Dept. of Homeland Security personnel, trucking executives and transportation experts today completed the second round of Highway Watch-developed mock terrorist attacks related to trucks.
In four simulated attacks, terrorists detonated a water truck converted into a bomb, simultaneously attacked three tanker trucks at strategic locations, detonated a car bomb aboard an automobile transporter at the U.S./Canadian border, and detonated another bomb in an intermodal container onboard a train.
This exercise was conducted in cooperation with Mississippi State University on Dec. 13 - 15 in Alexandria, VA and Canton, MS. It is one of three exercises in the current program year designed to assess the highway sector’s ability to respond to terrorist attacks or natural disasters.
“For decades, terrorists have targeted the transportation industry in countries around the world and it’s not unrealistic to assume that similar attacks can take place here on U.S. soil,” said Bill Jacobs, vp- Highway Watch.
Highway Watch is a national program that trains highway sector professionals to recognize and report suspicious activity and safety hazards. Its Highway Information Sharing and Analysis Center works with the Dept. of Homeland Security to review potential terrorism-related reports.
