O PRAECLARUM CUSTODEM OVIUM LUPUMSecOp's motto meaning "O wolf, renowned guardian of the sheep!"
Security Operations, also called SecOps and Sec-Ops, is the private security element of the Resources Development Administration. Officially tasked to keep RDA personnel and infrastructure safe on Pandora, they also work for the organization in their fight against the Na'vi and the Resistance.
Despite the branch's capabilities, Sec-Ops is not an actual military force, rather a mega private security company. While Sec-Ops are not the United States army, they and the RDA appear to have an alliance with them and the United States Marine Corps.[1] Sec-Ops also uses military titles such as General, Private, Corporal, etc.
History[]
Formation[]
A recruitment poster.
Sec-Ops was founded around the year 2129, not long after Pandora began being colonized by the Resource Development Administration and was discovered that the moon was home to a variety of dangerous wildlife, from stingbats to viperwolves and thanators.
After the establishment of Hell's Gate, Sec-Ops was tasked with protecting the base and the RDA's mining operations for Unobtanium. However, Sec-Ops was known to clash against the indigenous Na'vi.
Pandoran War[]
Soldiers during the Pandoran War.
In 2154, during the height of the Pandoran War, Sec-Ops was led by Colonel Miles Quaritch in the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains to fight the Na'vi and force them away from the largest deposit of unobtanium. The RDA and Sec-Ops lost this battle and the majority of humans were forced to leave Pandora. However, prior to this defeat, the RDA developed Recombinants, specialized human/Na'vi hybrids with notable military backgrounds.
Return to Pandora (Second Pandoran War)[]
Frances Ardmore, the leader of Sec-Ops.
Upon the RDA's return to the moon in 2168, Sec-Ops was based on the newly constructed colony of Bridgehead, where they faced an insurgency by the Omatikaya clan and various members of the Resistance. Avatars were now allowed to be used by Sec-Ops members as well, as their cost to create significantly decreased over time.
Sec-Ops was primarily led by a four-star general named Frances Ardmore. Given the task of on-world commander, she desired to track down and kill the leader of the insurgency, Jake Sully, whom she previously fought on the Interstellar Vehicle Venture Star.
Quaritch's new Recom squad.
A year into the insurgency, in 2170, Recombinants were used to carry out missions in the forests as they are able to move around Pandora without immediately being repelled by the fauna or Na'vi warriors. Sec-Ops also collaborated with is naval counterpart, Cetacean Operations, as a security force during naval missions to harvest amrita.
Role[]
Propaganda poster.
Sec-Ops personnel look constantly outward, toward the perimeter. The contractors are a group of hardened individuals and military veterans, who live by the philosophy that sharp eyes, fast hands and loaded, destructive weapons are the keys to survival in the harsh conditions of Pandora.
There are several classes of Sec-Ops soldiers, such as grunts and weapon specialists (heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, rapid-fire nailguns, etc.), medics, AMP suit pilots, HazMat Troopers (troopers with flamethrowers), Elite Troopers, and even special forces operators.[2]
Sec-Ops fights against the Na'vi and the Resistance. They work to protect RDA personnel and structures, as well as their fellow members. However, they methods are more often than not aggressive and violent, thus they can be considered antagonists of the Avatar series. They are also sometimes portrayed as being trigger-happy. For example, one member had killed Sylwanin and another fired directly at Jake Sully, though both instances were due to provocation when these two had attacked and destroyed RDA equipment.
Arsenal[]
Sec-Ops soldier concept art.
Though it is mainly tasked for security and defense, the military capabilities of Sec-Ops far exceeded the armed forces of many Earth governments. The troops wear thick battle-helmets, exopacks, advanced body armor and carry heavy military-issue weaponry.
Their arsenal of vehicles is also lethal, with their C-21 Dragon Assault Ships possessing the capability to level whole cities with its explosive munitions. In addition, high-tech devices like U-T suicide drones, auto-turrets, and ultrasonic repulsor pods that keep Pandoran wildlife at bay round out their arsenal.[2]
Sec-Ops preparing to deploy.
Despite this mix of firepower, combat proven tactics and technology, the Sec-Ops are not permitted to carry nuclear weapons or other WMDs, their power having been limited by a treaty prohibiting these weapons as well as the RDA's military space power, in a mandate set by the United Nations.[citation needed]
Sec-Ops avatars.
For better dispersal of their logistics capabilities, the RDA has seen to it that the Sec-Ops are rapidly resupplied in the field by the ammunition dispenser pods (a-pods) set up throughout a local battlezone; their access panels are sealed with encrypted locks to prevent those supplies from falling into enemy hands.
Ultrasonic repulsor pods keep out Pandoran wildlife; these are primarily used to patch breached security fences.
Bridgehead Sec-Ops[]
BSO logo.
As seen in Frances Ardmore's biography in Avatar: The Way of Water: The Visual Dictionary, Sec-Ops has a branch called the BSO (Bridgehead Sec-Ops) meant for defending Bridgehead. Its emblem is a black bird grabbing a green snake.
List of Known Personnel[]
Films[]
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game - Wii/PSP - DS - iOS/Android (non-canon)[]
Avatar: Pandora Rising (non-canon)[]
Avatar: Reckoning (canonicity unknown)[]
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora[]
Comics[]
Other[]
Trivia[]
- In Avatar: Pandora Rising (non-canon), the recruitment entry requirements for Sec-Ops is implied to be a low bar, resulting in the RDA recruiting many ruthless and ethically dubious people. They promised a decent payday, a beautiful moon filled with wondrous flora and fauna, and a no-questions-style of joining Sec-Ops.[3]
- Sec-Ops shares many similarities with Blackwater, a real-world private military company.
- Many of the Sec-Ops manner of conductivity and operations constitute major violations of various international conventions and treaties (Geneva Conventions, Hague Conventions, UNDRIP, CBD, etc)
See Also[]
Gallery[]
References[]
| Companies and corporations | ||
|---|---|---|
| RDA-affiliated | Aerospatiale · FDM Heavy Equipment · Griffin Defense Systems · Hirte and Fahl Arms Manufacturing Ltd. · Hydra Munitions Corporation · Interplanetary Commerce Administration · Kamath Intermodal · Masa-Cirre Ltd. · Matanza Arms Corporation · Pandoran Research Foundation · Resources Development Administration | |
| RDA sub-groups | Cetacean Operations · CON-DEV · Science Operations · Security Operations | |
| Non-RDA | Alpha Centauri Expeditions · Pandora Conservation Initiative | |