Special Weapons Team

The Special Weapons Teams, also known as SWAT, were specialized tactical support police units of the Coruscant Security Force on the planet Coruscant. They consisted of CSF police officers who were trained in areas such as sharpshooting, entry-and-capture operations, hand-to-hand and urban combat, and counter-intelligence. Some operations in which the SWAT teams were involved included providing snipers and personnel to ensure secure voting at the Senate Building in Galactic City, a mission during the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists, responding to the terrorist attacks during the Second Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Alliance and the Confederation, and later taking part in the liberating of Coruscant from the Lost Tribe of Sith.
==Description==
Special Weapons Teams were specialized police tactical units of the Coruscant Security Force. The SWAT police officers worked on the planet Coruscant to respond to situations that regular patrol officers would not be able to handle.Legacy of the Force: Tempest They wore black uniforms and tactical armor.Legacy of the Force: Revelation SWAT officers would be called in to serve as entry-and-capture teams into fortified structures or to conduct raids with other CSF officers and units. To assist them in these duties, SWAT teams could utilize specialized droids. Many officers of the CSF's Anti-Terrorism Unit were trained for tactical situations, and they would often conduct tactical operations on their own.Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines Conversely, SWAT teams had knowledge of counter-intelligence operations and would provide security at large-scale events. SWAT officers would also train to become snipers and train for hand-to-hand and urban combat above the abilities of a regular police officer.
==History==
The Special Weapons Team had been formed by 52 BBY. At that time, the Galactic Republic's Senate held a major vote on whether to allow several planets who were under the Trade Federation's control to enter the Republic and receive senatorial representation. In anticipation of the event, the CSF cordoned off a large area around the Senate Building, including Level 55 down to Level 106 of Galactic City's Senate District. They deployed SWAT snipers, security cam droids, and bomb-detecting droids to assist in controlling the crowds and prevent any trouble.
In 21 BBY during the Clone Wars between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Republic Commandos were unofficially sent to identify a terrorist network on Coruscant. Working with the Anti-Terrorism Unit and the Organized Crime Unit, they were able to identify the network. The CSF conducted raids with tactical units all over Coruscant, and the network was shut down with ninety-seven terrorists either killed or detained.
In 18 BBY a tactical team under the command of Sergeant Amry was called in to assist Prefect Pol Haus and his subordinate, Lieutenant Kalibar Droosh, in a sting operation. Prefect Haus informed the team they would follow an informant to a maglev train platform to await the arrival of a criminal gang that would be on the train. Unknown to the tactical team, the informant was Haus' co-conspirator in the Whiplash resistance movement, Sheel Mafeen. The two had planned that when the maglev train arrived carrying Whiplash operative Tuden Sal, Haus would arrest him to prevent Sal from carrying out an attack on Emperor Palpatine that would endanger Whiplash. The tactical team together with Haus followed Mafeen to the platform of Whiplash's maglev train. However, the maglev train never arrived. Haus ordered the tactical team to enter the track area and find the missing train. They were able to locate a single train car which appeared to be abandoned. Alarmed, Haus ordered everyone to leave the area but not before the train car exploded, injuring several of the officers. The tactical team immediately set about rescuing their fallen comrades.The Last Jedi
In the aftermath of several terrorist attacks in 40 ABY, the Galactic Alliance government set up the Galactic Alliance Guard to root out Corellian terrorists who supported Corellia's rebellion against the Galactic Alliance. The GAG was to serve as a secret security force and bridge the gap between the military and the police. Officers of the CSF's Anti-Terrorism Unit who had tactical training accompanied soldiers of 967 Commando to raid Jabi Town, where many Corellians on Coruscant lived. During the raids, the CSF tactical units provided support in controlling the crowds. They would later continue to do so for other raids and riots, but in a diminished capacity as the GAG sought to become a distinct entity.
Four years later in 44 ABY, the New Jedi Order began to liberate Coruscant from the Lost Tribe of Sith, who had infiltrated the Galactic Alliance and seized control of the planet. The Jedi began hunting down the individual members of the Lost Tribe who had infiltrated Galactic Alliance Security, the High Court, and the Galactic Alliance military. Those Sith who managed to escape began causing severe damage to Coruscant. Though at first confused and hesitant to interfere, as the Jedi gained control of the government, the CSF sided with them in neutralizing the remaining Sith. The SWAT teams were called in for support as the CSF officers were easily cut down by the Sith's lightsabers and use of the Force. Despite their best efforts, the SWAT teams fared little better than their regular counterparts. Although many of the Sith were eventually brought down and killed, resulting in a victory for the Jedi and Galactic Alliance, the CSF's casualties quickly ran into the thousands.
==Behind the scenes==
The Special Weapons Teams were first mentioned indirectly in Omega Squad: Targets, a short story written by Karen Traviss and published in Star Wars Insider 81 in March of 2005. It was republished in Republic Commando: Triple Zero, which Traviss also authored, on February 28, 2006. They were mentioned in subsequent novels of Traviss's Republic Commando series, as well as in her novel Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, published on August 26, 2006. They were first identified as SWAT in Legacy of the Force: Tempest, published on November 28, 2006 and written by Troy Denning. Later, they appeared in Darth Plagueis by James Luceno, which was published on January 10, 2012, as well as in the novel Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse, released on March 13, 2012 and written by Denning. In Apocalypse, they were identified as Special Weapons Team. They also appeared in The Last Jedi, which was written by Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff and published on February 26, 2013.
==Appearances==
*Darth Plagueis 
* 
*Republic Commando: Triple Zero 
*Republic Commando: True Colors 
*Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel 
*The Last Jedi
*Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines 
*Legacy of the Force: Tempest 
*Legacy of the Force: Revelation 
*Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse 
==Notes and references==
Category:Coruscant Security Force divisions and units
Category:Military units