Red-faced police chiefs defend £20k outlay for Dubai trip, where elite firearms unit finished 97th out of 103 teams
Watch: PSNI HMSU sniper misses all targets as they narrowly avoid coming last in major SWAT tournament
Ciaran Barnes
The PSNI spent £20,000 flying elite officers to Dubai to take part in a five-day policing competition in which they narrowly avoided finishing last.
The Headquarters Military Support Unit (HMSU) ended up coming 97th out of 103 teams at the United Arab Emirates SWAT challenge.
Five officers took part in the event, travelling to sunny Dubai with their own weapons including a sniper rifle.
A PSNI spokesman said: “A team from the PSNI recently participated in the UAE SWAT Challenge 2025. The challenge was hosted by the Dubai Police and took place between February 1-5 in the UAE.
“The PSNI accepted an invitation to compete in this challenge that saw 120 teams from 48 countries compete against each other in five challenging events designed to test competitors’ endurance and skills.”
But since returning home the HMSU has been the butt of internal PSNI jokes for finishing a lowly 97th out of 103 teams.
Described as a tactical unit, it was established in 1977 as a policing equivalent to the SAS and was involved in several ‘shoot-to-kill’ incidents during the Troubles.
Its officers undergo a 26-week training programme in unarmed combat, roping, driving, close personal protection and surveillance.
They are also qualified to specialist firearms and counter-terrorism standards.
PSNI sources say the SWAT challenge proves that, in comparison to other police forces around the world, the HMSU is falling way behind.
“The results were embarrassing for what is supposed to be the elite unit within the PSNI,” said the insider.
“The HMSU just about finished ahead of an all-female policing team from Sao Paolo.”
The challenge includes assault courses and battering down doors, tasks that would naturally favour male teams.
“They have been getting terrible stick for their shocking performance,” added our source.
“On a more serious note, at a time when the PSNI budget and officer numbers are being cut, is it really a good idea to send five HMSU boys halfway around the world to take part in a policing competition in which they were embarrassed?”
Latest figures show the PSNI policing budget being cut by £11m, with the force’s 4,500 deployable officers 3,000 short of the Patten Commission’s recommended target of 7,500.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has even appealed directly to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for extra funding.
The 2025 SWAT challenge games were won by the elite China Police Team B which finished on 480 points, compared to the PSNI’s HMSU total of 38 points.
Its sniper was recorded having four attempts at the same amount of targets, missing with each bullet.
Prior to taking the shots the HMSU officer struggled to get the rounds out of his pocket, leading the commentator to joke “his trousers are too tight — he must have had them in a hot wash”.
The sniper then failed to properly chamber the first bullet into the rifle, leading to a delay before missing each target, with one of the shots described as “wild”.
A PSNI spokesman said that the force “viewed this competition as an opportunity to highlight how this type of policing can be delivered in a way that places human rights at the forefront, and seeks to find new ways of increasing the diversity of our teams”.
What it did not address is that the venue of the competition, the UAE, has one of the worst human rights and diversity records on the planet, with same-sex relationships being illegal and punishable by prison.
Last October Cookstown man Craig Ballentine was detained by authorities in Dubai for two months for posting a negative Google review of his previous employer due to the UAE’s strict cybercrime laws which ban online criticism.
“The benefits gained from our participation in this event (SWAT games) are significant,” added the PSNI spokesman.
“We always strive to seek out best practice on the global stage and we have, and will continue to, actively pursue all opportunities to improve our policing standards and keep the communities in Northern Ireland safe.”
by Jeffreys_therapist
34 comments
Placed just above the stormtroopers apparently.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-police-fire-guns-negligently-28-times-in-five-years/37594465.html
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/training-shake-up-after-psni-officer-shoots-herself-in-leg/35111042.html
https://www.policeombudsman.org/investigation-reports/current-investigations/officer-disciplined-after-accidental-weapons-discharge
Yes but in fairness, the targets were not parked in cars.
>The HMSU just about finished ahead of an all-female policing team from Sao Paolo.”
If youd asked me in advance my money would of been on the ladys with the experience of a favella so that’s a win 🤷♂️🏆
Edit
Link to the full leader board for the curious
https://uaeswatchallenge.com/?page_id=11727
(I think to be top 20 you have to be a bit mmmmmm….. oppressive….. so we can maybe be proud 🤷♂️😅)
lmao completely unsurprising considering the psni are a bunch of inept clowns
Any wonder they had to get the British army over
Squintyballs peelers
The Police academy came 95th Tackleberry used a 44 Magnum.
This is pretty indefensible isn’t it. £20k while crying poverty to send a team over to make fools of themselves, and to contribute in a small way to Sports Washing.
Why does the organisation keep shooting itself in the foot (ironically the only time it doesn’t miss)!
The big international police competition ends with three teams on equal points. The tie breaker is whoever can go into the forest, track, and catch a bear quickest is the winner.
The German team go first and return after 53 minutes with a bear.
The NYPD go next and return with bear on 27 minutes.
The PSNI go into the forest and come out 3 minutes later with a rabbit that’s shouting “OK I’m a bear!”
Should have sent over pc Eamon Wright
Ciaran Barnes, a local journalist, can’t even get the feckin acronym right – mobile support unit, not military support.
As ineffective as their policing
Well they are not top of their game so doubt very much many will feel safer if you need these guys to rescue you.
Not enough Catholics
Ach sure the Patten Report saw to that.
Well somebody had to come second last
I don’t get the outrage here
Have had the misfortune to interact with a member of this group. Absolute melt. As with many public sector roles in Northern Ireland, if they were any good at it, they would be doing somewhere else where they would get paid properly for it, but would also be competing with other competent people.
>is it really a good idea to send five HMSU boys halfway around the world to take part in a policing competition in which they were embarrassed?
Do you think he hires out his time machine?
Should have sent some of the retired lads from Newry instead
Don’t worry lads. Premature firing happens to everyone.
There was a lad from south armagh was a good shot, even at night, give him a bell
Maybe they can get some pointers from the boys in South Armagh?
Had they even zero’ their weapons? Sniping needs to be practised on a very regular basis to keep your accuracy. Fair enough missing the first but he should have knew what adjustments to make.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
The hiring process doesn’t seem to get the best, does it.
They never had to be great shots. The paras and the sas did the sharpshooting for them
They’ll never be 1 shot paddy
it’s rumoured a German Shepherd’s shaved asshole came in 96th place
” A PSNI spokesman said that the force “viewed this competition as an opportunity to highlight how this type of policing can be delivered in a way that places human rights at the forefront, and seeks to find new ways of increasing the diversity of our teams”. ”
In Dubai? … Are we thinking of the same Dubai here? Nice to see the writer cursorily mention it’s a horric place to be Queer but what about the hundreds of slave labourers metaphorically (and literally) buried under those buildings?
Its no wonder there are over 12,000 Active Loyalist Paramilitaries allowed to wander around without a worry in the world about the PSNI ever combating them.
Anyone been able to find their run through the livestreams on YouTube? Would love to see it not gonna lie
There seem to be plenty of experts on the topic who are vocal enough on forums like this but reluctant to step up and demonstrate their superior ability.
Comments are closed.