|
Super Dvora Mk III
Fast Patrol Boat
In order to deal
with such threats, which became even more threatening after 9/11,
law enforcement organizations draw a clear distinction between
"outlaws" engaged in illegal fishing, smuggling and illegal
immigration, "and "security threats", which usually include
insertion and support of land based activities of guerillas and
terrorists, insertion and extraction of intelligence agents and
special forces, as well as offensive activities (mining and
sabotage of ports and waterways, and attacks on marine and naval
units). The distinction is important not only for mission
classification, but also to employ different rules of engagement,
which dictate different mission profiles, and may require specific
characteristics and equipment of the patrol boats, coastal support
elements etc. Furthermore, smugglers usually use small, commercial
speedboats for the trafficking illegal goods, drugs or passengers.
They rarely use firearms when intercepted, and try to outrun the
interceptors in the open sea or in rugged coastal area, where
heavier patrol boats cannot maneuver freely. These targets can be
easily overcome by patrol boats, if they are caught, but since
smugglers have access to faster and lighter boats, such
interception must be carried out by several boats, that can block
the target's evasion routs. Firearms are rarely used in such
incidents.
In contrast,
terrorists try to disguise their moves as innocent traffic, either
fishing, sports or merchant shipping. They pose a serious threat
to civilians, as well as strategic targets at sea or near the
coastline. They may also target the military assets such as naval
vessels or the patrol crafts themselves. These targets should be
identified, based on intelligence and other characteristics, as
early as possible. In order to prevent terrorists from carrying
out operations from the sea, they must be hunted down at long
distance from any potential target, including patrol crafts
themselves. As the case with every hunting activity, it is
important to bring all the advantages to the side of the
interceptor – long range detection and identification, at all
visibility conditions, situation assessment (is the target armed?
How many are on board?).
Coastal security
and counter-terrorist operations differ from conventional coast
guard activities, especially in the use-of-force dimension.
However, since such activities are performed in a routine and
peaceful environment, security forces must be able to employ
effective but very precise firepower, in order to avoid casualties
and collateral damage. The use of advanced sensors, stabilized
weapons, and non-lethal means provide more flexibility levels for
security forces, to handle potential targets in most operational
conditions.
Previous -
Next |
