US President Joe Biden will be among the 19 heads of state who are heading to New Delhi for the G20 Summit under India’s presidency this weekend.
Biden will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday (September 7) to participate in the summit on September 9 and 10. He will also have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the historic meeting.
The US President will be having its own security mechanism in place which includes world’s most expensive cars, advanced weapons, bomb detectors, a control room and a parallel communication system. Apart from the Air Force One and helicopters for air travel, Biden will have a long-range of vehicles including The Beast for the ground movement during the summit.
‘Safest Car’
The armoured limousine includes military-grade armour, bullet-proof windows (obviously), and a tear gas dispenser.
The vehicle’s armour is composed of aluminium, ceramic and steel and capable of protecting the passengers even in case of chemical warfare. 8. It also carries its own supply of oxygen in case of chemical or biological attack.
It has 5-inch-thick doors at the front and 8-inch-thick doors in the rear. It has five layers of glass and polycarbonate so that it can withstand a bomb blast. Some of the enhanced features include tear gas dispenser, shotgun, smoke screen, two bags of blood matching the president, a communication device, GPS and night vision.
Cost and Seating Capacity
Despite being a limousine, The Beast can seat seven people as and is packed with several features that are not available in other cars. It weighs around 2,000 pounds.
The latest model, debuted in 2018, was made by General Motors (GM) in the US and cost over $1.5 million.
Why it is Named The Beast?
‘The Beast’ first appeared in 2001 with the arrival of President George W Bush. Bush’s car was an entirely ground-up built model, incorporating many of the functions that are fitted to the modern version, according to The Independent.
The name stayed even as several US President changed after Bush. The car stays with the US President during their foreign trips. Joe Biden even used the car during the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last year.
Security Arrangements for Joe Biden
For the upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi, the most trained and fittest officers from 21 to 28 years of age have been deputed to protect the US President in a proximity team. These officers will carry pistols, long-range and short-range weapons including M4, Glock along with bullet resistant sheets to protect the US President from any attack.
US has proposed to bring 75-80 vehicles of its own during the G20 summit. However, the government held multiple discussions and the US settled on 60 vehicles, a report in The Indian Express said.
The security preparation for the US President started weeks ago as a set of security officers arrived in India and coordinated with the US Embassy in the national capital for Biden’s security.
Where Will Joe Biden Stay?
The US President will stay at the ITC Maurya Sheraton in New Delhi. There have been several security measures undertaken for the president. Secret service commandos will be deployed on every floor of the hotel and there will be a special lift installed to take Biden to his room on the 14th floor.
