Airport Security Unit (Hong Kong)
The Airport Security Unit (ASU) formed in 1977 as the Special Action Squad,[3] are the airport police of the Hong Kong Police Force tasked with the security of the Hong Kong International Airport.
Airport Security Unit 機場特警組 | |
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Abbreviation | ASU |
Agency overview | |
Formed | 1977[1] |
Jurisdictional structure | |
National agency | Hong Kong |
Operations jurisdiction | Hong Kong |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Chek Lap Kok Police station, 8 Catering Road West, Chek Lap Kok |
Sizes | 130 officers[1][2] |
Parent agency | Hong Kong Police Force |
Airport Security Unit | |||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 機場特警組 | ||||||||
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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.
Weapons
- Glock 17[1] - Standard issue sidearm for all ASU officers, loaded with 15 round of 9mm Parabellum magazines and carried in a drop leg holster
- Heckler & Koch MP5[1] - Standard issue SMG for all ASU officers. Loaded with 28 round of 9mm Parabellum magazines, the MP5 could be deployed in multiple variants, such as A3, A5 and RAS versions.
- M4[1] - One of the standard issue rifles of ASU.
In popular culture
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
- Fatal Termination (1990)
- Purple Storm (1999)
- Gen-Y Cops (2000)
- Hit Team (2001)
- Connected (2008)
Television
- Sergeant Tabloid (2012)
- Airport Strikers 「機場特警」(2020)
References
- 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.
- 機場特警打得又睇得. Oriental Daily News (in Chinese). 19 October 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- "Securing success 機場特警30周年誌慶" (PDF). Issue 5. hkia News. Retrieved 25 May 2012.