Case Study: The Home Office

Stopping rogue vessels: developing an effective defence against maritime attacks.

For some time, police have been able to stop suspect or fugitive vehicles on the road. The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) has collaborated with industry to develop a new defensive system designed to stop terrorists or criminals in small boats without resorting to lethal force. The system works by disabling the propulsion system of a small vessel.

HOSDB has built on its good industrial relationships with the companies working in this area to develop a practical solution that meets the Government's needs. It trialled systems and fed back results to industry for further development. In parallel, the Smith Institute reviewed HOSDB's experiments to ensure the development of good-quality science, as well as enhanced operational capability for the police.

Video transcript from the Home Office archive

Speed boat terrorists

Date: Tue Aug 18 12:50:33 BST 2009

Voice over: As part of the launch of the new science and technology counter-terrorism strategy, equipment designed to stop small rogue vessels moving at high speed was demonstrated by the Home Office scientific development branch.

Lord West: What you’re seeing here is a microcosm of the work that we’re doing in terms of science and innovation – to enable us to counter the terrorist threat to our people in this nation and our country.

This is the issue of: How do we stop a high-speed vessel which is coming into an area where we know that there are things we want to defend and look after? Let’s say, for example, the 2012 Olympics down at Weymouth. You know, the terrorists would love to charge in and blow up the lead two yachts, or something, or a boat full of IOC officials.

Colin Wilson: We test devices like this a lot at the branch, and not just devices like this, but also we work on CCTV and fingerprints and many areas, all to make sure that the requirements of law enforcement in the UK are met – and that science and technology is being used properly.

Lord West: Today we launch the science and innovation strategy, which is much broader – it falls out of Contest, out of our counter-terrorist strategy – probably the best counter-terrorist strategy any country in the world’s got, I believe.

Colin Wilson: It has three strands, one of which is understanding the future threats and opportunities that science and technology will bring over the next few years. The second of which is looking across government to find what the high priority requirements are and most importantly telling those then to industry and academia to allow the private sector to help. And the third, to increase our international links on counter-terrorism, say, with the US, the EU and others.

Lord West: We are engaging with academe, with industry, with all of our scientists – telling them really: Look, these are areas we would like you really to investigate, and also saying to industry, if you do come up with something in these areas, this is how you talk to us, this is how we’ll develop it, and this is where you can then make some money, because I have no difficulty with our – and we have some very capable industries – making sensible profits on something really good, to make us all safe.

The work undertaken in this project was one of three areas the Smith Institute helped the Home Office to develop.

You can see video clips about airport security at our YouTube channel.

Contact Dr Heather Tewkesbury to discuss how your organisation can benefit from our high-quality scientific review.