Airport Security Unit (Hong Kong)

File:ASU.jpg

Airport Security Unit officers on duty.

Airport Security Unit officer on patrol with MP5s.

The Airport Security Unit (Abbreviation: ASU; Chinese: 機場特警組) formed in 1977 as Special Action Squad, is a special force of the Hong Kong Police Force tasked with the security of the Hong Kong International Airport.

Responsibilities and nature

ASU is responsible for airport security, primarily targeting terrorist situations such as aircraft hijacking, but in urgent situations, is used as a backup force for situations outside of the airport.

ASU officers can be identified wearing distinctive deep blue uniforms and they carry SMGs along with semi-automatic pistols everywhere when on patrol, due to their nature and duties of handling hijackings of aircraft or acts of terrorism that can occur in HKIA.

Weapons

• Glock 17 - Standard issue sidearm for all ASU officers, loaded with 15 round of 9mm Parabellum magazines and carried in a drop leg holster
• Heckler & Koch MP5 - Standard issue SMG for all ASU officers. Loaded with 28 round of 9mm Parabellum magazines, the MP5 could be deployed in multiple variants, such as A3、A5 and RAS versions.
• AR-15 - One of the standard issue rifles of ASU
• M16 rifle - One of the standard issue rifles of ASU
• Benelli M1 Super 90- Standard issue shotgun of ASU
• HK PSG1 - Standard issue sniper rifle, loaded with 20-round magazines of 7.62×51mm NATO.

In popular culture

Compared to other units, the Airport Security Unit rarely appeared in the mass media, and there has yet to be any movie or television dedicated to them. However, the Unit was featured occasionally as part of films typically of the cantonese-action genre:

Movies

• Purple Storm (1999)
• Gen-Y Cops (2000)
• Hit Team (2001)
• Connected (2008)
• Sergeant Tabloid (2012)

See also

• Special Duties Unit
• Counter-terrorist units, by country

External links

• 香港警察紀律部隊-ASU機場特警隊