VALENCIA, CALIF. - Delta Scientific, the leading manufacturer of counter-terrorist vehicle control systems used in the United States and internationally, today announced that its automated, linear gates are being used to protect vulnerable piers at Naval Station Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The automated gates at the Navy piers create a protective barrier between terrorists and in-port assets. The equipment was installed as part of an overall regional effort to increase the force protection posture of critical assets at strategic locations.
"The Navy installed this barrier system in order to provide an adequate level of force protection while maintaining a high level of efficiency on the piers. In other words, we've been able to increase our force protection posture without impacting the mission of fleet support," reports Andrew Iuvale, Anti-terrorism Director, Navy Region Hawaii. "Before the Delta SC3000 gates were installed, as one approached the pier they came upon a swing gate guarded by a sentry. It was the sentry's responsibility exclusively to assess and then grant or deny access. For a bad guy to access the piers, they only had to overcome the sentry."
Now, the piers have a gate or kiosk system that protects the sentry, who remains in the gatehouse and cannot be touched. Anyone attempting to gain access has to slide credentials through a pass window to the sentry.
"However, even if someone could take out a sentry in the gatehouse, they still cannot get through the gates," Iuvale explains. "These new gates are 'force multipliers' for the Security Department when operating them in an automated mode during slow periods. An automated gate reduces overall manpower requirements and frees up a security personnel to perform other missions vital to force protection such as patrol, counter surveillance and random inspections."
The endstate will have a sentry in a central location controlling any one or all of the gates depending on mission requirements, he added.
"Pearl Harbor's piers are now less vulnerable to acts of terrorism," said Lt. Jeremy Gates, Naval Facilities construction team leader. "The automated gates provide an anti-terrorism force protection barrier between roadways and the piers which provide service to ships and submarines. Physical security upgrades such as this, combined with anti-terrorism awareness training, helps make Navy personnel less vulnerable from attacks and acts of terrorism."
"Product support is vital because these piers are the lifelines to the ships," Iuvale summed up. "Delta always resolves issues in a timely manner. We know that if we call their product support director in Virginia any time of the day or night, we're going to get the help we need. That's a proven track record that is rarely found nowadays."
In addition to the fixed crash rated SC3000, Pearl Harbor also uses Delta's MP5000 portable barricades that are towed in place and set up in 15 minutes. According to Iuvale, the fixed barriers and portable barriers are integrated with a series of other force protection equipment and measures to achieve an antiterrorism system based on a defense-in-depth methodology.
Since the USS Cole was bombed in Yemen in 2000, the Navy has employed many of Delta Scientific's products at their facilities to protect vital infrastructure, from piers to hospitals, fuel storage and submarine bases.
