--- description: As spectators watch the Olympic Games, Britain’s intelligence and military personnel are watching the skies, the water, and the roads. From rooftop missiles to massive... title: Olympic Security: The Machinery Guarding London 2012 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4fa792e01f15cdd0/6998b3dae1ba00fe0298b75f/2100_oly_security_pumahelicopter_007_0726.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Sports](/section/sports/) * [olympics](/tag/olympics/) # Olympic Security: The Machinery Guarding London 2012 by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Jul 30, 2012 5:05 PM CUT  Lance Corporal Alex Walton (L) and Corporal Dan Best of the RAF Regiment take part in a media facility at RAF Northolt in west London on July 13, 2012 to show off some of the aircraft and equipment that will be used to protect the London during the upcoming Olympic Games. A series of airspace restrictions around London and south-east England are set to be enforced from midnight. AFP PHOTO / LEON NEALLEON NEAL/AFP/GettyImages Lance Corporal Alex Walton (L) and Corporal Dan Best of the RAF Regiment take part in a media facility at RAF Northolt in west London on July 13, 2012 to show off some of the aircraft and equipment that will be used to protect the London during the upcoming Olympic Games. A series of airspace restrictions around London and south-east England are set to be enforced from midnight. AFP PHOTO / LEON NEALLEON NEAL/AFP/GettyImagesAFP/Getty Images by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Jul 30, 2012 5:05 PM CUT As spectators watch the Olympic Games, Britain’s intelligence and military personnel are watching the skies, the water, and the roads. From rooftop missiles to massive warships, here are some of the ways Britain is policing the world’s biggest peacetime logistics operation. ## Frank Wigg Tower 
This 1960s apartment complex rises 17 stories above Leytonstone, just three kilometers from London’s Olympic Park. Based on the tower’s proximity to some of the biggest venues at the Games—and its unobstructed views of London—the Ministry of Defense decided to install surface-to-air missiles on its rooftop. Military officials claim the installation will allow them to counter an airborne terrorist attack. The show of strength likely plays a role in deterrence, too. Regardless of its utility, residents don’t like the thought of a missile system sitting over their heads. As they explained during their failed legal proceedings to block the installation, what goes up must come down. They fear shrapnel will rain down on their apartments in the event of an attack. wladams ## HMS Ocean 
The Thames is the lifeblood of London—and another focal point of the military’s security plan. To assist with maritime operations and to provide cover for airspace, the HMS Ocean is currently moored near Greenwich Village, not far from the North Greenwich Arena, which is hosting artistic gymnastics. The amphibious assault ship comes with up to 800 soldiers and Royal Marines on board. Stretching 667 feet, it is the Royal Navy’s largest vessel. wladams ## Royal Navy Lynx Helicopters 
HMS Ocean also carries at least four Royal Navy Lynx helicopters on its deck. The British military has utilized various models of the helicopter in conflicts including the Falklands War and the invasion of Iraq in 2003\. In the event of a security incident, the helicopters—and the ship’s resident snipers—can deploy within minutes. wladams ## Rapier Missile Systems 
Locals strolling through Blackheath Common, a 250-acre park in southeast London, aren’t fazed by the site of loose dogs or cyclists. But they may scratch their heads after spying this Rapier missile system, which can strike targets within 7.5 miles. The Rapier radar system has the ability to detect low, slow, aerial targets, and to distinguish between targets in a cluttered environment like the Olympic Park. Authorities have also installed Rapier missile systems on a farm and a forest outside of London. wladams ## Typhoon Fighter Jets 
Speaking to the BBC in mid-July, officials at the Royal Air Force Base in Northolt, northwest London, said they were prepared to use “lethal force” if suspicious aircraft enter the 30-mile-wide restricted airspace over London during the Games. To that end, officials brought in a fleet of Typhoon fighter jets that can travel at speeds of up to 1,370 miles per hour. The fighter jets have not been stationed at RAF Northolt since World War II. wladams ## Sea King Helicopters 
RAF Northolt also counts three Sea King helicopters in its fleet. If suspicious aircraft enter the no-fly zone, the military will first contact them by radio. The Typhoon and Sea King helicopters will then follow the aircraft until it leaves London. If the enemy planes do not comply, the RAF can then issue flares and fire lasers. As a last resort, they may shoot the planes down. wladams ## Royal Air Force Puma Helicopters and Sniper Teams 
The military’s so-called “ring of steel” includes the Territorial Army Center in Ilford, east London. During the Olympics it’s home to a fleet of three RAF Puma helicopters. Each can carry up to 12 fully equipped snipers. In the event a Puma is needed for evacuation, it can hold up to six stretchers. wladams ## Royal Air Force E-3D Sentry Surveillance Aircraft 
The Royal Air Force base in Waddington, Lincolnshire—about 140 miles north of the Olympic Stadium—houses seven E-3D Sentry surveillance planes. The RAF has deployed its fleet in every major military operation in recent memory, including those in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Kosovo, and Libya. The plane is renown as a communications hub that can direct air operations within hundreds of miles of the aircraft. In quickly changing war zones, it plays a key role in identifying enemy ships and planes. Each of the seven planes is named after one of the Seven Dwarfs. wladams ## HMS Bulwark 
The Olympic venues aren’t just in London—and neither are the warships. The Royal Navy’s HMS Bulwark will guard sailing events in Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour, in the southwest of England. The amphibious assault ship comes equipped with an enhanced radar system and the Goalkeeper weapon system. The latter can detect incoming fire, determine its trajectory and fire at it within six seconds. Its back door opens, floods the belly of the ship, and allows attack boats resting inside to deploy. It can carry up to 256 troops and multiple assault helicopters. wladams ## The London Underground 
On July 7, 2005, one day after London won the right to host the 2012 Olympics, four suicide bombers killed 52 people on London’s public transport system. With those bombings in mind, officials have beefed up their security presence on the London Underground. They haven’t, however, revealed precisely how. As one official said at a security briefing in June: “We hope that you will not notice a significant additional security presence, but I can assure you there is significant effort being undertaken.” That likely includes more surveillance and, as some Londoners have already noticed, more policemen in and around Tube stations. wladams ## British Troops 
Just 15 days before the opening ceremony, private security firm G4S admitted that it had failed to meet its obligations to train 10,000 security guards in time for the Olympics. That admission forced the government to enlist the help of 3,500 troops in mid-July, and then another 1,200 troops on July 24\. Many of them, recently returned from the frontlines of Afghanistan, had to cancel much-anticipated time with their families. Their duties include working metal detectors and searching bags at various venues. In total, more than 17,000 troops will help keep the Games safe. wladams ## Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) 
Taken on July 24, 2012, three days ahead of the Olympics, this photo shows police patrolling the Thames on a rigid inflatable boat (RIB). RIBs can travel at speeds of nearly 60mph. Smaller models can cruise through London’s narrow canals, while other RIBs can speed up to suspicious vessels and deploy equipment that allows forces to mount their target. wladams ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7215454/olympic-security-the-machinery-guarding-london-2012/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7215454/olympic-security-the-machinery-guarding-london-2012/"},"headline":"Olympic Security: The Machinery Guarding London 2012","datePublished":"2012-07-30T17:05:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-18T14:38:51.497Z","description":"As spectators watch the Olympic Games, Britain’s intelligence and military personnel are watching the skies, the water, and the roads. From rooftop missiles to massive...","url":"https://time.com/archive/7215454/olympic-security-the-machinery-guarding-london-2012/","keywords":["olympics","london","Security"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4fa792e01f15cdd0/6998b3dae1ba00fe0298b75f/2100_oly_security_pumahelicopter_007_0726.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4fa792e01f15cdd0/6998b3dae1ba00fe0298b75f/2100_oly_security_pumahelicopter_007_0726.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Lance Corporal Alex Walton (L) and Corpo","caption":"Lance Corporal Alex Walton (L) and Corpo","creditText":"AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/sports/","name":"Sports"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/olympics/","name":"olympics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/archive/7215454/olympic-security-the-machinery-guarding-london-2012/","name":"Olympic Security: The Machinery Guarding London 2012"}}]}] ```