Country Japan Type Special Forces | Branch Japan Coast Guard Size Classified | |
Active (Kansai Airport Marine Guard) 1985 - 1996
(Special Security Team) 1996 - Present Role Counter-Terrorism
Law Enforcement | ||
The Special Security Team (特殊警備隊, Tokushu-keibi-tai) is a paramilitary counter terrorism unit of the Japanese Coast Guard. Formerly known as the Kansai International Airport Marine Guard, it was renamed after a period of reorganization. It is tasked with the rapid response to domestic terrorist and hijacking incidents against any ships in Japanese waters.
Contents
The SST is currently based at the Osaka Special Security Station of the 5th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters at Kobe.
History
The origins of the SST is tracked back to the former Kansai International Airport Marine Guard in 1985. The former Marine Guard was formerly trained by US Navy SEALs and the Japanese 1st Airborne Brigade.
In 1989, KAMG operatives were involved in storming a Panama-registered vessel after receiving requests via radio for assistance in the East China Sea near Okinawan waters after British officers were attacked by Filipino crewmembers during a riot. All of the arrested crew members were then taken into custody. In 1992, the KAMG was deployed to guard ships carrying nuclear waste from France all the way to Japan, protecting them from any sort of staged attacks from any radical anti-nuclear activist groups.
After a period of reorganization, the KAMG changed its name to the Special Security Team in 1996.
The SST has seen action in engaging suspected North Korean infiltration ships intruding Japanese waters in Japanese and foreign news from 1999-2002.
An SST has participated in several Proliferation Security Initiative exercises recently in Australia.
The SST was also responsible for apprehending Sea Shepherd protesters in 2008 after they were confronted by crewmembers of the Nisshin Maru.
Organisation
The following ranks are observed from within the SST: