Hostile Vehicle Mitigation: Everything you need to know!

Hostile Vehicle Mitigation or also known as HVM is actually a security discipline defined by the CPNI. The main aim of the HVM is to stop or minimize the risks associated with threats arising from vehicles. If you look at the term hostile vehicle mitigation, it is pretty self-explanatory and refers to the mitigation of threats arising from hostile vehicles!

When compared to a stationary target, vehicles represent a whole new class of threats. And when we consider the fact that vehicles are mobile and can attain high speeds, the associated risks become more sophisticated and thus cannot be left aside.

Types of Vehicle Borne Attacks

Before we can discuss the force protection solutions or blast mitigation solutions, let’s look at the different types of threats arising from vehicle-borne attacks:

Parked

Parked vehicles that are in close proximity to important buildings, residential areas, or even commercial areas can pose a serious threat to human life and buildings.

The vehicles which are used by the criminals are usually acquired illegally, and before the explosion, they are usually parked near the target. In an unfortunate event like this, it becomes more important to equip the building with reinforced materials such as blast-proof windows, doors, and even walls.

Penetrative

In this type of attack, the criminals use the vehicle as a tool to penetrate or breach the perimeter of a building. Such attacks are usually used by criminals who are involved in ram-raiding, but they can also be used by others!

Once again, a moving vehicle that can penetrate the perimeter to get close to a crowded place, building, or a physical target can pose a serious threat!

Encroachment

In this type of attack, a moving vehicle is used to exploit potential gaps in the perimeter of a building. The most usual method used by the criminals in this type of attack is by tailgating a real/legitimate vehicle – Once the legitimate vehicle passes through the access control point, the vehicle controlled by the criminals also passes through the access control point quickly.

Sometimes, the vehicle is driven through a specific part of the perimeter, which is unprotected. Once again, criminals can exploit different situations to their advantage and thus can break into the perimeter!

Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM)

Through “Hostline Vehicle Mitigation” measures, both the buildings and the people can be protected from vehicle-born threats. Due to the effectiveness of HVM measures, they are often employed near national infrastructure, crowded public areas, or any other important building.

When we talk about different HVM measures, there are different products in the market that can be used as force protection solutions and even for blast mitigation. Let’s take a look at some of them:

HVM Bollards

The HVM bollards are often used in busy sites such as transportation hubs, squares, and so on. When it comes to adding security measures to a crowded place while also not disturbing the flow of traffic, the best choice is the bollards.

Furthermore, the appearance of HVM bollards is also less prominent than a road blocker. If you think about it, it also avoids the fortress mentality and keeps the public at ease while providing full security against vehicle-borne threats!

HVM Barriers

The first type of HVM barrier is a permanent barrier and is normally used for the protection of national infrastructure or other important buildings. The second type is known as a portable barrier and can be used for the protection of different events, crowded spaces, and so on.

The benefit of using a portable barrier is that it can be placed at any building or event on a temporary basis. On the other hand, the permanent barriers are often used in situations where it is important to provide protection against vehicle-borne threats all the time!