New, heftier barrier floats shield carriers at North Island
By James W. Crawley
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 10, 2003
Terrorists and wayward boaters will have a tougher time getting close to the Navy's aircraft carriers berthed at North Island Naval Air Station.
Over the weekend, the Navy installed a heftier set of barrier floats around the three carrier piers at the base.
A chain of 82-foot-long inflatable floats, each eight feet in diameter, now form a protective line in the restricted waters around North Island, base commanding officer Capt. David Landon said yesterday.
The new barrier, which replaces a string of floats that were two feet in diameter, is meant to stop any terrorist attempt to ram a ship with an explosives-laden boat. Such an attack in October 2000 killed 17 sailors aboard the destroyer Cole in Yemen.
"If someone crosses (the barrier), it won't be a casual crossing," Landon said.
The barrier, tested in the bay in May 2001, will stop any small boat, including speedboats and large pleasure boats, Navy officials said.
During the test, a remotely controlled speedboat slammed into a test float, breaking the boat's keel. Navy officials could not provide a price tag yesterday for the new boat guards.
"It's like inflating a Greyhound bus," Landon said. The inflatable bladders form a floating wall in the bay. Similar large float barriers will be installed at the Point Loma Submarine Base in coming months. North Island's older floats will be moved to waters near the San Diego Naval Station at 32nd Street.
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James W. Crawley:
(619) 542-4559;
jim.crawley@uniontrib.com
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...10barrier.html
Sempers,
Roger