SWAT

SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) is a term for law enforcement units which use specialized or military equipment and tactics in the United States. First created in the 1960s to handle riot control or violent confrontations with criminals, the number and usage of SWAT teams increased in the 1980s and 1990s during the War on Drugs and later in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. SWAT teams were deployed 50,000 times every year, almost 80% of the time to serve search warrants, most often for narcotics. SWAT teams are increasingly equipped with military-type hardware and trained to deploy against threats of terrorism for crowd control and in situations beyond the capabilities of ordinary law enforcement, sometimes deemed high-risk. Other countries have developed their own paramilitary police units (PPUs) that are also described as or compared to SWAT forces.

Equipment
SWAT teams use equipment designed for a variety of specialist situations including close-quarters combat (CQC) in an urban environment. The particle pieces of equipment vary from unit to unit, but there are some consistent trends in what they wear and use. Much of their equipment is indistinguishable from that supplied to the military, not at least because much of it is military surplus.

Weapons
While a wide variety of weapons are used by SWAT teams, the most common weapons include submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, shotguns and sniper rifles. Tactical aids include flash bangs, stingers and tear gas grenades. Canine units may also be incorporated within SWAT teams or may be used on an ad hoc basis.

The 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun used to the mainstay of most SWAT teams, but this has been phased out by many departments in favor of 5.56 carbines such as the Colt CAR-15 and the more modern M4. Common shotguns used by SWAT units include the semi-automatic Benelli M1 and, to a lesser extent, the pump-action Remington 870. Semi-automatic pistols are the most popular sidearms include M1911 pistol series, SIG Sauer series, Beretta 92 series, Glock pistols, H&K USP series and 5.7x28mm FN Five-SeveN pistol. The Colt M16A2 may be used by SWAT marksmen when a longer ranged weapon is needed. Common sniper rifles include M14 rifles and the Remington 8700P. Many different variants of bolt action rifles are used by SWAT including limited use of .50 caliber sniper rifles for more intense situations.

To breach doors quickly, battering rams, shotguns with breaching rounds or explosive charges can be used to break the lock or hinges or even demolish the door frame itself. SWAT teams may also use non-lethal munitions and weapons including tasers, pepper spray canisters, shotguns loaded with bean bag rounds, pepperball guns, stinger grenades, flash bang grenades and tear gas. Ballistic shields are used in close quarters situations to provide cover for SWAT team members and reflect gunfire. Peppergalls are essentially paint ball markers loaded with balls containing Olerosin Capsium (pepper spray).