SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard demonstrated its ability this week to protect the San Francisco area from terrorists with a training exercise using an armed helicopter.
The exercise was conducted Monday on San Pablo Bay, the northern extension of San Francisco Bay, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Two small boats played the part of the enemy, intercepted by an armored H65-C Dolphin equipped with 7.62 mm machine guns and a "precision firing rifle."
Commander Sam Creech, who is in charge of Air Station San Francisco, said that an amphibious terrorist attack like the one in Mumbai is a real possibility. Terrorists could also use a small boat to sink a large cruise ship or oil tanker or to attack the Golden Gate Bridge or other iconic landmarks.
Good intelligence is the most effective anti-terrorism weapon, Creech said. But he said the Coast Guard also has four Dolphins in the area.
"America expects we should be able to do more than shake our fists at them," Creech said. "If we could prevent an attack, we could save lives."
