Donald Trump will arrive in the UK this week for his second state visit as US president, bringing with him dozens of staff and some serious hardware as part of a huge security operation.
The measures needed to keep the president safe during his stay cost millions of pounds and involve his own Secret Service detail as well as thousands of local police officers. His first state visit in June 2019 saw more than 6,000 Metropolitan Police officers deployed at an estimated cost of £3.4m.
The president’s security has been tightened in recent days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university in Utah.
Ronald Kessler, an author with expertise on the Secret Service, said that preparations for a state visit begin “many weeks” before the president actually arrives and include discussions with local police as well as surveillance of any potential threats.
Approximately 60 Secret Service agents are usually tasked with directly protecting the president, alongside local police who are used to establish cordons, block traffic and secure airspace.
The president’s entourage is expected to include hundreds of staff and support personnel.
The White House in the air
Trump, who will be accompanied by his wife Melania, will arrive in the UK on his customised, high-spec Boeing 747-200B aeroplane known as Air Force One.
Air Force One isn't actually a specific plane but instead refers to one of two specially adapted Boeing 747-200B series aircraft, which carry the tail codes 28000 and 29000.
Despite looking similar to a commercial airliner on the outside, Air Force One is classed as a military aircraft due to its advanced electronic equipment and defence systems.
It is designed to withstand an air attack by jamming enemy radar and being able to eject flares to throw heat-seeking missiles off course. It is also capable of refuelling midair, allowing it to fly for an unlimited time - crucial in an emergency.
Inside, the president and his travel companions enjoy 4,000 sq ft of floor space on three levels, including an extensive suite for the president, a medical facility with an operating table, and designated areas for the press, VIPs, security and secretarial staff.
Riding in ‘The Beast’
Once on the ground, the president travels in Cadillac One - an enhanced limousine dubbed the "The Beast" for obvious reasons.
Two identical versions of the presidential limousine, as well as several other Secret Service vehicles, are flown over to the UK in military cargo planes in advance of Trump’s arrival.
While the president travels in one version of The Beast, the other accompanies it as a decoy and uses the same Washington DC licence plates - 800-002.
Both the Secret Service and the vehicle's designers at General Motors have remained tight-lipped about the limousine’s exact specifications but we do know about some of its security features.
It has an armour-plated body and bulletproof windows, which contribute to its whopping weight of about nine tonnes (20,000lb). It is reported to have tear gas grenade launchers, night vision cameras and a built-in satellite phone.
Recent versions of the vehicle also reportedly include an oxygen supply and a refrigeration unit that contains blood matching the president's blood type to be used in an emergency.
The Beast travels as part of the presidential motorcade, which can consist of more than a dozen vehicles including police outriders, counter-assault and hazardous attack teams, an armoured SUV communications vehicle, known as Roadrunner, medics and the accompanying press pack.
Once in a motorcade, it may be unclear to casual observers or potential attackers which vehicle is actually transporting the president.
Secret Service agents could even "go under an underpass and switch Trump from one car to another car," according to Mr Kessler.
Cavalcade in the sky
While Trump will make some short journeys by limousine, he is expected to do most of his travelling by air - as was the case during his trip to Scotland in July this year.
The president is likely to bring a fleet of helicopters with him to the UK and among them will be Marine One which, like Air Force One, isn't a specific aircraft but instead refers to any US Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president.
The model likely to be used for this trip is the Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King, which was seen flying over Windsor last week.
The specially adapted helicopters are known as "white tops" because of their livery and are fitted with missile defence and radar jamming systems as well as electronics designed to withstand the electromagnetic pulse of nuclear blast.
As a security measure, Marine One often flies in a group of identical helicopters acting as decoys.
It is also usually accompanied by two or three Osprey MV-22s, tilt-rotor aircraft that are referred to as "green tops" and combine the vertical landing ability of a helicopter with the flying speed and efficiency of an aeroplane.
The Ospreys carry support staff, special forces and secret service agents, who are tasked with dealing with any mid-flight emergency.
The Ospreys are particularly loud when their rotors are titled up for hovering and landing. They were heard circling around London during the president's previous state visit to the UK in 2019.
Other members of the president’s staff are also transported around by air, meaning the aerial convoy often consists of several helicopters.
Threat from drones
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be hosting Trump and his wife at Windsor Castle during the president’s visit rather than Buckingham Palace, which is undergoing renovations.
Thames Valley Police have said aircraft - including drones - will be under "significant airspace restrictions" around Windsor Castle during the state visit, which will be enforced with the help of the National Police Air Service.
The threat from drones is an area of particular and renewed focus for the Secret Service, according to Mr Kessler, who said that vulnerabilities in the service’s anti-drone capabilities were highlighted during the attempted assassination of the president in July 2024.
The American leader will be in the UK for two days but he is not scheduled to take part in any public-facing engagements during his stay.
The Royal Family are rolling out the red carpet for Trump and his wife in Windsor on Wednesday, with a flypast by UK and US military jets and the Red Arrows as well as a state banquet.
Thousands of people are expected to take part in anti-Trump protests, including marches in Windsor and through central London.
