RAID Intervention at MILIPOL 2023 ~ Photo Album

RAID operators from both Green and Black Teams at MILIPOL 2023 [© Bob Morrison]

RAID Special Forces displayed their prowess to exhibitors and visitors at the recent MILIPOL 2023 homeland security expo in Paris, writes Bob Morrison.

Opportunities to photograph elite French National Police RAID (Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion or Search, Assistance, Intervention, Deterrence) teams in action are few and far between. So even though light and weather conditions on the day were far from ideal I accepted the invitation to enter the VIP and Media pen on the ‘live’ side of the perimeter fencing to watch and photograph the unfolding scenario. Ten days ago in my previous brief post on this topic I promised to review all my images once back in the office to see if I could recover a few to give an overview of the build-up and the following 60 (in reality more like 58) seconds of unfolding action as ‘terrorists’ triggered an IED and unsuccessfully attacked a VIP convoy using firearms.

Plain clothes RAID operators, one wearing a Police armband, about to check out the venue prior to the arrival of an escorted VIP [©BM]

On spotting a suspicious object beneath a vehicle parked in a tow-away zone near the venue the Operator calls in a Police explosives detection team [©BM]

A specialist RAID K9 and UGV team takes over to check out the suspicious vehicle, the drone is flown forward for a closer look before the explosives detection dog moves in ~ having detected explosives the police dog indicates by calmly sitting down and looking back at its handler [©BM

RAID Intervention: AMBARISK Scenario

Scenario inspired by the missions to protect high-ranking personalities under particular threat, as carried out by RAID operators for ambassadors working in crisis-prone countries.
Preparatory work including securing the area with precursors, the use of a drone and a dog team.
Attack on the convoy with the setting up of the personal security system by the close protection operators.

Once the suspected improvised explosive device has been neutralised by specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal operators the visit by the VIP (in the suit) goes ahead as his RAID Close Protection Team guards him [©BM]

While the VIP is inside the venue and under the protection of another security detail the vehicles are turned around for his speedy departure once the visit is over ~ two INEOS Grenadiers, which I believe were demonstrator vehicles rather than part of the RAID fleet, were used for the display [©BM]

Gone In Sixty Seconds!

With the visit safely concluded the VIP is whisked away but further along the return route an IED (improvised explosive device) has been planted to stop the two-vehicle convoy and armed terrorists are lying in wait to attack survivors with firearms [©BM]

As the IED is triggered a pick-up truck races out of a side street and its occupants open up but the RAID operators respond with distraction devices and gunfire, taking out the attackers, while extracting occupants from their disabled vehicle and ensuring the VIP is safely driven away from the scene [©BM]

The above was, of course, a much simplified scenario laid on for the benefit of security expo trade visitors and exhibitors who wouldn’t usually get to see RAID in action but nevertheless it was an interesting display by France’s elite National Police counter-terrorist unit [©BM]

See also:- RAID ~ French National Police Special Forces

Counter-Terror, Featured, MILIPOL 2023, Paris, Police Special Forces, RAID