Consists of combat medics who perform operations along the assault team
  • Transportation Team: Maintains the SDU fleet of land vehicles

The SDU has five Belgian Shepherd dogs. In 1998, this changed to a basic four-day selection course with more emphasis on mental attributes than physical ones.

Vehicles

thumb|right|230px|Mercedes-Benz Unimog armoured vehicle used by the SDU

The SDU has several ground vehicles including the Mercedes-Benz Unimog U5000 armoured personnel carrier, the Jankel Guardian Tactical Intervention Vehicle based on a Ford F-450 chassis, with attachable night-vision scopes and ear protection, MSA Advantage 1000 CBA-RCA respirators,

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|Glock 19

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|Heckler & Koch MP5

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|Submachine gun

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|SIG Sauer SIG516

| rowspan="2" |

|Assault rifle

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|Remington 870

| rowspan="3" |Shotgun

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|Benelli M1 Super 90

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| rowspan="3" |Status unknown

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|Franchi SPAS-15

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|Remington 700

| rowspan="2" |

| rowspan="7" |Sniper rifle

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|KAC SR-25

| Current issue

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|Accuracy International AX308

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| One of the standard sniper rifles since the 2010s

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|Accuracy International AS50

|Revealed in 2021

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|CS/LR4

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|Status unknown

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|QBU-203

|One of the standard sniper rifles since 2024

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|SIG Sauer SSG 3000

| rowspan="2" |

|Used in training.

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|Brügger & Thomet GL-06

| rowspan="3" |Grenade launcher

| rowspan="3" |Revealed in 2019, used in riot control

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|M320 Grenade Launcher Module

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|ARWEN 37

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See also

  • Counter Terrorism Response Unit
  • Police Tactical Unit (Hong Kong Police Force)
  • Airport Security Unit
  • Special Tactical Squad
  • Emergency Unit

References

  • SDU 50th anniversary official documentary Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3 (English subtitles)