The Special Mobile Force is a

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

unit with its main function to ensure the internal and external security of

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It ...

. As Mauritius has no dedicated

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, the SMF forms part of the

Mauritius Police Force The Mauritius Police Force (MPF) is the national law enforcement agency of Mauritius. The MPF carries out police, security and military functions on the island nation, with about 12,500 police officers under the command of the Commissioner of Pol ...

, with its personnel on long-term rotation from the police force. It also consists of a branch of special forces, namely the G.I.P.M (Groupe intervention de la Police Mauricien), which totals no more than 300 highly trained men.

History

The SMF was formed following the withdrawal of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

garrison on Mauritius in 1960. The primary task of the SMF when it was formed was to ensure the internal and external security of the country. As formed, the SMF was made up of members of the local police force and Mauritian veterans of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Organisation

The SMF is formed as a battlegroup consisting of approximately 1,500 men led by a Commanding Officer. The majority of these men form five

motorised infantry Motorized infantry is infantry that is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, and from light infantry, whic ...

companies. In addition, there are two squadrons equipped with armoured vehicles and an engineering squadron. Although the SMF is not a military unit, it is organised along military lines, with training based on basic military doctrine. Some members of the SMF undergo commando training or "specialist" training, dependent on their skills. Although the primary role of the SMF is the internal and external security of Mauritius, it is also used in several other roles such as ceremonial guards of honour, search and rescue operations, bomb disposal, debris clearance and opening of roads after cyclones and other emergencies.

Badge and motto

The badge of the SMF is made up of a wreath of oak leaves surmounted by the national

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

. Within the wreath are the letters S and F, with a

lightning flash ''Lightning Flash'' is the 12th album by British pop group Brotherhood of Man. Released on EMI Records in 1983, it remains their final commercially released studio album. Background The album was released on EMI Records in July 1983 and was t ...

between them, to symbolise the letters "SMF". Beneath the wreath is a scroll with the name "Special Mobile Force Mauritius". The first motto of the SMF was ''The Difficult We Do Immediately. The Impossible Takes A Little Longer''. This was then changed to the current motto ''We'll Do It. What Is It''.

Alliances

* –

The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerl ...

References

External links

* Law enforcement in Mauritius 1960 establishments in Mauritius {{Mauritius-stub