RRTF is called upon when situations occur that are too dangerous for ordinary police to handle such as hostage situations, serving high-risk arrest warrants and confronting armed criminals. The main responsibility of the RRTF is interventions in dangerous situations or dangerous environments, e.
RRTF, formerly known as Piketen, has been active since In , the RRTF officially opened up for any female officers who wish to serve in the unit though none have passed selection yet. Launched in , this concept standardized and regulated the employment, structure and capabilities of the Swedish polices tactical units. The NIK divides the various tactical units into three levels of capabilities: [ 5 ]. To be eligible for RRTF selection an officer must have at least 18 months of service, but exceptions can be made if the applicant possesses skills or experiences valuable for the units.
After a series of physical and psychological tests successful applicants progress to a final week long field exercise, commonly known as "hell week". Applicants who successfully complete "hell week" then progress to 6 months of training before claiming an operational slot with their unit. For example; one or multiple dangerous perpetrators in rural terrain or in an urban environment and perpetrators in houses or vehicles also including hostage rescue. Such dangerous interventions require a lot of advanced tactical training.
The unit's officers are well-trained in different methods of entry MOE , such as rappelling and door breaching. They also receive training in close target reconnaissance, close quarters battle, TCCC , self-defense, and various weapon systems. All operators are equipped with ballistic Ops Core helmets, plate carriers and flame retardant clothing.
The units strives to resolve any given situation as calmly as possible to avoid injury or loss of life [ 2 ] and uses highly trained negotiators when tactically possible. Circumstances dictate whether officers operate in uniform or civilian clothing.
