Inside Trump's massive ring of steel for Scotland visit – from nuke codes, the Beast & ‘shoot to kill' special agents
LINE OF DEFENCE Inside Trump's massive ring of steel for Scotland visit – from nuke codes, the Beast & 'shoot to kill' special agents
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DONALD Trump is due to fly to Scotland for the first time since his return to the White House — teeing up a massive security operation.
The US President, 79, is expected to jet into Prestwick on Air Force One later this month, with plans for a ring of steel well under way.
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Donald Trump is reportedly set to visit Scotland in the coming weeks
Credit: Getty
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Trump's team will bring several "Beasts" - the nickname given to the US President's armoured Cadillacs
Credit: Alamy Live News
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Counter-terror cops have been deployed on previous President visits
Credit: Getty - Pool
His armoured motorcade is expected to whisk him to his nearby Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire, which was vandalised with pro-Palestine graffiti in March.
It is believed he will also travel via presidential helicopter Marine One to open his second course at Menie, Aberdeenshire, named after his late Scots mother Mary Anne MacLeod.
But it is understood a proposed meeting with King Charles will not take place. However, the US leader is scheduled to make a full state visit to the UK soon, most likely in September.
Police Scotland last night said no date has been confirmed for the president's first visit here since his election victory in 2023.
But no hotel rooms are available to book at his two golf resorts from July 24-28.
Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said: 'Planning is under way for a potential visit to Scotland by the President of the United States.
'While official confirmation has not yet been made, it is important we prepare in advance for what would be a significant policing operation.'
Security and policing insiders have said meetings are ongoing this week with the possibility of up to 5,000 officers being required to work 12-hour shifts.
While global tensions also mean more security could be in place.
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Back in 2018, during Mr Trump's first visit to the UK as President, a massive security operation was launched, with the three-day trip totalling around £30million.
This included rooftop snipers, undercover Secret Service agents and elite SAS soldiers, as well as a number of British cops drafted in from forces all over the UK.
At the time, security expert and the author of Parent Alert: How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online, Will Geddes, told The Sun Online: "If you think of it like a fried egg, the yolk is Trump and his team, and the white is everything else the police can do around it.
"It will be primarily led by the police but they will also be working along counter-terrorism command, the Secret Service, MI5, and inevitably additional support from Special Forces - that's SAS and SBS.
"Counter terrorism, their role will be in providing assistance and intelligence coordination with their American counterparts."
Air Force One
Trump is expecting to fly into Prestwick on Air Force One - which is one of two specially modified Boeing 747-200B jets which carries the US President.
The 4,000sq feet plane can act as a mobile command centre in the event of an attack on the United States.
It is outfitted with military technology and has classified communications gear and defences in case it is attacked by a missile.
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The last time Air Force One landed in Scotland
The plane can be refuelled in the air as it has a special fuel cap on its nose so a second plane can connect to it while flying above.
This means the plane could technically stay in the air indefinitely in case of an emergency.
Details of the plane's defence capabilities are top secret but it has the ability the function as a bunker in the event of a nuclear attack.
It's also reported to be capable of repelling airborne missiles and has a special electronic defence system that can jam enemy radars.
Electronics on board are designed to protect against an electromagnetic pulse and the aircraft is equipped with advanced secure communications equipment.
The 'Beasts'
Trump's team will bring several "Beasts" - the nickname given to the US President's armoured Cadillacs.
The £1.2million vehicles weigh eight tonnes, is bulletproof and able to survive a direct rocket or chemical warfare attack.
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The £1.2million vehicles weigh eight tonnes, is bulletproof and able to survive a direct rocket or chemical warfare attack
Credit: Splash News
Encased in ballistic armour and weighing about nine tonnes, each contains a sealed cabin with an oxygen supply and bags of blood matching the President's type in case of a medical emergency.
Anyone foolish enough to grab the cars' door handles without authorisation can expect to be hit with a 120-volt shock delivered at the flick of a switch from those inside.
The massive motors can also emit tear gas and flood the road with nails or an oil slick if being pursued.
CAR FORCE ONE: Trump's bulletproof Cadillac with panic button
Trump's Car weighs eight tonnes, is bulletproof and able to survive a direct rocket or chemical warfare attack.
It has a Halon fire-suppression system, used on race cars. Here are some other secret features that keep Donald Trump safe anywhere in the world... Cameras: Night-vision lenses fitted and controlled from the dashboard.
Night-vision lenses fitted and controlled from the dashboard. Windows: Five layers of glass and polycarbonate mean they can withstand bullets. Only the driver's window opens.
Five layers of glass and polycarbonate mean they can withstand bullets. Only the driver's window opens. Driver: Specially trained Secret Services officer can perform 'J-turn' to spin car 180-degrees before continuing, facing forward, without changing the direction of travel.
Specially trained Secret Services officer can perform 'J-turn' to spin car 180-degrees before continuing, facing forward, without changing the direction of travel. Panic button: The Beast has alarm, own oxygen supply in case of chemical attack and bags of the President's blood type in case he needs transfusion.
The Beast has alarm, own oxygen supply in case of chemical attack and bags of the President's blood type in case he needs transfusion. Weapons: Pump action shotguns and tear gas cannons are carried in the car. Guns are also hidden in the front grille. The boot is also equipped with tear gas, smoke-screen dispensers and a firefighting system.
Pump action shotguns and tear gas cannons are carried in the car. Guns are also hidden in the front grille. The boot is also equipped with tear gas, smoke-screen dispensers and a firefighting system. Bodywork: Five inches thick military-grade armour, created from aluminium, steel, titanium and ceramic, covered with fiberglass panels. Additionally, the undercarriage is made from armoured steel floor plates to protect from grenades and bombs thrown underneath the vehicle.
Five inches thick military-grade armour, created from aluminium, steel, titanium and ceramic, covered with fiberglass panels. Additionally, the undercarriage is made from armoured steel floor plates to protect from grenades and bombs thrown underneath the vehicle. Reinforced tyres: The puncture-resistant tyres are reinforced with heat-resistant Kevlar. If destroyed, the car can be driven on wheels' steel pins.
The puncture-resistant tyres are reinforced with heat-resistant Kevlar. If destroyed, the car can be driven on wheels' steel pins. Doors: Eight inches thick armour-plated and the weight of a cabin door on a 757 jet.
Eight inches thick armour-plated and the weight of a cabin door on a 757 jet. MPG: The Beast uses diesel but due to the weight and design it only does four miles per gallon.
The Beast uses diesel but due to the weight and design it only does four miles per gallon. The cost: The Beast costs £1.2million to make plus £11million on its research and development. The President has TWELVE of them.
Mr Geddes said: "Trump will be likely bringing a couple of Beasts. There will be various vehicles that will support that.
"They'll be a mix of SUVs and Range Rover Discoveries. Then in support vehicles there will be protection officers, counter attack teams.
"They'll be incredibly well positioned to provide a response in the event of an attack."
'Shoot to kill' agents
During his 2018 visit, the huge security operation included rooftop snipers, undercover Secret Service agents and elite SAS soldiers.
Trump was also flanked at all times by security detail from the US and the UK.
Around 150 'shoot to kill' special agents were deployed to watch his every move.
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Specialist firearms officers during the President's visit in 2018
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A sniper team on alert during Donald Trump's last visit to Turnberry
Mr Geddes added: "MI5, they'll be looking at any kind of chatter around the visit that's existing already and prioritising those they think are of greater risk, or expediting the arrests of any individuals.
"Secret Service will inevitably already be here operating out of the US embassy. They will be doing the advance reconnaissance.
"They are looking at all the venues where Trump is going to be staying, how he will move ... whether it's by road or helicopter."
He added that counter-terror officers - armed with sub-machine guns, glock pistols and Heckler and Koch assault rifles - will also be out in force.
Marine One & undercover agents
Thousands of uniformed officers were guarding Trump as well as undercover agents hiding among the crowds.
He continued: "You're going to have spotters and you're going to have top cover - that will be guys on roofs with sniper rifles.
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Donald Trump pictured in front of Marine One
"There will probably be Marine One, Two and Three, the presidential helicopters, and if he does use those they generally fly in a pattern of three, so nobody knows which helicopter the president is travelling on.
"There's every likelihood there will be a restricted air zone around the areas Trump is in. One of the biggest concerns is potential drones."
Nuclear football
The "nuclear football" refers to the briefcase which accompanies the President while he's away from the White House to deploy nuclear weapons if necessary.
The briefcase was handed to Mr Trump when he took office and it never leaves the president's side.
Inside is a black book of strike options for him to choose from, once he has authenticated his identity using a plastic card nicknamed 'the biscuit'.
Once the president has selected his strike options from what has been compared to a restaurant set menu, the order is passed via the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Pentagon's war room.
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A military aide carries the 'nuclear football' which contains launch codes for nuclear weapons
Credit: Getty
Using sealed authentication codes it's then sent on to US Strategic Command HQ in Offutt Airbase in Nebraska.
The order to fire is transmitted to the actual launch crews using encrypted codes that have to match the codes locked inside their safes.
The origins of the Football can be traced back to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis when JFK ordered locks to be placed on nuclear weapons and demanded alternatives to an all-out nuclear war plan.
Military drafted in
As security ramped up in 2018 special forces helicopters - £50million V-22 Osprey tiltrotor military aircrafts - swept through the sky above London as part of the intricate operation.
And the nuclear-powered USS Harry S Truman was in European waters, ready to be deployed.
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