NORAD Confirms Ground-Based Air Defense Deployed Around Mar-a-Lago at Secret Service Request
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command have confirmed that, at the request of the U.S. Secret Service, they have deployed ground-based air defense assets and counter-drone capabilities in and around Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Footage aired by Florida local media shows two Avenger short-range air defense systems mounted on a barge in Lake Worth Lagoon beside the estate, with additional systems positioned around President Donald J. Trump International Airport, about three miles to the west.
In a statement provided to fact-checkers and news outlets, NORAD said the assets were deployed under NORAD and U.S. Northern Command authorities at the Secret Service's request and 'add a complementary layer of technology to enhance protection,' adding that it could not provide further details for operational security reasons. The Secret Service said it is operating in a 'heightened threat environment' and continuously adapts its protective operations with new tools and technology.
The Avenger is a Humvee-mounted system carrying eight Stinger missiles and is the U.S. Army's short-range air defense platform. The military news site The War Zone reported on November 2 that photographs taken on October 31 also show a vehicle-mounted laser counter-drone system at the site, along with counter-drone kits including radar, electronic support measures and jammers. The deployment was first noticed by local media and residents in late October; the fact-checking site Snopes rated the claim that the military had deployed air defense systems at Mar-a-Lago as true on October 30 after NORAD and the Secret Service confirmed it.
Mar-a-Lago is one of President Trump's primary residences, where he frequently spends weekends. Local media reported last week that a fighter jet intercepted a civilian aircraft that entered the restricted airspace over the estate. The confirmed deployment comes on the eve of the November 3 midterm elections.
Source: North American Aerospace Defense Command
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于佛罗里达州 Palm Beach 的海湖庄园（资料图）。照片 CC BY-SA 4.0，作者 Jud McCranie，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida (file photo). CC BY-SA 4.0, by Jud McCranie, via Wikimedia Commons.
