Security Driving is a balance, and that balance is called the “driving system.” The driving system is made up of three components: THE DRIVER, THE MACHINE, and THE ENVIRONMENT. In the Secure Transportation profession, it is called the Security Drivers Triangle. If there is an accident or a successful ambush it is caused by a failure of the triangle, the driver, the vehicle, or the environment failed.
When vehicle violence occurs, the Security Driver needs to have all three side of the ”Security Driver Triangle” working for them. However, there have been scenarios where two sides of the triangle (The Driver and the Vehicle) overcame weakness in the third side (The Environment), none better than the 1995 motorcade attack on Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.
This is an account of the Shevardnadze ambush
RPG’s and massive amounts of arms and munitions were fired at the President’s motorcade. Some security officers and attackers were killed, but President Shevardnadze survived uninjured.
The President’s armored Mercedes was hit with an RPG during the ambush. The vehicle was able to sustain the hit and move out of the kill zone. Also, the driver had the sense to keep the vehicle moving. Shevardnadze transitioned to another vehicle after the motorcade was attacked. This was the second assassination attempt on Shevardnadze.
After the hit, the driver had the presence of mind to allow the vehicle to continue rolling forward for an estimated 100 foot clearing the X. That action was credited with saving Shevardnadze’s life. The attack was initiated from the buildings in the back; the rocket came from the woodline. It was a textbook case of a fatal funnel.
After The Attack
A while after the attack, I had the opportunity to examine the vehicle. What struck me was although Shevardnadze’s Mercedes took a direct hit from an RPG the doors were still working. When appropriate Joe and the VDI team use the attack as a lesson learned.” These are some additional photos
Lessons Learned
You need the right vehicle for the risk. Simply put – the armored Mercedes did its job.
Keep the vehicle moving – if the vehicle can move – move it.
This area of the President’s trip was designated as Danger Zone. His team responded quickly preventing what would have been a second attack on the vehicle.
The attack was well planned military attack, which indicates there was surveillance on the target.
The attack, like many others, occurred a mile from Shevardnadze’s home. Surveillance Detection is critical – in many high-risk scenarios Surveillance detection is not only the best protection it may be the only protection.
These are videos of the Shevardnadze attack taken from the ISDA Ambush YouTube Channel.
A video of the attack as it took place