What is Hostile Vehicle Mitigation?

Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) is a protective security discipline focussing on reducing risks associated with vehicle borne threats posed by terrorists and criminals. HVM is the delivery of measures that are informed by the threat and how it manifests itself, the multiple consequences of an attack, the vulnerability of a given location and the needs of the enterprise requiring protection. The basis of HVM are security risk assessments, security planning, and design and the deployment of risk-based measures. (NPSA)

 

How HVM has evolved from vehicles to rated temporary solutions.

Physical HVM measures have evolved, and now come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, purposes and functionality. From specifically designed and installed permanent fixtures, such as bollards, street furniture (planters, bike racks, benches etc), vehicle security barriers at entrance points to sites of potential interest to terrorists (CNI, Government offices). Permanent HVM can also include adapted hard landscape features, such as significant level changes, and with a little imagination HVM may be disguised inside architectural features in a street scene.

Temporary HVM solutions have become more widely used, where a permanent installation is not viable or appropriate, such as temporary road closures for football match days, festive markets, street festivals and the like. These solutions are more easily deployed and removed, are more lightweight and offer practical benefits, such as lower transportation costs, reusability, and fewer personnel needed to install them.

The video below demonstrates the manoeuvrability of Highway Care’s RB50, by just one operative, before the kit is locked into place to form a rated HVM solution.

There are more mundane, but untested solutions – such as using an HGV to block off a road or filling a skip with water or building rubble to deter a vehicle-borne attack. These however, come with their own risks. Using a vehicle to block off a road immediately turns that vehicle into a weapon. It is laden with fuel, which may explode if targeted by a hostile vehicle ramming it, and so cause death or injury to anyone in the near vicinity. A vehicle must have a driver to get to its location, and who must remain with it at all times – in case it needs to be moved quickly. As we saw in a couple of the European terrorist attacks (Berlin 2016 and Stockholm 2017), the drivers of the HGVs were attacked, one sadly died, and their vehicle stolen to be used as a weapon.

Over the years, HVM has evolved from simple, untested and unrated heavyweight objects – predominantly based on ‘mass’ – to a new generation of portable, lightweight, tested and rated solutions, that are based on ‘physics’, and can be deployed/ removed quickly by a few operatives, offering greater operational flexibility and substantially lower logistical costs.

For temporary deployments, simply putting a series of heavyweight obstacles at road junctions, or key ingress/ egress points surrounding a street market, for example, is neither a well-constructed HVM plan, nor is it taking in to account a multitude of other considerations, such as; ease and speed of deployment/ removal for emergency vehicle access, pedestrian permeability, logistical costs, disruption of local traffic flows, and effectiveness of stopping/ delaying a Vehicle as a Weapon (VAW) attack.

A comprehensive Threat, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (TVRA) that examines each event individually, to devise an HVM strategy that is proportionate to the likelihood of an attack, and what equipment to deploy (and where), is critical to effectively safeguarding people and places in Publicly Accessible Locations (PALs).

“HVM measures are the integrated deployment of security processes, procedures and physical obstructions to counter vehicle borne threats. They typically include; deterrent communications, security awareness, incident response planning and training, operational security, traffic management and the deployment of physical obstructions such as vehicle security barriers and traffic calming measures.” (NPSA)

 

Standards and Effectiveness of HVM

All of the temporary HVM products that our teams deploy are rated solutions. This means that each product is a ‘Rated Vehicle Security Barrier’ which has undergone formal vehicle impact testing. This ensures that the tests are conducted to a recognised vehicle impact test standard, at an independent testing house and achieved a performance rating in accordance with the chosen standard.

In 2023 a new global standard was introduced – ISO 22343-1 – which superseded all three preceding standards:

• ISO IWA 14-1:2013
• BSI PAS 68:2013
• ASTM F2656/F2656M – 20

For VSBs tested on 1st March 2024 onwards, NPSA will only recognise those with an ISO 22343-1 performance rating. However, VSBs tested before this, to withdrawn standards, will still be considered for entry into NPSA’s Catalogue of Security Equipment.

Tests are conducted on a variety of vehicle types and weights at varying speeds and impact angles, to measure the ‘stopping power’ of the VSB, and the depth of penetration and the amount of vehicle debris that results from the crash test.

The new ISO standard ratings are displayed like this:

Guidance notes for the new ISO 22343-1 Standard can be found here

However, it should be noted that testing conditions (weather, time of day) will affect the outcome of tests, to some degree or another. You should also be aware that, as standards have evolved, manufacturers are morally obliged to relate the current test ratings of their products, not historical ones.

At Crowdguard, we only use the most current rating data on our products, which is publicly available on our website – as detailed below.

Vehicle Attack Delay Standard (VADS)

Within the NPSA’s Catalogue of Security Equipment (CSE), is a Chapter for products that have been allocated a rating in accordance with NPSA’s Vehicle Attack Delay Standard (VADS). VADS provides a means for testing Vehicle Security Barriers (VSBs) against aggressive and repetitive vehicle impacts. The VADS has been developed to allow the testing of barriers predominantly used at temporary events. Therefore you will not see all newer products in the security catalogue tested to VADS if they are already in the Impact Rated catalogue.

The point behind VADS-rated products is that acknowledges that the risk profile for temporary events, such as festive markets, is far lower than for an International Sporting fixture (for example), in that it records the delay offered by a product, in the event of a Vehicle as a Weapon (VAW) attack.

One HVM size does not fit all.

We believe that there is no single solution for every event. This is why we work closely with our clients, and Traffic Management companies and carry out a comprehensive TVRA before deciding which kit to deploy, and where – ensuring a proportionate installation that minimises disruption but ensures that your event and its attendees are protected.

We are the first company to carry RAPAID Emergency Bandage kits on every deployment, and provide airhorns for staff to sound the alarm, in the event of an emergency.

We have the ability to deploy a superb range of temporary HVM solutions, including:

• ATG ‘Surface Guard’
• ARX ‘Stopper!™’
• Highway Care ‘Claw’
• Highway Care ‘RB50’
• Husson ‘H-Stop’
• Unafor ‘Core’

If you’re planning an event (small or large-scale), get in touch with the Crowdguard team to discuss your requirements. We will give you the best possible advice and provide a turnkey service to help you plan and implement strategies to keep people safe in crowded places, with market-leading solutions installed by experts, designed to help you mitigate risk.

Tel: 0161 507 3434

Email: info@crowdguard.co.uk