Heavy Duty Protection to Anti-Terror Units in Germany

Heavy Duty Protection to Anti-Terror Units in Germany

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Hamburg has spent £3.9 million equipping its anti terror officers with new protective equipment over fears of jihadi-style attacks. Some 70 officers are to be supplied with the additional body armour and helmets to protect them in the case of an attack.

According to the dailymail.co.uk, citing NDR.de, the decision to equip the police with the heavy-duty equipment was due to the ongoing threat posed by ISIS.

The German special units (BFE) were equipped with Haenel assault rifles and heavy-duty ballistic protection helmets and body armour. This SK4-rated ballistic protection is capable of stopping a round fired from an AK-47 assault rifle.

Officers from the BFE arrest unit displayed their new Haenel assault rifles and heavy-duty ballistic protection helmets and body armour at a special press conference in the city.

The city has also purchased the Survivor 1 armoured personnel carrier for anti-terror police operations. The Survivor 1 can deal with chemical, nuclear and biological warfare agents, protecting the officers inside from exposure.The city ordered 280 near assault rifles and sub-machine guns for officers. Some of the officers have been equipped with Heckler and Koch MP5 assault rifles.

Germany’s top security officials have long warned that the country is in the cross hairs of terror attacks by Muslim extremists. Several attacks conducted by asylum seekers in Germany this summer were claimed by ISIS. German police recently raided locations of Chechen suspects, as well as refugee centers suspected of housing people involved in financing terrorism.