Surface-to-air missile systems were deployed at Mar-a-Lago and Donald J. Trump International Airport at the request of the U.S. Secret Service. A spokesperson said the agency was operating in a heightened threat environment.
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL. —
Surface-to-air missile systems were 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 did not reveal a specific reason for the deployment.
In a statement, a U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said the agency was operating in a heightened threat environment.
“The U.S. Secret Service operates in a heightened threat environment and we continually adapt our protective operations to incorporate cutting-edge tools, technologies and methods to protect our protectees. At the request of the U.S. Secret Service, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command provide counter-unmanned aircraft system capabilities to support our protective operations,” the statement said.
NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command also confirmed the deployment in a statement, saying the systems were placed in and around Mar-a-Lago at the request of the Secret Service.
“At the request of the United States Secret Service (USSS) and under the authority of NORAD and USNORTHCOM, NORAD and USNORTHCOM deployed ground-based air defense assets in and around Mar-a-Lago, Florida. For security reasons, we cannot provide details of tactics, techniques, and procedures. For further details, we refer you to USSS.”
An aviation expert weighs in on the deployment
Michael Leighton, an aviation expert and pilot, said he believed the deployment signaled concern about a confirmed potential threat, although federal officials have not confirmed that was the reason.
“The only reason they would do that is if 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 areas.
“Drone warfare has become big business and for the Department of Defense, their biggest concern is that an enemy, domestic or foreign, is using 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 ground-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 worried about whether we don’t have enough time to intercept an F-16, 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 a matter of seconds,” Leighton said.
Leighton said he believed the deployment of the systems would also have a deterrent effect.
“These missiles were deployed in public, where people could see them, for good reason, and I would not be alarmed. I would be relieved,” he said.
He said it was a sign that federal officials were taking every step possible to prevent something from happening.
“These missiles are flown constantly, 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 to see that happen. I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” he said.
Federal officials have not publicly identified any specific threats related to the deployment at Mar-a-Lago or Donald J. Trump International Airport.
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