SBS To Protect Olympic Sailing Events
25.07.2011
The Sun newspaper has reported on the readiness of the Special Boat Service (SBS) to protect the 2012 Olympics. With the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing competitions being held at Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour, there are fears that terrorists may attempt a waterborne assault on the participants or spectators. The Sun reports that the SBS, which maintains a Maritime Counter Terrorism (MCT) squadron on alert at all times, has been practising for a number of scenarios, including assailants on jet skis and aboard yachts. The newspaper also reports that Olympic sailing events will be protected by Chinooks from 7 Squadron (Special Forces).
The SBS are experts at Maritime Counter Terrorism. They regularly practise taking down oil platforms, ferries, small boats and hovercraft. Their expertise in this area has mostly been used on counter drug smuggling operations. In December 2001 a combined SBS/SAS assault unit stormed a merchant vessel, the MV Nisha as it neared the UK coast, acting off of faulty intelligence that there was a terrorist threat on board.
further reading / more info:
- SBS to beat Olympic jetski bomb fanatics
(the sun)
