High visibility patrols and sudden vehicle checkpoints form part of a new strategy to combat changing terrorist tactics.
Operation Hercules marks a significant shift in armed police tactics aimed at disrupting potential terrorist attacks.
At its core is a plan to introduce high visibility
armed patrols at key locations and mount sudden vehicle checkpoints on
routes around the capital.
:: Armed Cops On Motorbikes To Tackle Terrorists
The road checks and patrols will spring up without notice, an effort to keep would-be terrorists guessing.
The first of 600 additional firearms officers have completed
their training and have now been deployed to help boost the number of
patrols across London.
A similar step up in armed capability is happening in other population centres across the UK, a nationwide response to changing terrorist tactics which have seen an increase in marauding gun attacks elsewhere in Europe.
I spoke to one Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officer (CTSFO) in the elite unit within Scotland Yard's firearms command.
Most of his face covered by a balaclava, because of the highly sensitive nature of his work, the officer told me he and his colleagues are constantly reviewing and refining their tactics - introducing new ways of trying to ensure the quickest and most effective response to an attack.
One of the more eye-catching additions to the unit is a fleet of high performance, off-road motorbikes.
The bikes are aimed at beating London's notorious traffic jams, enabling two armed officers - one riding pillion - to zip through those jams to reach the scene of an unfolding attack much more quickly.
Sadly, we've seen all too often that the longer it takes for armed police to arrive, the more lives an attacker can take.
Police commanders are aware that not everyone wants to see armed police patrolling their streets, shopping centres and sporting venues.
Indeed, Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe says he
wants the public to actively engage with any armed officers they see.
They should, he believes, be seen as a reassuring addition to policing capabilities rather than something sinister.
Whether welcomed by the public or not, armed police will be much more visible on the streets of Britain's major towns and cities, while the threat of terrorist attack remains severe.
:: Armed Cops On Motorbikes To Tackle Terrorists
The road checks and patrols will spring up without notice, an effort to keep would-be terrorists guessing.
Armed officers patrol the streets of London
A similar step up in armed capability is happening in other population centres across the UK, a nationwide response to changing terrorist tactics which have seen an increase in marauding gun attacks elsewhere in Europe.
I spoke to one Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officer (CTSFO) in the elite unit within Scotland Yard's firearms command.
Most of his face covered by a balaclava, because of the highly sensitive nature of his work, the officer told me he and his colleagues are constantly reviewing and refining their tactics - introducing new ways of trying to ensure the quickest and most effective response to an attack.
Video:
Counter-Terrorism On A Boat
The bikes are aimed at beating London's notorious traffic jams, enabling two armed officers - one riding pillion - to zip through those jams to reach the scene of an unfolding attack much more quickly.
Sadly, we've seen all too often that the longer it takes for armed police to arrive, the more lives an attacker can take.
Police commanders are aware that not everyone wants to see armed police patrolling their streets, shopping centres and sporting venues.
Video:
Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe on boosting police anti-terror tactics
They should, he believes, be seen as a reassuring addition to policing capabilities rather than something sinister.
Whether welcomed by the public or not, armed police will be much more visible on the streets of Britain's major towns and cities, while the threat of terrorist attack remains severe.
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