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This Is China’s Version Of SEAL Team 6

Logan Nye
ByLogan Nye
Updated onOct 21, 2020
1 minute read
Navy photo

SUMMARY

The Snow Leopard Commando Unit is the China’s most elite counter terrorism unit, similar to America’s SEAL Team 6. Surprisingly, the unit is a federal police unit and not part of China’s Army. Tasked with protecting the capital of Beij…

The Snow Leopard Commando Unit is the China's most elite counter terrorism unit, similar to America's SEAL Team 6. Surprisingly, the unit is a federal police unit and not part of China's Army.

Tasked with protecting the capital of Beijing, their activities are largely secret. Still, the glimpses the world gets are pretty impressive.

The unit is reported to have been established soon after China's capital was selected for the 2008 Olympics. From 2002 to 2007, they trained in secret under the name "Snow Wolf Commando Unit."

In 2007, their existence was finally announced just before a ceremony that changed their name to "Snow Leopard Commando Unit." That same year, SLCU conducted some flashy training with Russian police.

SLCU continued service after the Olympic's closing ceremonies. The elite unit is rarely reported on, but they made news in 2013 and 2014 for winning top honors at the Warrior Competition, a sort of combat Olympics held in Jordan every year.
The Chinese police very rarely leave China, but the Snow Leopard Unit does, providing security for Chinese dignitaries. They've also been dispatched domestically to stamp out unrest in China's West.

If China has a need to conduct a hostage rescue mission against ISIS or other extremists, it would likely be the Snow Leopard Commando Unit that goes.

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