Military Muscle Will Show in G-20 City

Traffic in Pittsburgh's skies, streets and rivers will have a different look today and Friday as military helicopters, gunboats and armored vehicles stand ready for emergencies related to the Group of 20 economic summit.

It's nothing to panic over, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said.

"We don't want people to overreact. Don't be alarmed, because it's just part of the overall public safety effort," he said.

The use of Chinook transport helicopters and armored Humvees is routine for an event of this stature, according to retired Army Gen. William "Gus" Pagonis of Evans City, who handled the logistical supply chain for a coalition of 670,000 troops from 28 countries during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. The equipment would be critical assets if violent protests involving large groups of people or a terrorist attack occurred, he said.

"It's pretty smart to have that type of equipment ready in case something happens," Pagonis said.

The Chinook helicopter is a "versatile piece of equipment" that could be used for security, evacuation or medical transport purposes, Pagonis said. The helicopter can carry a crew of three and up to 33 passengers and lift a small vehicle or cargo container weighing about 19,000 pounds, according to the Army Web site.

"If there's a place for them to land, they can pick up people pretty fast," Pagonis said. "If there's a demonstration and the National Guard needs to capture and segregate the leaders from the rest of the group, they could remove them from the area quickly."

Smaller than the Chinook, Black Hawk utility helicopters can transport about a dozen troops and carry smaller cargo loads. Black Hawks, seen in the skies above Pittsburgh this week, are used for electronic warfare and aeromedical evacuations, according to the Army.

In an emergency that would require helicopter evacuations of the world leaders attending the summit, the armored Apache attack helicopters could escort the Chinook, Pagonis said.

The heavily armored Humvees, he said, are formidable pieces of equipment with "great deterrence capabilities." Just the sight of a Humvee with a crew of Soldiers in battle dress uniforms and helmets is intimidating, he said. The vehicles are 15 feet long, more than 7 feet wide and weigh 5,900 pounds.

"They can block a street. If someone hits a Humvee, they're not going to go very far," Pagonis said.

Maj. Jimmie Cummings, the Army's public affairs spokesman for equipment and technology, said he could not confirm numbers or types of aircraft or vehicles that will be used during the summit.

On the waterways, the Coast Guard will use 10 25-foot boats that can reach speeds of up to 46 knots, or 53 mph, to patrol a security zone encompassing about four miles of the city's three rivers. M240 machine guns will be mounted to the stern and bow of the patrol boats, which cost nearly $200,000 apiece.

The Response Boat-Small being used is "slowly becoming one of our workhorses in the Coast Guard," Petty Officer Stephen Lehman said. "It's very versatile, a utility vessel that's used at both our river and coastal stations."

Overall, Ravenstahl said he's confident the city is prepared and protected.

"We're ready to have a safe event," he said.