VICKSBURG, Miss. - The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had the opportunity to test and demonstrate the Deployable Expedient Traffic Entry Regulator, or DETER, vehicle barrier technology at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) for the 108th running of the INDY 500, May 27, 2024.
The team used DETER in support of the overall IMS security strategy to create a temporary road closure during both the INDY 500 Carb Day and the INDY 500 to help keep more than 300,000 fans in attendance safe as they enjoyed the race weekend.
DETER is an active vehicle barrier developed by ERDC’s Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) that serves as an expedient access control solution to protect critical assets and soft targets from vehicular attack. The friction-based barrier is integrated into a standard ISO quadruple container for easy storage, transport and deployment.
“We deployed the barrier multiple times and were able to evaluate the system’s ease of deployment and operation,” said Matt Hossley, a researcher with the ERDC-GSL. “This event provided valuable data to improve user guidance and illustrated additional use cases.”
The sporting event afforded the team a unique opportunity to gather valuable operational information for deployment, trafficability over the system and environmental interaction, as well as usability feedback from local, state and federal law enforcement agents. The event also served to highlight the strong partnership between ERDC and DHS as DETER’s deployment and demonstration proved a success.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the successful deployment of the DETER barrier at the Indy 500, a testament to the collaborative efforts of our partners,” said S&T Physical Security Program Manager Ali Fadel. “This innovative technology exemplifies our commitment to enhancing security measures, ensuring the safety of both participants and spectators. Together, we continue to push the boundaries of technological advancement, safeguarding iconic events like the Indy 500 and upholding our nation’s security standards.”
Other partners involved agreed with the success and were excited about the collaboration.
“CISA is excited we were able to help deploy the DETER barrier at the Indy 500. Our partnership with ERDC, DHS S&T and our colleagues in CISA Region 5 continues to set the standard for collaboration, innovation and collective security,” said Darrin Flick, technical assistance branch chief for CISA’s Office for Bombing Prevention.
The high-profile event with its large attendance and traffic, including cars, trailers, motor homes and official vehicles, greatly benefited from the amount of protection DETER provided. This event was a great way to showcase DETER’s capability, to both permit traffic during pre-event operations and to close a roadway during the event, making this collaboration beneficial for all partners involved.
“It has been rewarding to work with DHS to identify the technologies that can provide additional security and protection for mass gathering events,” said Hossley. “So far, we have pinpointed the DETER and Ready Armor Protection Instant Deployment, or RAPID, protection systems which were originally developed for military missions. The benefits of working together include making further refinements to expand use cases and lower manufacturing costs, and evaluation in real world scenarios leading to improved guidance for deploying in urban environments. Data from deployments at mass gathering events also helps identify challenges of providing protection while allowing movement of large groups of people and cleared vehicles.”