San Antonio Police Department's SWAT places 31st in worldwide competition

SAPD team competed against over 100 police teams from around the world at the United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge in Dubai.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The San Antonio Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics team tested their skills against more than 100 police teams from around the world at the United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge in Dubai. The SAPD team finished 31st out of 109 teams with a total time of just over 16 minutes and a total of 380 points.

Why it matters

The SWAT Challenge allows police departments to benchmark their tactical skills against elite teams from around the world, providing valuable training and experience. SAPD's strong showing, especially in the Officer Rescue Challenge, demonstrates the department's commitment to maintaining a highly capable SWAT unit.

The details

Seven officers and one sergeant from SAPD flew to Dubai to compete in the five-day challenge, which featured various scenarios like rescuing a hostage or carrying out a wounded officer. Teams of five competed together, earning points based on speed, accuracy and adherence to procedures. SAPD's strongest performance came on Day 3 during the Officer Rescue Challenge, where they earned 274 points and climbed as high as 12th place overall before the final events.

  • The competition began on Saturday, February 8, 2026.
  • This marks the third time since 2023 that San Antonio police have participated in the international competition.

The players

San Antonio Police Department

The police department for the city of San Antonio, Texas, which sent a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to compete in the United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge.

United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge

An international police SWAT team competition held annually in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where more than 100 teams from around the world compete in tactical scenarios.

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What’s next

SAPD plans to continue participating in the United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge in the coming years to further develop their tactical skills and benchmark their team against the world's elite SWAT units.

The takeaway

San Antonio's police department demonstrated its commitment to maintaining a highly capable SWAT team by sending officers to compete in the prestigious United Arab Emirates SWAT Challenge, where they placed 31st out of over 100 teams from around the world.