Unité Spéciale de la Police

Unité Spéciale de la Police
Active	1999–present[1]
Country	Luxembourg
Branch	Grand Ducal Police[2]
Type	Special forces
Role	Domestic counter-terrorism and law enforcement
Size	56 officers[3]
Nickname(s)	USP[2]

The Unité Spéciale de la Police (USP; English: "Special Unit of the Police") is a special unit of the Grand Ducal Police that was created in Luxembourg in 1999.^[1] It is tasked with responding to especially dangerous situations such as hostage rescue operations, arrests of dangerous individuals, bomb threats, and dignitary protection duties.^[3] The unit trains abroad with comparable units, in particular the Belgian DSU and German SEK.^[4]

History

The USP was formed in 1999 as a merger of the Police Intervention Group (French: Groupe d’intervention de la police) counter-terrorist group and the Gendarmerie Mobile Brigade (French: Brigade mobile de la Gendarmerie).^[1] By 2007, USP had conducted roughly 1,650 missions^[5] with an average of 300 assignments annually. Two-thirds of these missions were police arrests or surveillance, and one third of these tasks was close protection or other escort duties.^[5] Notable achievements of the formation include:

• The rescue in 2000 of a large number of Wasserbillig school members that had been taken hostage by a man armed with a pistol, grenade, and knife. The hostage-taker was shot and wounded, and all 45 children and 3 teachers were rescued.^[6][7][8]
• The rescue in 2002 of the kidnapped son of a Swedish businessman.^[6]
• The arrest and dismantling in 2003 of a cell of Al Qaeda in Luxembourg.^[6]

Recruitment

Applicants to the USP must be younger than 30 years of age with several years of experience in the Luxembourg police. Applicants undergo a selection test lasting one week. The applicants are tested for motivation, teamwork, thinking skills, and physical endurance. Once selected, candidates are trained over the course of six months in intervention, observation, and close protection. When this training is completed, the candidate is integrated into the USP.^[9]

Equipment

The Unité Spéciale de la Police uses an assortment of weapons, including:

• AMP Technical Services DSR-1^[10]
• Benelli M3^[11]
• Beretta 92F^[12]
• Brügger & Thomet APR^[10]
• FN Herstal FN 303^[13]
• FN Herstal P90 TR^{[2][14][15][16][17][18]}
• FN Herstal Minimi^[11]
• Glock 17 / 26^[12]
• Heckler & Koch HK53^[15]
• Heckler & Koch MP5 / MP5A3 / MP5SD / MP5K^[15]
• Heckler & Koch MZP1^[11]
• Heckler & Koch P7M13^[12]
• Heckler & Koch PSG1^[10]
• Heckler & Koch USP^[12]
• Remington 870^[11]
• SIG Sauer P226 / SIG Sauer P228^[12]
• Smith & Wesson Model 586 / 686^[19]
• Steyr AUG^[15]

References