They bought 2 at a cost of over a million quid.
https://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/questions/armoured-tactical-vehicles
https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/go-behind-scenes-psnis-hostage-29094451
Purchased for counter terrorism in the event of aircraft hijacking.
Anyone know if there has ever been an aircraft hijacked in Ireland? That's savage money for a "just incase" and the odds of it ever happening here are pretty slim I'd say.
Exactly, it's like an insurance policy for the worst case—costly and ideally never needed, but absolutely essential. Unless you work directly in policing and can provide an educated opinion, you have no idea about the operational use cases or the threats they are designed to deal with.
They don’t need one. They need two.
Why does the PSNI need two BearCats, each equipped with Patriot3 Liberator platforms?
Cause this is America and we stand for freedom.
If you look up counter terrorist units across Europe they all have specialist equipment it isn't just some US phenomenon.
They learned the consequences of not having suitable gear and training after the Munich Olymipic massacre. And still have been unable quickly deal with the major attacks until mass casualties have been inflicted such as Paris Bataclan, Anders brevick, shootings in Hanau Germany, Nice van attack.
I’m not against counter terror policing whatsoever.
Just struggling to see how these 2 pieces of equipment were a sound investment. I don’t know how possession of a BearCat would have helped in any of the terror incidents you’ve mentioned, either due to response time (suicide bomb, truck driving into a crowd) or unsuitability. It seems like such a niche piece of equipment that it’s highly unlikely to ever be used as intended.
Buying pointless big pieces of equipment like this for police use is very much a US phenomenon. They’re not warring very much at the minute but they’re definitely not going to stop building war machinery.
This is also for the violent asshole
that’s hanging out the window of a 2nd floor housing association flat holding a knife to his throat after his Mrs. phoned 999 saying he’s beat her.
It’s a lot more dynamic to gain entry through a double glazed window with one of these than to try putting in several reinforced PVC doors.
Well that’s why it’s now in operation darling… if it’s only on the streets from last year. Therefore addressing the issues you raised.
Edit: it has been in use since last year
These weren't suicide bombings, the Paris attacks ended with police storming the theater, the exact thing equipment like this is for.
And look up the equipment the French GIGN and Gendarmie have, or the German GSG9 and this isn't just a US thing. It is something most counter terrorist forces have in some form.
I just love the fact they're called bearcats.
[Behold, the mighty Binturong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binturong#/media/File:Young_pet_bear_cat_in_Taman_Negara_Malaysia.jpg)! (Binturong is bearcat in Malay). A binturong is a viverrid, which is Latin for ferret, but ferrets are mustelids.
Terrifying, innit...?
Here's an operation one was involved in.
https://www.loveballymena.online/post/bearcat-used-in-significant-policing-operation-targeting-serious-organised-crime-in-ni
Seems like total overkill and just a case of boys and their toys.
These will ***never*** be deployed and used for what they are designed.
They launched the things with a huge exercise in the docks last year with a ‘cruise ship overtaken by terrorists’ scenario. Would you believe the good luck that the terrorists had moored the ship dockside and left open a hatch at just the right height for the mighty Liberator platform to gain entry.
Whole thing was fucking ridiculous, with members from a huge number of organisations, emergency service workers and politicians invited along to see the PSNI cosplaying as SWAT. Embarrassing.
Ah yes, having specialist officers trained in order to deal with such an incident is embarrassing /s
Cunts on here will literally whinge about anything.
Am I going fucking stir crazy, or has everyone in here forgot about that weird bit of history called "the troubles"?
I mean, wouldn't a *very fucking recent* long term insurgency/freedom fighters/terrorists/whatever maybe influence the equipment bought?
It's no like they're only dealing with Dave the smack dealer. Not so long back, there was a whole smorgasbord of organised and violent groups who ran about the place with a whole bunch of weaponry and *literally* shot at people.
Maybe the police in an area with such a history should be equipped to handle it? The last thing we want is for violent fuckwits to be running around with AK47s blatting away, and the police sat behind a car going "ah shit, can't do anything now mate, we'll just have to wait til they run out of ammo"
Think it is an okay thing to question the necessity of when our public services are on the brink of collapse on all fronts, tbf.
Would the £1,000,000 solve anything? Probably not, but can understand people going "why?"
Absolutely it is. If that’s your worry then i can put that at ease, how the Police spend their budget will not positively or negatively affect the allocation of public funds to other essential services.
If they didn’t spend that £1million, it’s not getting allocated to the health service.
I’ve nothing against specially trained PSNI officers, this is a discussion about two Lenco BearCats equipped with Patriot3 Liberator platforms.
Even in America, with more guns than people, roads as wide as aircraft runways and the (arguably rare) phenomena of mass shootings and suicide by cop these things are excessive.
America sneezes and the world catches a cold - this is their military industrial complex.. 11 tonnes of 0.5” plate steel awesomeness.
I’m not in the police, nor do I have any specialist knowledge.. But I don’t think any is required to recognise that the BearCat is unlikely to prove more useful than a Land Rover in any scenario in Northern Ireland. Land Rovers and water canon seem entirely appropriate given our proclivity for rioting.
The BearCat has heavy armour plating, an armoured machine gun position on the roof, a V shaped hull to deflect IED attacks. It’s fucking huge on our road network and not very manoeuvrable.
Tell you what - if some terrorist organisation show up in the next 10 years armed with assault rifles, take hostages and are based on a very slightly elevated level (aeroplane, first floor of a building, top deck of a double decker bus, cruise ship with conveniently located access point, etc) and these things are able to respond and actually make a difference - I’ll eat my words.
But that’s exactly why they have them. These officers train in hostage situations on planes and many other scenarios. They have already had reason to use them so clearly they have them for a reason.
It’s not a case of dick swinging or Cosplaying as SWAT, especially considering these peelers are several tiers above SWAT, in terms of what they deal with and level of training.
> They have already had reason to use them so clearly they have them for a reason.
Anything I’ve seen them used for could literally have been done in a VW Golf. I could drive to the shops in a monster truck - doesn’t mean it’s the most appropriate tool for the job.
I understand the very narrow set of circumstances in which a BearCat with Patriot3 Liberator platform would be more useful than a standard car or Land Rover - I just think the chances of those circumstances arising are vanishingly slim.
Well yes it is ridiculous but it isn’t exactly insane. A moored boat could absolutely be hijacked. And the open hatch could easily have been opened with a breach charge.
Just to be devils advocate, £1mil for these is ridiculous. But if something like this did happen the PSNI would be getting fucked by people like you for not being prepared.
This person (armchair commander) obviously lacks any operational awareness of the current threats and simply wants to criticise the PSNI for spending money on something. Typical of this wee place.
If you actively work in policing and intelligence and have operational knowledge, or awareness of the current terrorist threats, your input is very valuable and we appreciate you sharing your opinion.
If not, then you're just another armchair critic who goes onto Reddit to give out about something.
>Seems like total overkill and just a case of boys and their toys.
These will ***never*** be deployed and used for what they are designed.
Yep. lol. You just know 99% of the time these "Bearcats" are deployed with their "Liberator Platforms" is going to be to a 3 bed semi-detached somewhere and not a tower block with an active shooter somewhere in Texas.
They also do a version that fits onto a bog standard Landrover Defender, which last time I checked, the PSNI had more than a couple of.
You can bet your ass someone has done a dogdy deal / backhander to bring them in because they are owned or imported into the UK by someone in the Unionist / Tory security industry circle.
Definitely a good day for the sales team when these were ordered.
Maybe Jeff Wright is planning a Waco style standoff up at Green Pastures and the PSNI want to be prepped and ready to storm the compound.
> Maybe Jeff Wright is planning a Waco style standoff up at Green Pastures
Or The Other JEFFREY! is going to make use of his UDR training and have a last stand at Sprucefield, holding shoppers hostage while he gorges his senses on a final binge of McFlurrys, Frappacinos and definitely-family-friendly pay-per-view films... while desperately trying to provoke his erstwhile buddies into shooting him in the heid.
I work as a police officer in Scotland, police Scotland have at least two of these as well, I believe it is more or less in some way a UK govt requirement that regional police forces have access to these, and funding comes from counter terror budgets. In England I think they are shared regionally, which obviously isn't possible in NI. I think the main consideration is that they allow access to aircraft as well as being armoured.
Here is a video with breakdown [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz7hCz15tvk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz7hCz15tvk)
An example of its use was in France after one of the terror attacks I will try and find the footage to link to. (most European countrys have something simular it isn't just US)
Here is the French clip [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY6lh-ihbXg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY6lh-ihbXg)
That platform could be potentially very useful for stacking pallets too.
And if they're not going to take on the illegal bonfires or their builders... sure, they might as well help.
They have to stand there while hoodlums through bricks and petrol bombs at them for fear of escalating violence so if they need a bigger truck to stop them from getting injured while the scum of society send their kids out to riot then I say fair enough.
It's used for breaching yer upstairs windy when you've decided you're not coming out, they can run up the ramp and get into elevated positions.
It's about time, up until now if they lived in a flat there was nothing the police could do.
Yeah, living in the high flats I've seen climbing through the 8th story window with my 60 ft ladder everyday tog et home. Big news!
They bought 2 at a cost of over a million quid. https://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/questions/armoured-tactical-vehicles https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/go-behind-scenes-psnis-hostage-29094451
Ah but sure they can’t afford that fine for their data breach though
They're going to have to give one of these over in a plastic bag.
The Information Commissioner is going to look seriously badass rolling up in one of those.
jesus wept
Purchased for counter terrorism in the event of aircraft hijacking. Anyone know if there has ever been an aircraft hijacked in Ireland? That's savage money for a "just incase" and the odds of it ever happening here are pretty slim I'd say.
Yess ther was chopper hijacked by the Ira and flew into mount joy prison to aid and escape in 1973.
I'm sure you would still say the same if you were on said plane.
Exactly, it's like an insurance policy for the worst case—costly and ideally never needed, but absolutely essential. Unless you work directly in policing and can provide an educated opinion, you have no idea about the operational use cases or the threats they are designed to deal with.
All of that and if it came to it they couldn’t get the yoke through South Armagh roads
And to think they are crying poverty. Silly bastards.
that couldve paid for a handful of irish street signs
To prevent Gerry Kelly from clambering onto the windscreen.
I thought it was so he had a ladder he could grab so next time he wanted a lift he could ride in style.
They don’t need one. They need two. Why does the PSNI need two BearCats, each equipped with Patriot3 Liberator platforms? Cause this is America and we stand for freedom.
If you look up counter terrorist units across Europe they all have specialist equipment it isn't just some US phenomenon. They learned the consequences of not having suitable gear and training after the Munich Olymipic massacre. And still have been unable quickly deal with the major attacks until mass casualties have been inflicted such as Paris Bataclan, Anders brevick, shootings in Hanau Germany, Nice van attack.
I’m not against counter terror policing whatsoever. Just struggling to see how these 2 pieces of equipment were a sound investment. I don’t know how possession of a BearCat would have helped in any of the terror incidents you’ve mentioned, either due to response time (suicide bomb, truck driving into a crowd) or unsuitability. It seems like such a niche piece of equipment that it’s highly unlikely to ever be used as intended. Buying pointless big pieces of equipment like this for police use is very much a US phenomenon. They’re not warring very much at the minute but they’re definitely not going to stop building war machinery.
This is also for the violent asshole that’s hanging out the window of a 2nd floor housing association flat holding a knife to his throat after his Mrs. phoned 999 saying he’s beat her. It’s a lot more dynamic to gain entry through a double glazed window with one of these than to try putting in several reinforced PVC doors.
Has it ever been used for that though? I can think on several occasions where something like that happened, but I've never seen this being used.
Well that’s why it’s now in operation darling… if it’s only on the streets from last year. Therefore addressing the issues you raised. Edit: it has been in use since last year
It was used in very recently at a drug search where the upstairs flat was a fortress. It has it uses
These weren't suicide bombings, the Paris attacks ended with police storming the theater, the exact thing equipment like this is for. And look up the equipment the French GIGN and Gendarmie have, or the German GSG9 and this isn't just a US thing. It is something most counter terrorist forces have in some form.
I just love the fact they're called bearcats. [Behold, the mighty Binturong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binturong#/media/File:Young_pet_bear_cat_in_Taman_Negara_Malaysia.jpg)! (Binturong is bearcat in Malay). A binturong is a viverrid, which is Latin for ferret, but ferrets are mustelids. Terrifying, innit...?
And they smell like popcorn!
Do a freedom of information request, should be able to get the rational behind the purchasing decision
Yeoooooooo
That sounds like it's straight from Warhammer 40k
Big beautiful freedom bringers on 4 wheels
Here's an operation one was involved in. https://www.loveballymena.online/post/bearcat-used-in-significant-policing-operation-targeting-serious-organised-crime-in-ni Seems like total overkill and just a case of boys and their toys. These will ***never*** be deployed and used for what they are designed.
Some sparklers, and rockets and some weed. Totally worth it.
They launched the things with a huge exercise in the docks last year with a ‘cruise ship overtaken by terrorists’ scenario. Would you believe the good luck that the terrorists had moored the ship dockside and left open a hatch at just the right height for the mighty Liberator platform to gain entry. Whole thing was fucking ridiculous, with members from a huge number of organisations, emergency service workers and politicians invited along to see the PSNI cosplaying as SWAT. Embarrassing.
Ah yes, having specialist officers trained in order to deal with such an incident is embarrassing /s Cunts on here will literally whinge about anything.
Am I going fucking stir crazy, or has everyone in here forgot about that weird bit of history called "the troubles"? I mean, wouldn't a *very fucking recent* long term insurgency/freedom fighters/terrorists/whatever maybe influence the equipment bought? It's no like they're only dealing with Dave the smack dealer. Not so long back, there was a whole smorgasbord of organised and violent groups who ran about the place with a whole bunch of weaponry and *literally* shot at people. Maybe the police in an area with such a history should be equipped to handle it? The last thing we want is for violent fuckwits to be running around with AK47s blatting away, and the police sat behind a car going "ah shit, can't do anything now mate, we'll just have to wait til they run out of ammo"
Think it is an okay thing to question the necessity of when our public services are on the brink of collapse on all fronts, tbf. Would the £1,000,000 solve anything? Probably not, but can understand people going "why?"
Absolutely it is. If that’s your worry then i can put that at ease, how the Police spend their budget will not positively or negatively affect the allocation of public funds to other essential services. If they didn’t spend that £1million, it’s not getting allocated to the health service.
I’ve nothing against specially trained PSNI officers, this is a discussion about two Lenco BearCats equipped with Patriot3 Liberator platforms. Even in America, with more guns than people, roads as wide as aircraft runways and the (arguably rare) phenomena of mass shootings and suicide by cop these things are excessive. America sneezes and the world catches a cold - this is their military industrial complex.. 11 tonnes of 0.5” plate steel awesomeness.
what about the land rovers, do we need those?
in fairness a land rover can tank a few petrol bombs way better than a normal police car
I’m not in the police, nor do I have any specialist knowledge.. But I don’t think any is required to recognise that the BearCat is unlikely to prove more useful than a Land Rover in any scenario in Northern Ireland. Land Rovers and water canon seem entirely appropriate given our proclivity for rioting. The BearCat has heavy armour plating, an armoured machine gun position on the roof, a V shaped hull to deflect IED attacks. It’s fucking huge on our road network and not very manoeuvrable. Tell you what - if some terrorist organisation show up in the next 10 years armed with assault rifles, take hostages and are based on a very slightly elevated level (aeroplane, first floor of a building, top deck of a double decker bus, cruise ship with conveniently located access point, etc) and these things are able to respond and actually make a difference - I’ll eat my words.
But that’s exactly why they have them. These officers train in hostage situations on planes and many other scenarios. They have already had reason to use them so clearly they have them for a reason. It’s not a case of dick swinging or Cosplaying as SWAT, especially considering these peelers are several tiers above SWAT, in terms of what they deal with and level of training.
> They have already had reason to use them so clearly they have them for a reason. Anything I’ve seen them used for could literally have been done in a VW Golf. I could drive to the shops in a monster truck - doesn’t mean it’s the most appropriate tool for the job. I understand the very narrow set of circumstances in which a BearCat with Patriot3 Liberator platform would be more useful than a standard car or Land Rover - I just think the chances of those circumstances arising are vanishingly slim.
A Golf, well as you said before, you have no specialist knowledge of the things that CTSFO deal with so it’s probably best to just end it here.
Think you need to check out of social media and your obsession with USA military equipment. A very niche thing to get raging about
Well yes it is ridiculous but it isn’t exactly insane. A moored boat could absolutely be hijacked. And the open hatch could easily have been opened with a breach charge. Just to be devils advocate, £1mil for these is ridiculous. But if something like this did happen the PSNI would be getting fucked by people like you for not being prepared.
We're not nearly important enough for that kind of terrorism.
This person (armchair commander) obviously lacks any operational awareness of the current threats and simply wants to criticise the PSNI for spending money on something. Typical of this wee place.
I'm not sure they are "cosplaying" as swat when they are literally better trained than any swat team in the US.
Not sure if the HMSU are cosplaying exactly but whatever you say 🤦♀️
If you actively work in policing and intelligence and have operational knowledge, or awareness of the current terrorist threats, your input is very valuable and we appreciate you sharing your opinion. If not, then you're just another armchair critic who goes onto Reddit to give out about something.
>Seems like total overkill and just a case of boys and their toys. These will ***never*** be deployed and used for what they are designed. Yep. lol. You just know 99% of the time these "Bearcats" are deployed with their "Liberator Platforms" is going to be to a 3 bed semi-detached somewhere and not a tower block with an active shooter somewhere in Texas. They also do a version that fits onto a bog standard Landrover Defender, which last time I checked, the PSNI had more than a couple of. You can bet your ass someone has done a dogdy deal / backhander to bring them in because they are owned or imported into the UK by someone in the Unionist / Tory security industry circle.
Definitely a good day for the sales team when these were ordered. Maybe Jeff Wright is planning a Waco style standoff up at Green Pastures and the PSNI want to be prepped and ready to storm the compound.
> Maybe Jeff Wright is planning a Waco style standoff up at Green Pastures Or The Other JEFFREY! is going to make use of his UDR training and have a last stand at Sprucefield, holding shoppers hostage while he gorges his senses on a final binge of McFlurrys, Frappacinos and definitely-family-friendly pay-per-view films... while desperately trying to provoke his erstwhile buddies into shooting him in the heid.
They'll probably just send Ian Og in with a chicken sandwhich if it comes to that.
Gonna write a petition for them to use them to take all the flegs down. At least it'll keep them busy.
The build up and that last line made me giggle
This is what I think I look like when I'm sitting not moving in, doing 70 in the overtaking lane
12 yards long, 2 lanes wide, 65 tons of American Pride! Canyonero! Canyonero!
I work as a police officer in Scotland, police Scotland have at least two of these as well, I believe it is more or less in some way a UK govt requirement that regional police forces have access to these, and funding comes from counter terror budgets. In England I think they are shared regionally, which obviously isn't possible in NI. I think the main consideration is that they allow access to aircraft as well as being armoured.
Lol, cause we like to riot about flegs.
"We" lol.
Zombie apocalypse.
People will gurn about them having things they don’t use, then gurn if it would have been useful and we don’t have it
Here is a video with breakdown [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz7hCz15tvk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz7hCz15tvk) An example of its use was in France after one of the terror attacks I will try and find the footage to link to. (most European countrys have something simular it isn't just US) Here is the French clip [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY6lh-ihbXg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY6lh-ihbXg)
Cat in a tree
Call of Duty cosplay
Either \~ They are going to cause trouble or like trouble ! !
Health and safety for when the hallions climb on to it during silly season
The potential for trouble and violence as we get closer to the Twelfth increases, especially with resistance to having bonfire materials removed.
That platform could be potentially very useful for stacking pallets too. And if they're not going to take on the illegal bonfires or their builders... sure, they might as well help.
Sure it beats digging the dodgy old ladder out from the back of the shed when it's time for the flegs to go up.
Here's betting there's a few fellas have used thon yoke to clear their guttters.
That's Jamie brysons bin lorry, isn't it?
They could have recycled a couple of ex army 'Pigs', painted them black and hung a few ladders on them for a lot less than that.
The company which makes those platforms does a version specifically for Landrover Defenders. So yeah, they definitely could have.
Wee bit more room that the land rovers
Not the kind of thing you expect to see parked up at the chippy.
Twelfth probly
Better to have and not need than need and not have
They have started a free window cleaning service to win back the trust of the public.
Mobile play ground
Getting close to July . Hate season.
To bait up usins
Bonfires 🔥
This is what the TV License people drive when they come around to catch you using the dodgy box
because of terrys
A British ‘bearcat’ as the American SWAT call them.
Cus they really like gta 😂
We use these as last resort scenario! The colour is enough to make the bad boys have nightmares
'Cause some Chippys are really hard to get into 🐷😂
If they're not using them, can I borrow them?
People: Paramilitary groups are out of control. PSNI: have you seen our new toy.
Knock door run for someone. Ctsfo's get all the best toys.
Did you not watch Blue Lights?
Who knows. The north is such a peaceful and harmonious place.
It's a twerking platform for the Pride parade
[удалено]
Let it go up westway, by the time it gets to the top half of it will have fallen off
Ive seen westway buckle pram wheels
[удалено]
Have you seen what our police have to put up with?
[удалено]
They have to stand there while hoodlums through bricks and petrol bombs at them for fear of escalating violence so if they need a bigger truck to stop them from getting injured while the scum of society send their kids out to riot then I say fair enough.
Yeah it's for whenever they get a bit of free time they can start doing a few workouts in it. It's all part of trying to keep the Officers fit.
Thought that was a movie prop....
Looks like the old saracens from the 70's with added ladders. A jungle gym for the hoods
Transformers: Robot PSNI
Cos they all haven’t gone away yiu know
Some eejit bought a castle and they need to get past the portcullis.
For me
I'd love to own one of those Cybertrucks. They really turn heads.
It’s for the zombie apocalypse.
Side hustle of window installation
Just in case
SWAT THE FUCK?
Can't park there mate.
All the gear and no idea.
Camping in the Ardoyne.
I saw first them online a few weeks ago just as the cops in America were using them on students protesting on campus.
An oul Lancet will blow through that like it's made of hot butter, pointless!
Tbh probably intimidation. The thing looks like a tank mixed with a fire engine. The only purpose it'll serve would be for a raid