ESWAT (Appleseed)

The Extra-Special Weapons and Advanced Tactics (ESWAT, or ES.W.A.T.) is a paramilitary group in Masamune Shirow's "Appleseed". It serves as a counter-terrorism unit, crime response, and special forces branch of the Central Management Bureau, enforcing international law and keeping the peace in Olympus.

Recruitment

ESWAT operatives are handpicked from SWAT, SIU, badside "immigration candidates", and, if they get lucky, FBI. Mercenaries and foreign combat personal are often headhunted from the badsides and other nations to work on ESWAT. These individuals soon find themselves working in law enforcement, or in manual labor.

Training

The life of the ESWAT agent becomes his training. Prospective and veteran operatives alike are put through brutal, strenuous training at ESWAT's huge arcology in the Central Olympic Block. They train 8 to 10 hours a day, with little let up. Every possible scenario is simulated, and after they are all simulated, they do it all over again. No one overspecializes; this breeds weakness. When someone joins ESWAT, he can expect to spend most of his time in training, when not on an operation.

Training consists of 10 day exercises in various fields. Common exercises include defense of government property and officials, cyborg crime, hostage situations, landmate operations, room clearing, and assassination.

Operations and procedures

The majority of ESWAT missions involve Special Forces actions and anti-terrorist operations. Both are compromised primarily of tactical assault, and at this activity, ESWAT is the best in the world. Their training and teamwork really pay off, and the mission fatality and injury rate is lower than those incurred in training. A lesser function exercised of ESWAT is the use of standard police and SIU investigative procedure and assault tactics in bringing in dangerous cyborg criminals too tough to apprehend with normal police units.

ESWAT will often operate in other countries, often loaned to these nations by Olympus to put down terrorists, criminals, and insurrections. However, often they will operate in other countries to protect their own interests. ESWAT will only do so if authorized to do so by the sovereign government (authorization is often acquired just moments ahead of time) or under the cover of plausible deniability. In such circumstances, operatives have a lot more freedom in their actions (though reckless behavior will lead to pay cuts or suspensions). Still, agents have to be careful what they do. The Ministry of External Affairs has ESWAT investigated routinely. At any given time there will be half a dozen FBI moles in ESWAT.

Equipment

Landmates

Large exo-suits that allow increased maneuverability and firepower, almost all ESWAT operatives are trained to use a Landmate. They come in different varieties to fit the mission type. The pilot controls the Landmate by sitting in a exo-suit like cab that folds over the pilot's head and torso. Their arms are fitted inside a glove like apparatus enabling them full range of access to hold a weapon or grip. Movement of these arms controls the movement of the large robotic arms. Their main function is to grasp weapons. The arms can be controlled individually from inside the suit and the pilot's eyes. Since the cockpit covers the entire head and torso, vision is controlled from viewscreens in front of the pilot's face. The cameras are mounted on a robotic head mounted like a human head, between the shoulders. In order to fly the Landmate, there are two anti gravity apparatuses mounted on the back. They come together in the center of the back and propel the Landmate forward. For VTOL there are 4 jets mounted in the thighs.

VTOL insertion plane

Similar to the real-world V-22 Osprey, it only appears in the first movie. The front section of the plane includes 2 pairs of vertical insertion hatches. The rear section of the plane has an opening hatch for large vehicles. The rotors tilt up and down for VTOL.

Bumblebee insertion ship

The outer frame looks very similar to a bumblebee. Its propulsion system is similar to the landmates but with dual anti-gravity rails. The front 3/4ths of the ship has 2 pairs of 3 vertical insertion hatches. The back, which is slightly slanted down, contains seats for operatives. A mission commander can conduct operations from the front of the ship. By the timeline of "Appleseed Ex Machina", this ship appears to have completely replaced the VTOL plane. It also comes with flares and other counter-measures in case of an attack.

Landmate transport truck

In the first movie, it has an open storage rack for 4 landmates on each side, they sit facing to the left and right until they deploy. In the second movie it takes on more of an apc form with a completely closed storage bed.

ingle pilot attack helicopter

Appears in both movies, the copter fits one pilot that fires a rotating minigun under the nose. It has 4 landing gear and police lights on each side of the roter.

References