The Metropolitan Police held an exercise this week designed to test the response of its personnel to an armed terrorist attack.
Named Operation Strong Tower, the police made the first day of its exercise visible to the public as various units responded to a simulated terrorist attack by men wearing baclavas and firing AK-47 weapons amid the screams of innocent bystanders in central London.
Planned since January, the exercise involved London’s transport authorities, hospitals and the Ministry of Defense. First responders were tasked with containing an area, rescuing and treating the wounded and catching the perpetrators.
Speaking after the end of the operation, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Maxine de Brunner said: “I am really pleased with how the exercise has gone, and was impressed with how well all the agencies first responders coped with dealing with such an attack.
“The tragic events around the world, especially in the last few days, reinforces it is only right that we are as ready as can be should such an attack occur in our City.
“We had good plans, brave staff and excellent coordination before the exercise. Now those plans have been tested and we will learn from that. Londoners should be reassured that if the very worst happens we are prepared to be the very best that we can.
“Through testing and exercising, constantly challenging our assumptions, refining our tactics and learning from our own experiences and those from others around the world we can all have confidence in our ability to respond.”
Both first responders’ and decision makers’ abilities will be tested, with more than 1,000 Metropolitan officers scheduled to participate. Most of them will not have advance knowledge of the venues where the exercises will be held.
The exercise ended on Wednesday afternoon and came less than a week after a terrorist attack at a Tunisian beach resort, where 38 people were killed, many of whom were UK nationals.
Police stressed that the exercise was not a response to the Tunisian tragedy nor a result of any newly acquired intelligence.
