SOBT

{{Infobox law enforcement unit | unit_name = Specialized Counter Terrorism Unit | native_name = | native_namea = | native_namer = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | dates = 14 December 1978 - present | country = | agency = Ministry of Interior | type = Police tactical unit | ops_juris = National | command_structure = Main Directorate of Gendarmerie, Special Operations and Counter-Terror ( } | headquarters_label = | headquarters = | coordinates = | motto = | motto_translated = | common_name = | abbreviation = SOBT | sworn_type_label = Officers | sworn = 152 | unsworn_type_label = | unsworn = | subunit_type_label = | subunits = | station_type_label = | stations = | current_commander = | notable_commanders = Lt. Vasil Velkov | programs = | significant_operations = | anniversaries = | awards = | vehicles = | boats = | aircraft = | animals = | website = }} The Directorate "Special Operations and Counter Terrorism" ( ) is the tier one police tactical unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bulgaria (MVR).

{{Infobox law enforcement unit | unit_name = Specialized Counter Terrorism Unit | native_name = | native_namea = | native_namer = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | dates = 14 December 1978 - present | country = | agency = Ministry of Interior | type = Police tactical unit | ops_juris = National | command_structure = Main Directorate of Gendarmerie, Special Operations and Counter-Terror ( } | headquarters_label = | headquarters = | coordinates = | motto = | motto_translated = | common_name = | abbreviation = SOBT | sworn_type_label = Officers | sworn = 152 | unsworn_type_label = | unsworn = | subunit_type_label = | subunits = | station_type_label = | stations = | current_commander = | notable_commanders = Lt. Vasil Velkov | programs = | significant_operations = | anniversaries = | awards = | vehicles = | boats = | aircraft = | animals = | website = }} The Directorate "Special Operations and Counter Terrorism" ( ) is the tier one police tactical unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bulgaria (MVR). ==History== After the Bulgarian Communist Party (BKP) came to power on September 9, 1944, one of its first acts was to form a new law enforcement agency (LEA) - the People's Militia (Bulgarian: Народна милиция). Terrorism was understood to be acts of industrial sabotage and ideological subversion by small groups organized and infiltrated by the countries of the capitalist world - the Socialist Bloc's main adversary during the Cold War. As such, the main counterterrorism and hostage rescue force of the People's Republic of Bulgaria was the Internal Troops of the Ministry of the Interior. They were organized similarly to the Soviet Union's Interior Troops as a light infantry military force. As such, they were deemed inadequate to provide the Ministry of the Interior with the rapid and flexible response needed to counter the highly trained terror organizations that emerged in the global terror wave of the 1970s. ==Structure== Headquarters Office Planning Group Logistics Department Transportation and vehicles Communication Armory Economic base Operations and Missions Department Headquarters Defence and tactical security 4 Commando groups/ Sectors 01-04 Group leader 3 Teams Sector "Training and Education" Fitness and martial arts Group "Combat and Para" Group "Tactical Training" Group "Strategic Training" Group "Pyrotechnics and Demolitions" ==Training and selection== When there are vacant slots within SOBT, or new roles must be filled, the MVR releases dates for a selection exam on its official website. This examination lasts 2 days, during which volunteers are expected to demonstrate an adequate level of physical conditioning and undergo a brief psychological test in the form of a one hour interview. There is no requirement for previous experience with firearms. After successfully passing selection, fresh units undergo heavy training for about 6 months. That is usually enough time for the men to go through all of the training to be assigned to a unit and be ready for deployment. The entry examination is not overly selective with the goal of having the 6 month training period act as the main filter. Naturally, daily rigorous training and exercises continue even after these 6 months. To be a team leader requires extensive training that could mean at least one more year of training though some train for three additional years. After around a year of being in the unit, operators can be selected for a more specific role, such as bomb disposal, CBRN defense, communications, executive protection, field intelligence gathering, irregular warfare, parachuting, sniper, tactical diving, tactical emergency medical, underwater demolition, etc. The selection for these roles is done by the SOBT instructors and current manpower needs. The SOBT has conducted training exercises with respected foreign police tactical unit and special forces teams, such as the French RAID. Around the year 2016, SOBT appears to have collaborated with a US special forces Liaison element, during which both equipment and new, extensive tactical knowledge was acquired by SOBT. According to an interview with a lead SOBT instructor, the positive results of this collaboration were clear in the 2018 ATLAS exercise. ==Inventory== ==References== ==External links== Spetsnaz-BG:How to enter SOBT

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369796817 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.