hovering helicopter. Patrol personnel, each wearing a harness with an attached cara- biner, hook up to a D-ring inserted in the SPIE rope. A second safety line is attached to a second D-ring located above the first. The helicopter lifts vertically from an ex- tract zone until the rope and personnel are clear of obstructions, then proceeds in for- ward flight to a secure insert zone. The rope and personnel are treated as an exter- nal load and airspeeds, altitudes, and os- cillations must be monitored. Fast-roping, sometimes known as Fast
Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES), is a technique for descending a thick rope. It is useful for inserting teams from a helicopter in places where the hel- icopter itself cannot land. Although the technique carries more risk, it is much quicker than abseiling (rappelling). The person holds onto the rope with his gloved hands and feet and slides down it. Several people can slide down the same rope si- multaneously, provided that there is a gap of approximately 10 feet between them, so that each one has time to get out of the way when they reach the ground. It is es- sential to wear gloves, as sliding down a rope generates great heat from friction. With two ropes (one hanging from each side), the GSP can insert a six person SWAT team in a matter of seconds. One of the most unique capabilities in
the GSP arsenal is to use the helicopter as an aerial sniper platform. It makes perfect sense. There are rare times when a public threat exists which needs to be neutralized and a sniper may be the appropriate tool to use. What happens when the threat holds a strategic position that cannot be reached by ground or structure? Under the right conditions, the helicopter itself may be used in order to create a superior posi- tion and put the threat in the snipers line of sight. Even though it is virtually impos- sible to hold the helicopter perfectly still, with training and coordination, the snipers have amazing accuracy.
OWNING THE NIGHT As the sun sets on law-abiding citizens,
the nocturnal criminals are more than happy to begin their work under the cover of darkness. With the implementation of
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