Stopping Truck Bombers

Stopping Truck Bombers

Crash-rated barriers have long history with U.S. Department of State

Crash-rated barriers have long history with U.S. Department of StateVisit any U.S. Embassy throughout the world, including major embassies, such as Beijing, and smaller ones in Estonia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Ivory Coast, Guatemala, Nepal, Lithuania and Madagascar, even consulates in Florence, Italy, Sarajevo, Vienna and cities in Germany, Greece, Macedonia and Saudi Arabia, and you will find them protected from vehicle assaults and some even from bio-attacks.

The following provides examples in which highly-secure, crashrated, vehicle barricade systems and bollards have saved lives as well as buildings and property from the destruction of attacks.

U.S. Embassy in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. In Tanzania, 1998, a crash-rated, moveable barricade prevented an attacker’s vehicle from entering the rear compound of the building, thus, reducing the loss of lives and damage to the facility. Unfortunately, no barricades were used at the embassy in Kenya when it was bombed the same day.

By September of that year, however, 14 barriers, including moving- wedge barricades and crash-rated bollards, were shipped to these two embassies.

Harry S. Truman Building. At the dedication of the U.S. Department of State headquarters, held in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 22, 2000, bollards provided a first line of defense by securing the diplomatic and congressional drive entrances.

These custom, stainless-steel bollards feature lights to improve visibility at night. They are designed to destroy the front suspension system, steering linkage, engine crank case and portions of the drive train of any 15,000-pound, non-armored or non-tracked vehicle hitting them at 62 mph. The system will also stop a 30,000-pound vehicle traveling at 44 mph.

These bollards are raised and lowered into the guard position by a remote controlled, precision, hydraulic power unit or a precision pneumatic power system. Under emergency conditions, the bollards can be raised in as little as a single second. And, with the exception of minor, non-structural damage, such as scratches, they are fully operational after taking a 65 mph hit from a five-ton vehicle.

Yemeni port of Aden. Just one month after the dedication of the U.S. Department of State headquarters and within hours after the terrorist bombing of the USS Cole at the Port of Aden, on Oct. 12, 2000, barriers were airlifted to Yemen for deployment there and at nearby, prospective targets.

U.S. Embassy in Yemen. At the most recent attack in September 2008, barricades were up protecting the entrance and keeping bombers outside the compound. These barriers tested at K54, which will stop a 65,000-pound truck, traveling at 70 mph. That’s 5.4 million foot-pounds of energy!

At the entrance to the embassy, the barrier creates a sally-port with a crash-resistant gate to tightly control traffic into the embassy. It is lowered to let in a car, while the gate in front of the car stays closed. The barrier in back then raises, and the car is sandwiched between it and the gate. Once searched and approved, the gate opens, and the car is allowed to enter the embassy.

U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan. Situated in the middle of one of the most volatile areas of the world, this embassy relies on a crashrated barrier to protect its facilities from the threat of terrorism. The barrier protects the compound from charging vehicles and creates a sally-port, similar to that at the Yemeni embassy, which tightly controls traffic into the embassy.

U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan. In 2010, barricades helped retain attackers by preventing a bomber’s vehicle from crashing past pedestrian gates, forcing the attackers to detonate a truck bomb far from the building. The barricades successfully stopped the attack vehicle away from the building and diminished the high-pressure shock wave of a bomb blast, saving lives and the property.

With more than 170 U.S. Embassies and Consulates in 130-plus countries, it is imperative to incorporate premier, perimeter protection that meets or exceeds U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense certification standards, while providing high-security in order to counter terrorism.

This article originally appeared in the November 2013 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Greg Hamm is the vice president of sales and marketing at Delta Scientific.

Featured

  • Freedom of Choice

    In today's security landscape, we are witnessing a fundamental transformation in how organizations manage digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies, campus security teams, and large facility operators face increasingly complex challenges with expanding video data, tightening budget constraints and inflexible systems that limit innovation. Read Now

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • Midtown Manhattan Shooting Kills 4, Including NYPD Officer

    Four people were killed, including a NYPD officer, in a midtown Manhattan shooting on Monday. That’s according to CNN. Read Now

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.