The app that deploys special forces to your rescue

LONDON — There is a new app affording travellers private special forces support at the touch of a button anywhere in the world.

Overwatch tracks its users every three minutes to within eight metres so that if need be, an emergency response team can be deployed to deal with anything from floods to a hostage situation. It was created as a response to the rising terror threat around the world and will be available on July 27.

Developed by security group DS-48, the app is designed to provide “bespoke, intelligence-led risk management, advisory and resolution services” by a network of on-the-ground operatives anywhere in the world.

Charles Andrews, CEO of DS-48, said: “With global threats at an all-time high, we best ensure the safety of our clients discreetly and unobtrusively; providing peace of mind for them and their loved ones through an on-hand team of intelligence analysts and crisis managers led by highly experienced former special forces and intelligence officers.”

Different levels of service are available across private, corporate and service categories, and start from £45 (S$80) per month (over a 12 month contract). One month of private support would cost £195.

Asked exactly what kind of response a user in danger could expect from special forces, a spokesperson said: “Each response is tailored to the client dependent on where they are, what their needs are etc. With one touch of a button on their phone, an alarm will be triggered in the DS-48 secure operation centres and a special forces team will be arranged immediately.

“It is worth noting also that DS-48’s combined operational experience has brought over 200 individuals to safety from kidnappings, hijackings, detentions and extortions and over 1,500 people to safety from medical emergencies, violent crimes, civil disorder and natural disasters,” said Andrews.

DS-48 says its on-the-ground teams have “in-depth local knowledge and cultural exposure”. “In the rare instance that an incident does occur, our local medical and security teams are mobilised to bring clients to safety quickly,” added Andrews.

Lloyd Figgins, a former soldier and police officer and author of travel safety book Looking for Lemons, cast doubt on the utility of the app.

“Any initiative to protect people travelling overseas has to be applauded,” he said. “However, the reality of being able to deploy teams to react instantly when someone is in danger is somewhat more complex. Having ‘special forces’ teams ready to react might sound like an ideal solution to modern travel security issues, particularly for high-net-worth individuals, but these teams still have to comply with the law of the land they are operating in and this imposes certain constraints.” THE TELEGRAPH