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Special ops rescue Tampa mayor from terrorists (as part of a demo at SOFIC)

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  • At the start of the demonstration, a hostage – Tampa Bay Mayor Bob Buckhorn – is taken from the Yacht StarShip and moved ashore to a small mock village overrun by the enemy. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • A combat rubber raiding craft carrying special operators from Poland, Singapore and the U.S., inserts sub-surface swimmers near the yacht. The operators separated into two teams and moved underwater to positions on the bottom of the channel waiting to move in on the yacht and to eliminate an enemy sentry on the dock in front of the Tampa convention center. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • An MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with special operators from Colombia and the U.S. conduct a helocast insertion into the channel using a combat rubber raiding craft. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • The MH-60 Black Hawk inserts a combat rubber raiding craft with a motor strapped to the bottom of the helicopter using a series of complex tie-downs. An operator jumps in the water, swims to the boat, and then mounts the engine, a very difficult task considering operators have to lift the engine into place while wearing all their gear. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • Two MH-6 Little Bird helicopters carrying special operators establish a support-by-fire position as well as a sniper position overlooking the enemy camp in the village. Operators sit on external seats as the aircraft approaches the drop-off points. This allows the operators to quickly dismount and mount the helicopters as well as give them an unobstructed view of the battlefield. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • Using intel that the hostage is still on the yacht, one of the dive teams emerge at the back of the vessel and begin a climb quietly up the side of the ship after a diversion is set off — an explosion detonated on a small pontoon next to the yacht toward the front of the ship. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • An MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter approaches the yacht with special operators from Colombia, Finland, Poland, Singapore, and the U.S. The helicopter assault force execute a fast-rope infiltration onto the yacht. Once on board, the assault force quickly secures the ship and begins searching for the hostage. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • Discovering the hostage is not on the yacht, but ashore in the village, a boat assault force enters the scene aboard two Special Operations Craft – Riverine or SOC-R. This force consists of personnel from Colombia, Finland, Poland, and the U.S. and a member from the FBI. Their mission is to eliminate enemy resistance in the vicinity of the village, rescue the hostage, and gather valuable intelligence before departing the area. MH-6 Little Birds provide armed escort throughout the assault. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • Special forces approach the shore where the hostage appears to be held, opening fire on the enemy as they approach. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • Operators prepare to take the hostage aboard once rescued from the village. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • A special operator prepares to kick down the door where he anticipates the hostage is being held following an explosion at the entrance. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • Operators, including one from Finland, rescue the hostage – Mayor Buckhorn in a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey – and prepare to move him onto a watercraft to extract him from the village. The Tampa Bay Lightning went on to lose against the Washington Capitals in a home game during the Stanley Cup semi-finals later that night. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • Once Buckhorn is brought aboard the vessel, a special operator continues to suppress enemy fire as the watercraft pulls away from the shore. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • With the hostage secure, the commander orders all operators extracted from the area. Black Hawk helicopters return to exfiltrate the crew from the yacht using the Fast Rope Insertion and Extraction System or FRIES. This system is used for extracting personnel from areas where helicopters cannot land. Ropes are attached to the helicopter and dropped down to the personnel. A series of rings on the rope allow operators on the ground, wearing special harnesses, to clip onto the rope. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • The Combat Rubber Raiding Craft returns to the channel where the swimmers are extracted by a Black Hawk helicopter using a caving ladder. The helicopter will typically hover about 10 feet above the water while the personnel climb the ladder. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • To cap off the demonstration, a C-130 flies overheard with a military free-fall parachute jump team. This 7-man team, with jumpers from Colombia, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Singapore, and the United States, will jump from the aircraft at 8,000 feet and deploy their parachutes at 4,000 feet. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • A member of the jump team prepares to land in the water below. While done in the broad daylight during the demonstration, the team normally conducts military free-fall operations in the dead of night, while fully loaded with 70 pounds of combat equipment, and wearing a special helmet and oxygen mask. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)
  • Each team member drops into the water roughly in the same spot, a challenging maneuver when having to wrangle a parachute. (Photo by Jen Judson/Defense News staff)


About 

Jen Judson is an award-winning journalist covering land warfare for Defense News. She has also worked for Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College.