Protecting the President of the United States is a challenging task that requires several
hours of drills and involves the very best Secret Service Agents the country has to offer.
When the President’s endless assignment involves flying across states, countries,
or continents the air force one and a couple of fighter jets take care of the job.
However, when there's need to move the President around on the ground, a fleet of 50 vehicles
is called upon, forming the world’s most expensive and secure Presidential motorcade.
Join us as we take a ride beside the impenetrable Presidential motorcade to see how things work
in there.
Not so close though!
Trust me, nobody wants the Secret Service Agents hunting them down.
But we’ll go close enough to unravel the secrets behind this secured hub that's always
on the move.
How Many People Operate This Motorcade?
How Much Does An Average Trip Cost?
Does The Motorcade Follow The President Outside The United States?
Let's find out.
If you ever find yourself plying the same route as the Commander-in-chief of the United
States.
You might be wondering how one person is able to bring an entire neighborhood to a halt.
Well, that's only a fraction of the luxury, might, and discomfort that comes with the
Presidential seat.
The President of the United States is one of the most respected political figures in
the world.
With this high regard comes even more hate from the bad guys - ultimately endangering
the President and the life of those around him.
Over the years, Presidents have been attacked, ambushed, and in some very rare cases, murdered.
This is why the Secret Service has taken it upon itself to guard the President and other
high-ranking leaders in the United States.
It comes at a cost though, many costs actually because top-notch security requires perfect
planning and it's quite expensive.
Back in the days, Presidential motorcades were basic and inexpensive to run.
The truth is they barely even existed.
The 25th President of the United States William McKinley was the first Commander-in-Chief
to attempt to assemble a Presidential motorcade.
His efforts were unsuccessful, though, majorly because he never appeared publicly in the
car and back then, the President himself didn't have any significant security detail.
Which is probably why he was assassinated in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz.
In 1902, President Teddy Roosevelt's endeavors in this regard were far more successful, as
he glided through the streets of Hartford, Connecticut, in his Columbia Victoria Electric
Phaeton nicknamed the Mayflower.
The Mayflower had a top speed of 12 miles per hour and was powered by two 400-volt batteries.
That speed range doesn’t come close to our definition of fast nowadays, but it was far
too quick for Secret Service Agents who had to escort the Mayflower on bicycles, resulting
in the first ever motorcade or “cyclecade” if you like.
Teddy preferred horses anyway, so both the motorcade and the “cyclecade” went into
extinction till the 1930s.
They, however, made a return with more armored vehicles and security features after World
War II during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency.
According to the Secret Service website, FDR was the first US President to use an armored
vehicle.
A lot more comfort was added to the interior of FDR’s vehicles to cater to the President's
special needs caused by polio and his favorite pet - a black Scottish terrier named Fala.
More changes were introduced occasionally until President John F. Kennedy was murdered
on November 22, 1963, while cruising in his motorcade through San Diego, California.
It suddenly dawned on the Secret Service that they needed to strengthen the Presidential
motorcade even more.
So they rang in more upgrades and changed cars until they found a perfect vehicle called
the Beast.
Not the Shrek kind of beast, though.
The Beast, in this case, is a Cadillac Limousine with impeccable features that you wouldn't
find in any other vehicle in the world.
It makes up the core of a highly sophisticated ground conveyance system that transports the
President of the United States.
To start with, the Beast weighs 20,000 pounds, so you wouldn't be entirely wrong if you called
this impressive machine a semi-truck.
Regardless of what you call it, though, the Secret Service Officer that drives the Beast
must undergo intensive training drills to be able to do several evasive and defensive
maneuvers like the J-turn James Bond did in the action/thriller movie “No Time to Die.”
The J-turn basically means turning a vehicle 180 degrees in the opposite direction within
seconds.
This Limo is immune to bombs and grenades because its platform is molded with reinforced
armor steel plate.
Furthermore, the Beast, also known as Cadillac One, can withstand the impact of a direct
rocket missile or a chemical warfare attack.
It could jolly well pass as a military tank.
Unlike conventional cars, this vehicle runs on diesel, and the tanks are covered in armored
plates and explosion prevention foam.
The tires have steel rims and are reinforced with Kevlar, meaning the Beast can keep going
even if one or all of its tires are punctured.
It has military armored 8-inch-thick doors made from mashed-up steel, titanium, aluminum,
and ceramics.
For context, the doors installed in the Cadillac One Limousine weigh the same as those on a
Boeing 757 airplane.
The windows are 5-inch thick, strong enough to withstand heavy bullets even from close
range.
Only the driver’s window can be lowered, and even that cannot go below three inches.
The Limo can spill oil from its rear to derail chasing cars and if the enemies get too close,
the door handle can emit electric charge as well.
Once the door is shut though, the Beast becomes a safe haven designed to keep the President
safe from every possible attack.
Inside the Cadillac One, you’ve got several military equipment such as canisters, shot
guns, gas cannons, grenade launchers, oxygen, and a cache of the President’s blood type.
Still inside the Beast, there’s a satellite phone directly connected to the Pentagon and
the vice-president.
Also, there's enough space to accommodate a pack that contains nuclear codes.
You don't want to annoy the President when he's on the move.
Right before we talk about the other vehicles that make up the Presidential motorcade, if
you've made it this far, make sure to like and subscribe for more content like this.
While the Beast is an incredibly safe car to drive in, it depends on many other vehicles
and human input for its security.
In Fact, there are always two identical Cadillac One vehicles in every Presidential motorcade.
One carries the real deal, while the other acts as a decoy.
So the bad guys wouldn’t know which one is carrying the President.
These two are encircled by other Secret Service vehicles.
Amongst them, you have the Roadrunner, Route Car, Pilot Car, Control Car, Cat Car, and
the Halfback, each with its own specific assignment.
There's also a fleet of Motorcycles called sweepers.
For instance; if there’s ever a threat to the President while he’s on the move, the
Halfback defends the Beast while the Cat Car goes on the offensive against the enemy.
The White House owns a fleet of 12 Cadillac One vehicles, each worth around $1.5 million.
How Many People Operate This Motorcade?
There are nonofficial records, however, we believe that around one hundred highly skilled
Secret Service officers are attached to the President’s motorcade.
How Much Does An Average Trip Cost?
The Presidential motorcade is only called to action when the President needs to travel
a distance that requires no more than 30 minutes to complete.
A single trip costs around $150,000.
Does The Motorcade Follow The President Outside The United States?
Yes, the Presidential motorcade follows the President even when he travels outside the
shores of America.
Thanks to the C-17 Globemaster, a military transport plane that hauls the entire President
motorcade across the world.
Operating a Presidential motorcade doesn’t come cheap.
You might be wondering why it is so expensive or why the President is given this much protection.
But in the end, if you look at all the insecurity and uncertainties we’re witnessing in the
world today, you’ll agree that keeping the leader of the free world alive is cheaper
than the potential costs of worldwide chaos.
What are your thoughts about the Presidential motorcade?
Let us know in the comment section.
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