The Beast is back! Donald Trump’s £1.2million armour-plated limousine with assault rifles hidden in the doors and tear gas grenade launchers hits the streets of the UK
- Donald Trump’s £1.2million ‘Beast’ limousine is back on the street’s of London today during Nato summit
- Cadillac One is part of the US president’s multi million pound security operation that has been brought to UK
- The seven seat limo is one of a 20 strong presidential motorcade along with armed secret service agents
- It has Kevlar reinforced tyres, weighs nine tonnes, has eight inch thick doors and bulletproof windows
Donald Trump’s £1.2million ‘Beast’ limousine is back on the streets of the UK as the US president joins other world leaders for the Nato summit today.
The heavily armed Cadillac One, part of the huge motorcade and multi-million pound security operation, has again rolled through the capital ahead of his meeting with world leaders at the Grove country house hotel in Hertfordshire.
Trump today flew to the summit in the Marine One helicopter before climbing in to the seven-seat black limousine as he made his way to the venue.
The enhanced limousine is at the centre of a 20-strong team of vehicles in a ring of steel of armed police and snipers watching the President’s every move.
It is the second time the bomb-proof vehicle has been in Britain this year, after Trump’s three day state visit in June, which involved more than 6,300 officers, which cost the Met Police £3.4million.
The presidential motorcade, which includes two identical limousines, one being a decoy with the same number plates 800-002, are transported ahead of the president’s arrival on United States Air Force aircraft.
Trump’s generation of presidential car debuted in 2018, but the Secret Service and the vehicle’s designers have remained tight lipped on the details of the car’s security features.
Donald Trump arrives at The Grove hotel and resort in Watford, Hertfordshire today where he will meet world leaders
The presidential motorcade made its way from the landing zone to the summit at the Grove Hotel, near Watford, Hertfordshire
The graphic above details the various components of ‘The Beast’ which is set to transport the President and his family around London
It weighs approximately nine tonnes (20,000lbs) with an eight inch thick armour-plated doors and bulletproof windows made up of five layers of glass and polycarbonate, and is reported to have tear gas grenade launchers, night vision cameras and a satellite phone.
The Cadillac has Kevlar-reinforced tyres and steel rims that can keep the vehicle moving even if the tyres have been destroyed. The bodywork of the car is five inch thick military grade armour. It is constructed of a combination of steel, titanium, aluminium and ceramic, in order to break up any projectiles.
It is believed to be equipped with a Duramax diesel engine. The reason it runs on diesel is because the fuel has a low volatility, which reduces the likelihood of it exploding.
The car can hold at least seven people and has a wide range of medical supplies on board, including bottles of the president’s blood type are carried on board in case of a medical emergency.
US President Donald Trump’s Cadillac limousine, also known as ‘The Beast’ arrives with First Lady Melania Trump at a reception for NATO leaders at Buckingham Palace last night
US President Donald Trump leaving Downing Street yesterday ahead of Nato 70th anniversary
Donald Trump’s convoy passes Buckingham Palace on day one of the NATO Leaders Summit on December 3
The passenger cabin is said to be sealed, to fend off a chemical attack, while special foam would surround the fuel tank in case of impact.
Driven by a chauffeur, an elite member of the President’s staff, who is trained to cope with demanding conditions, the car’s drivers compartment has a state of the art communications centre, as well as GPS tracking.
Accompanying US president’s is the elite ‘Hawkeye kill team, introduced following the failed assassination attempt against Ronald Reagan in 1981. The agents, who are trained for eight months, are armed with SR-16 rifles, a pistol and stun grenades.
Away from the vehicle itself and surrounding it for protection will be a decoy and a spare car for VIPs as well as a ‘watchtower’ which has lasers.
There are also support vehicles in which cabinet members, bodyguards and the President’s doctor will travel in, just three cars away from the President himself.
The graphic above shows the complexity of the President’s motorcade which will accompany him around London during Nato summit
Trump’s Marine One helicopter comes in to land behind The Grove Hotel where NATO leaders are meeting today
A ‘halfback’ surburban car will sit behind the Beast, which is complete with rear facing seats in order for it to keep watch for oncoming threats to the President.
Behind this will be a control vehicle, in which senior military aides will travel, while the care behind them will be full of secret service elite.
Behind the secret service there is an ID car which will liase with police and behind that sits a truck, which is in place to detect for nuclear threats and biological weapons.
Then there is the roadrunner, this makes sure the President has access to communications, in the event he wants to launch nuclear weapons.
There is a heavy police presence around the venue. Pictured: Armed police patrol the golf course near the hotel
Police have been drafted in from across the UK to provide security during the Nato summit at the Grove hotel in Hertfordshire
At the back of the motorcade there is a cameraman filming the presidents car as well as an ambulance. At the very front of the entourage sits police cars which act as sweepers, guiding other road users and pedestrians.
Despite the expense of bringing the vehicles to Britain, Trump will make many of his trips in helicopters.
A number of presidential helicopters, either VH-3D Sea Kings or VH-60N White Hawks – which are known as Marine One when the president is on board – are also brought on overseas trips.
The Marine One helicopter is fitted with communications equipment, anti-missile defences and hardened hulls. Staff and security personnel are ferried around in MV-22 Ospreys and CH-46s.
Today Boris Johnson and Trump posed for the cameras today as he appealed for NATO unity at a crucial summit.
The PM and the US president posed for the cameras as he arrived at the country house hotel in Hertfordshire where the gathering is being held.
Yesterday Trump was seen leaving 10 Downing Street ahead of the Nato summit today
The PM and the US president posed for the cameras as he arrived at the country house hotel in Hertfordshire where the gathering is being held
The photo op comes amid Tory fears that the unpredictable commander-in-chief could yet derail the election campaign by wading into domestic politics.
Mr Trump was on best behaviour in press appearances yesterday, insisting he would not get involved in the UK poll and dismissing the idea that the US wanted access to the NHS as part of a post-Brexit trade deal.
But there are fears Mr Johnson’s carefully-laid plans to keep Mr Trump on side could be wrecked by the emergence of a clip seemingly showing other leaders making fun of him at a reception last night.
The meeting – which marks the 70th birthday of the pivotal Western grouping – has also been marred by a bitter spat over Emmanuel Macron’s jibe that NATO is at risk of becoming ‘brain dead’.
Mr Trump has branded Mr Macron’s comments – a response to an apparent deal between the US and Turkey to facilitate an offensive against Kurdish forces – very nasty’.
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