Ardent Sentry-Northern Edge 2007 has a big agenda, encompassing responses to everything from major natural disaster to a terrorist nuclear detonation and other assorted terrorists events. The US Northern Command sponsored exercise, running now through May 17, has scenarios that range from a hurricane in the New England area, to an improvised nuclear device explosion involving Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio, and multiple homeland defense events throughout Alaska. NORTHCOM has engaged local, state, and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to participate.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
