Donald Trump will arrive in the United Kingdom this week for his second state visit as US president, accompanied by an extensive entourage and some of the most sophisticated security assets in the world. minotaur fight store | minotaurfightstore

The visit comes amid heightened security concerns, following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah last month. British police and US Secret Service officials have been working for weeks to coordinate security arrangements, with costs expected to run into the millions.

During Trump’s 2019 visit, more than 6,000 Metropolitan Police officers were deployed at an estimated cost of £3.4 million. This time, Thames Valley Police will play a leading role in securing Windsor Castle, where the president and First Lady Melania Trump will be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The Secret Service Operation

Roughly 60 Secret Service agents will be assigned directly to the president’s protection, supported by hundreds of local officers managing road closures, cordons and restricted airspace. In total, Trump is expected to bring hundreds of aides, advisers, medics, and communications staff.

Author Ronald Kessler, who has written extensively about the Secret Service, notes that preparations for such visits begin “many weeks in advance” and include surveillance of potential threats and logistical planning with local law enforcement.

Air Force One

Trump will fly into the UK aboard Air Force One, a specially modified Boeing 747-200B equipped with cutting-edge communications and defence systems. Although it resembles a commercial airliner, the aircraft is classified as a military asset, with features that include radar jamming, missile countermeasures, and in-flight refuelling capability.

Inside, its 4,000 square feet of floor space spans three levels and includes a presidential suite, a medical facility, a conference room, and press areas.

On the Ground: “The Beast”

Once in Britain, Trump will travel by Cadillac One, the presidential limousine nicknamed The Beast. Two identical limousines—each weighing about nine tonnes—are flown in on US military cargo planes in advance of the president’s arrival.

The vehicle’s precise specifications remain secret, but it is known to feature armour plating, bulletproof glass, reinforced tyres, night vision systems, and an independent oxygen supply. A refrigerated unit stocked with blood matching the president’s type also travels on board for emergencies.

The limousine moves as part of a heavily armed motorcade of more than a dozen vehicles, including decoys, counter-assault teams, medics, and a communications SUV known as “Roadrunner.”

Marine One and the Aerial Convoy

Trump is also expected to travel around the UK by helicopter. Marine One, the call sign for any US Marine Corps aircraft carrying the president, will likely be a Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King fitted with missile defences and radar-jamming systems.

As a precaution, Marine One usually flies alongside identical decoy helicopters and a number of MV-22 Osprey aircraft, which carry support staff and security personnel. The Ospreys—known as “green tops”—combine the vertical lift of helicopters with the speed of fixed-wing planes and were a familiar sight over London during Trump’s 2019 visit.

Tight Security at Windsor

Windsor Castle will serve as the base of the state visit, with extensive security in place. A “ring of steel” fence has been erected around the estate, and significant restrictions on aircraft—including drones—have been imposed in the surrounding airspace.

The Secret Service has been especially focused on drone threats, an area exposed as a vulnerability during an attempted assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024.

State Banquet and Protests

While Trump will not take part in public events during his two-day visit, the Royal Family has planned a state banquet at Windsor on Wednesday, alongside a military flypast featuring UK and US jets and the Red Arrows.

Anti-Trump demonstrations are expected in Windsor and across central London, continuing a pattern of protest seen during his earlier trips to the UK.