A job only an elite can do

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 17

A job only an elite can do

The exploits of the British Special. Air Service Squadron (S.A.S.) have been well publicised. Much less is known about its equivalent here, the New Zealand S.A.S. A New Zealand “Herald” reporter watched its members “rescue” Mr Muldoon from a “terrorist gang” in a spectacular set-piece last week-end. He reports:

Live ammunition flew feet away from the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, and senior defence officials as they were rescued from the clutches of a “terrorist gang” in a lonely South Auckland house last week-end.

Members of the Special Air Service Squadron blasted away a door and shot the “terrorists” in the tiny confines of a living room packed with a dozen people.

The incident was over within seconds, leaving Mr Muldoon and the defence officials shaken and dazed by the speed of events.

The. incident was a full rehearsal of the real thing. The bullets and explosives were real and the S.A.S. men fired into the room with deadly accuracy, knocking, out the armed dummy terrorists which'stood just feet away from Mr Muldoon and his party.

It was the first S.A.S. demonstration the New Zealand press has been allowed to witness and a "Herald” reporter was invited by the Prime Minister’s department to see the lethal professionalism of this elite corps. ■ Much of the equipment

and many of the techniques used by the S.A.S. were censored.

“If we give all our tricks away then it could cost our men lives, and leave us with nothing but guts left to do a job,” said *the squadron commander. What can be said is that the S.A.S. are the elite of the Army, well versed in a wide range of skills such as unarmed combat, rock climbing, free-fall parachuting, canoeing, bush survival, and jungle warfare. The training which the New Zealand S.A.S. undergoes is in many respects very similar to that of the British S.A.S. force which was put-to excellent effect during the Falkland Islands war.

In other “incidents” last week-end, S.A.S. men playing the part of terrorists were sniped at with live ammunition by colleagues hidden in the bush. They also jumped from an aircraft and made a tricky pin-point landing by parachutes in blustery 20knot winds.".

There was a quick, exit from a hovering helicopter by rope from about 30 metres up, and a camouflage

demonstration which surprised everybody as the S.A.S. men stepped out of the bush just a few feet away from the unsuspecting visitors. S.A.S. men are not ordinary marksmen; they are outstanding, whether it be with their standard American M-

16 automatic rifles or with personal side-arms. Pumpkin “heads” were blasted away in the fashion of scenes from the movie, “The Day of the Jackal.” “The risk of international terrorism in New Zealand may be only an airline ticket away,” said the squadron

commander, who like other members of the New Zealand force cannot reveal his identity. During times of conflict they are the eyes and ears of the High Command, often working miles behind enemy lines and living' off the land. They are also a commando

force, but much better equipped and better trained that the Second World War commandos. “We do not work in such large groups as the old commandos,” said the squadron commander. In war-time they may be called upon to sabotage

enemy equipment or to free prisoners. The S.A.S. is interested in all the possible terrorist scenarios in New Zealand, whether it be the protection of visiting VIPs or the hijacking of jumbo jets. Using steerable parachutes, that travel at 30 kilometres

an hour — they can land on a ship at sea if needs be. They can also drop into the sea and swim incredible distances underwater, wearing the locally-made wet suits that the Argentine Navy wanted to buy. Their equipment is the best available and they use the best instructors — Army and civilian.

The training is tough and mentally demanding, but there is no brutality. And recruits are never subjected to anything which would degrade them as soldiers. Strangely, many of the S.A.S. men are not giants, but chunky men of less than average height.

A senior officer said: “The men have to have a high IQ, and they have to be mentally and emotionally balanced.”

Live ammunition is used in escape and evasion training. A slight mistake or an emotional lapse on the part of a colleague could lead to injury or death. The commander said that the men bad to be able to take the knocks which were inevitable with this type of training. The New Zealand S.A.S. Squadron was formed in 1955 and specially raised for active service in the Malayan Peninsula war against communist terrorists.

Today, it remains on standby, ready to handle anything.