Secret Service cites ‘heightened threat environment’ as air defense systems deployed at Mar-a-Lago and airport
By Rachael Perry
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PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — Surface-to-air missile systems have been deployed at Mar-a-Lago and Donald J. Trump International Airport at the request of the U.S. Secret Service, according to federal officials.
The systems are designed to defend against aerial threats, including aircraft and drones.
Officials have not disclosed a specific reason for the deployment.
In a statement, a U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said the agency is operating in a heightened threat environment.
“The U.S. Secret Service is operating in a heightened threat environment, and we continuously adapt our protective operations to incorporate cutting-edge tools, technology, and methods to safeguard our protectees. At the request of the U.S. Secret Service, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command are providing Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities in support of our protective operations,” the statement said.
NORAD and U.S. Northern Command also confirmed the deployment in a statement, saying the systems were placed in and around Mar-a-Lago at the Secret Service’s request.
“At the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and under NORAD and USNORTHCOM authorities, NORAD and USNORTHCOM deployed ground-based air defense assets in and around Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Due to security considerations, we cannot provide tactics, techniques and procedural specifics. For further detail, we refer you to the USSS.”
Aviation expert weighs in on deployment
Michael Leighton, an aviation expert and pilot, said he believes the deployment signals concern about a potential confirmed threat, although federal officials have not confirmed that is the reason.
“The only reason that they would do that is that they had a credible threat,” Leighton said.
Leighton said the growing use of drones in warfare has increased concerns about how adversaries could use the technology to target protected locations.
“Drone warfare has become a big thing and for the Department of Defense, their biggest concern is that an enemy, domestic or foreign, would use a drone guided by our GPS signals, the same GPS signals that you have in your car and on your cell phone, which are extremely accurate,” Leighton told WPBF.
Why surface-to-air defense systems are used
The systems are designed to detect and counter aerial threats. Leighton said ground-based missile systems can provide a faster response than scrambling a fighter jet to intercept a potential threat.
“They’re concerned about if we don’t have enough time to scramble an F-16 to intercept, because it takes a few minutes for that F-16 to get there, whereas if a target was identified and there was a problem, a ground-based surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile could be launched in seconds,” Leighton said.
Leighton said he feels the deployment of the systems is likely also a deterrent.
“These missiles were put in place in public where people could see them for a reason, and I wouldn’t be alarmed. I would be relieved,” he said.
He said it’s a sign that federal officials are taking every step possible to prevent something from happening.
“Those Missiles are manned the whole time, and so if they identify a threat that the missile is designed to deter, they’re going to use it, and as an American citizen, I would be happy for that to happen. I don’t want anybody to get hurt,” he said.
Federal officials have not publicly identified a specific threat connected to the deployment at Mar-a-Lago or Donald J. Trump International Airport.
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