London 2012 Brings In The Military

Nearly 15,000 military personnel will be used to provide security at London 2012, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Although the security of the Olympic Games will be led by the police, the military will provide significant support, with 5,000 troops supporting the police directly, 7,500 providing venue support and 1,000 providing logistical support. A further 1,000 will make up a contingency force, noted the BBC, ‘ready for deployment in the event of an Olympics-related civil emergency.’

The original estimate for security personnel needed at the Games – 10,000 – has been more than doubled to 23,700. The budget for those staff has risen from £282 million to £553 million.

Meanwhile, HMS Ocean will dock in the Thames near Greenwich, with HMS Bulwark stationed off the coast of Dorset.

‘This defence contribution is on a similar scale to that deployed at other recent Olympic Games and will contribute to ensuring a safe, secure and enjoyable 2012 Olympics,’ said Defence Secretary Philip Hammond to the BBC.

‘Defence will continue to be able to support current and contingent operations during the Games and my priority will remain the troops we have deployed on operations, including in Afghanistan, before, during and after the Olympics.’