Atlas Network

The Atlas network or the Atlas Group combines the 32 European special police units of all 28 EU Member States. The informal cooperation structure was established in 2002, its roots go but back to the year 1996. The goal of the Atlas network is to improve the cooperation of special police forces within Europe.

Importance

Atlas is not an acronym, but refers to the same Titans of Greek mythology, which carries the sky on his shoulders.

Construction

In 1996 the Council of the European Union to create a counter-terrorist skills network decided to facilitate cooperation between Member States in this field. This is considered the " birth" of the Atlas cooperation. However, had only the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 as a prelude to the operational development work. In October 2001, then took a first meeting of the commanders of the police special forces after " 9/11 " instead.

The significant development work has been done by the GSG 9 of the Federal Police ( Germany ), the EKO Cobra ( Austria ), the GIGN (France), the DSU (Belgium ) and the DSI (Netherlands).

Organization

The Atlas network is an informal cooperation structure, yet the cooperation has meanwhile been extended. So common standards for training, equipment and operational procedures are developed or further developed. One focus is on joint exercises. A common use of several multinational police special units to deal with a terrorist Großlage currently applies because of the political and legal sensitivity still unlikely. Nevertheless, there are initiatives. So put Austria in December 2006, the draft framework agreement for joint special operations before.

Division of labor

The GSG 9 of the Federal Police is responsible for the development of tactics and techniques in the maritime operational environment. In addition, the GIGN develop tactics and techniques for use on aircraft, the RAID for use on public transport and the EKO Cobra for use in buildings. In addition to these working groups was the formation of expert groups, decided to support a terrorist attack affected States.

Members

In Atlas composite, some states are represented by several units due to the federal structures of some member states and the existence of police and military guard the body. For Atlas group includes the following 32 units from the 27 EU Member States:

  • Acvila (Romania )
  • AKS (Denmark)
  • Aras (Lithuania )
  • CO19 ( United Kingdom )
  • BOA (Poland )
  • DSI (Netherlands)
  • DSU (Belgium )
  • EAO (Cyprus)
  • EKAM (Greece )
  • EKO Cobra ( Austria )
  • ERU (Ireland )
  • GIGN (France)
  • GIS ( Italy)
  • GEO (Spain )
  • GOE (Portugal )
  • GSG 9 of the Federal Police ( Germany )
  • Karhu (Finland )
  • K command ( Estonia)
  • Lynx (Slovakia )
  • NI (Sweden)
  • NOCS (Italy )
  • OMEGA ( Latvia)
  • RAID (France)
  • Red Panther ( Slovenia)
  • Special Assignments Group ( SAG) (Malta )
  • SEK Baden Württemberg ( Germany )
  • SIAS (Romania )
  • SUCT (Bulgaria)
  • TEK (Hungary )
  • UEI (Spain )
  • URNA (Czech Republic)
  • USP ( Luxembourg )

Continue to cooperate with the Atlas network:

  • Beredskapstroppen (Delta ) (Norway)
  • Scorpio ( Switzerland, Zurich STAPO )

Operation Octopus

During surgery, Octopus it was a large-scale multinational maritime exercise, in September 2007 attended a total of 300 police officers from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Spain at the. The exercise took place in the port of Ostend and simulated taking a hijacked ferry. The necessary boats and helicopters were held by the police authorities involved.

Atlas (mythology) National Gendarmerie Intervention Group Grupo Especial de Operaciones National Task Force Recherche Assistance Intervention Dissuasion Spezialeinsatzkommando Emergency Response Unit (Norway)
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