Drones, special forces and undercover agents: Inside the King’s ‘ring of security’ during his US state visit

King Charles’ security has been reviewed ahead of his trip to the White House on Monday, following another assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner over the weekend.

The state visit is expected to last three days from April 27 to 30 and will include a meeting with the US President at the White House.

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was thrown into chaos Saturday night following an attempted attack that sparked gunfire and led to Trump being quickly evacuated by Secret Service agents along with other senior members of his administration.

Following the events, the trip was reviewed and some additional measures were taken to ensure the security of the monarch. Buckingham Palace also confirmed that the visit will definitely go ahead.

Experts told Independent He said extensive planning could include the use of undercover agents, snipers, counter drones and special forces.

Below we look at the “security ring”, an elite security operation designed to keep the King safe.

Royalty and specialist protection officers (RaSP)

British Ambassador to the US Sir Christopher Turner said UK and US security teams had planned the trip for weeks before the incident and were “increasingly” prepared for possible changes.

“The point is that our relevant security teams have been in close contact for weeks,” he said.

“Any operational changes we need to make, we can make them and we are all very confident that the appropriate safety measures are in place.”

Security teams in both the UK and the US worked through the night to assess the security of the visit after Mr Trump escaped a third assassination attempt.

While there will be minor adjustments to one or two royal engagements during the trip, the overall plan will remain unchanged.

Former security expert Richard Aitch said: Independent It was stated that members of the Royal and Specialist Guard, working within the specialist command of the Metropolitan Police, will be armed on the journey to ensure the security of the monarch.

“With this particular visit, you have members of the Crown and Protective Experts who are already in the United States and liaising with the U.S. Secret Service, and they have probably been there for several weeks,” he said. “They will evolve what they do based on the response to what happened over the weekend.”

Mr Aitch believes this could include plans to “increase distance” in a bid to reduce the likelihood of any lone wolf attacks and create a “sterile environment”.

Intelligence coordination and undercover agents

“Intelligence flows are vital because operational plans rely on them,” says Mr Aitch.

This means UK and US security forces will share intelligence from a range of sources to monitor any threats to the King during his visit.

“There will be a uniformed presence, but you will also have undercover members blending into the crowd,” he explains.

“You’ll send people there weeks in advance and mingle with the local population. Security services will listen to the internet and phone calls and pay particular attention to specific individuals, groups and organizations that could cause harm.”

They will be particularly sensitive to “lone wolf” threats in light of the incident. Vehicle searches will be carried out around Charles’ route. Crowd and public control will also be necessary and barricades to maintain distance will be of great importance.

Snipers, special forces and counter drones

According to Mr. Aitch, American officials have a “virtually unlimited budget” to conduct security operations. However, they have a reputation among their British counterparts as “they have all the equipment but no idea”.

Still, US security services will do what they can after President Trump promised the King would be “very safe”.

Protection is likely to include “snipers, counter-snipers and dog search teams.” Special forces such as the American Delta Force, the equivalent of the British SAS, may also be deployed.

Counter-drone devices and jamming equipment can also be deployed.

“They may also use designated counterstrike teams that are part of the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service.”

But he adds: “You can have all the beings in the world, all the people, and it only takes one person to make it happen. In fact, there is nothing that is 100 percent safe 100 percent of the time.”