| 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] |
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]
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.
_Mannequin_Challenge_UAR_(Unidad_de_Acci%C3%B3n_R%C3%A1pida)-_Guardia_Civil._Rapel.jpg)
References
- ^ 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.
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