UK: OLYMPICS: Typhoon fighter jets arrive at RAF base in London for eight-day air military security exercise called Olympic Exercise Guardian, in preparation for the 2012 Games

Record ID: 332461

  • Title: UK: OLYMPICS: Typhoon fighter jets arrive at RAF base in London for eight-day air military security exercise called Olympic Exercise Guardian, in preparation for the 2012 Games
  • Date: 3rd May 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (MAY 2, 2012) (REUTERS) DOG SNIFFING THROUGH GRASS / CHINOOK HELICOPTERS VARIOUS OF STATUE TYPHOON JET FLYING IN TYPHOON JET LANDING TYPHOON JET ON TARMAC TYPHOON JET TAKING OFF DEPUTY AIR COMPONENT COMMANDER FOR OLYMPICS AIR SECURITY, AIR COMMODORE GARY WATERFALL, SPEAKING TO PILOT / AIRCRAFT HANGER IN BACKGROUND CLOSE OF WATERFALL SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEPUTY AIR COMPONENT COMMANDER FOR OLYMPICS AIR SECURITY, AIR COMMODORE GARY WATERFALL, SAYING: "There is absolutely nothing to be alarmed about, it's all precautionary measures for us to exercise our capabilities and to be ready to respond and know what the airspace looks like, know what the London features look like so that if we need to over the summer, to operate over London, we actually know what we are dealing with."
  • Embargoed: 18th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Crime,Conflict,Defence / Military,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA29CBEPMW86VSR8KXH8V99VKIT
  • Story Text: Military fighter jets arrived in London on Wednesday (May 2) to test security plans for the Olympic Games. The four Royal Air Force Typhoon jets at RAF Northolt will take part in an eight day security exercise in airspace and on the River Thames.
    RAF aircrafts were last based in the West London airfield during World War 2 and have not been seen there since.
    Code-named Exercise Olympic Guardian, the exercise will see an increase of 'highly visible air activity' over the city this weekend.
    Although there are no specific threats, the military is planning for every eventuality in what it calls a "multi-layered" approach.
    The security plan is also to act as a deterrent to any would-be attackers.
    For some locals, the sight and sounds of fighter jets flying over their city will not be familiar ones and may seem intimidating.
    Deputy Air Component Commander for Olympics Air Security, Air Commodore Gary Waterfall, assured the public that the exercises shouldn't worry them.
    "There is absolutely nothing to be alarmed about, it's all precautionary measures for us to exercise our capabilities and to be ready to respond and know what the airspace looks like, know what the London features look like so that if we need to over the summer, to operate over London, we actually know what we are dealing with," he said.
    The man in charge of co-ordinating the military during the Games, General Nick Parker, said: "We have got to make sure that we have got a plan in place that can deal with the unlikely but very serious threat that might exist to the Olympic Park."
    He said the threats were two-fold: "A sort of 9/11 threat that everybody knows about and also for the lower, slower type of target which might pop up closer to the Olympic Park which we would need to intervene."
    Part of the security measures in place over the Olympic period will be restriction and exclusion zones on airspace.
    Owners of small aircraft must notify authorities of their flying plans to avoid any confusion.
    "Those people who haven't notified or those people who are going against a plan, that's when we start to be alerted that we may need to do something about it. Will they get shot down? No. Using force is very much a last resort," he said.
    Some Londoners have expressed concerns at the military presence in London during the Games.
    Waterfall said there is nothing to worry about and that they will aiming to be in the background.
    "Even if they do see a Typhoon in the sky over the Olympic period, that doesn't mean necessarily that we are responding to a terrorist threat incident or anything coming in. It could be simply, an aircraft being replaced with another one from its home-base," he said.
    The security exercise is due to be completed on May 10. It will also include missiles being positioned on Blackheath in south east London and HMS Ocean docking in Greenwich near the Olympic Park.
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