There has been a lot of X chatter about the US military installing air-defense systems around President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club and at Palm Beach International Airport.
Photographs published by local media outlets show a self-propelled surface-to-air missile system, counter-drone systems, and even laser weapons.
Military blog Laser Wars reports that the US military added a directed-energy weapon system to expand air-defense coverage at the request of the Secret Service.
“The US 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,” the agency told the outlet.
NORTHCOM and NORAD confirmed to Laser Wars that a 20-kilowatt Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser was mounted on a vehicle and deployed to the area.
“At the request of the US Secret Service and under NORAD and USNORTHCOM authorities, NORAD and USNORTHCOM recently deployed ground-based air defense assets and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities, including our C-UAS Flyway Kit and High Energy Lasers (HEL) in and around Mar-a-Lago, Florida,” NORTHCOM and NORAD told the outlet. “These assets add a complementary layer of technology to enhance protection.”
The laser complements the surface-to-air missile system armed with Stinger missiles that has gone viral on X. Additional Stinger missile systems were deployed to the nearby airport