ANALYSIS – Few of us think much about dirty bombs, or nuclear terrorism – well I do – but most don't. Still, thankfully, a dedicated special unit of the Department of Energy (DOE) is on the lookout for all these and other potential nuke threats to America.
Most of this monitoring is done by uniquely equipped civilian-looking helicopters over major U.S. cities, or potential high-value military targets.
The low-flying aircraft operated by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are part of the Aerial Measuring System (AMS) under a special group called the Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST).
DOE's website notes that: “The AMS fleet includes three Beechcraft BN-350 Extended Range fixed-wing aircraft and two Bell 412 rotary-wing aircraft stationed as needed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.”
While NEST is on call 24/7 and 365 days a year, DOE is usually very discreet about it. But this New Year's weekend, the Energy Department made a rare public announcement about their upcoming operations in the skies above Las Vegas.
“The public may see NNSA's twin-engine Bell 412 helicopter, which is equipped with radiation-sensing technology,” the Department of Energy said in a press release on Wednesday.
Is there credible intel about a threat? We don't know. But the flights are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 29 and Sunday, Dec. 31 just prior to the big New Year's Eve celebrations in “Sin City.”
The DOE release continued: “These surveys are a normal part of security and emergency preparedness activities. NNSA is making the public aware of the upcoming flights so citizens who see the low-flying aircraft are not alarmed.”
“The helicopter will fly in a grid pattern over the areas at 150 feet (or higher) above the ground at a speed of approximately 80 mph. Flyovers will occur only during daylight hours and are estimated to take approximately two hours to complete per area,” the press release explained.
As Matt Novak writes in Forbes: “The NEST task force was first set up in 1975 after a number of nuclear threats against major American cities, many of which didn't make the evening news and were only revealed decades later in the book Defusing Armageddon by Jeffrey T. Richelson.”
He adds: “The helicopter flights first measure the amount of background radiation that's naturally occurring in a major city and allow investigators to look out for any abnormal radiation, which would be present if terrorists ever constructed what's called a “dirty bomb” from nuclear material.”
As noted above, NEST also operates fixed wing aircraft to monitor nuke threats.
This secretive unit has been operating quietly, behind the scenes, ever since. “But they're constantly monitoring for nuclear threats, especially during large events like the Super Bowl or New Year's Eve celebrations in a city like Las Vegas,” notes Novak.
So, as Novak assures us:
If you see low-flying helicopters over the Las Vegas strip during the next few days, don't be alarmed. The U.S. Department of Energy is conducting surveillance flights to make sure any potential terrorists aren't able to sneak a dirty bomb into the tourist destination.
This is definitely one federal agency I'm glad my tax dollars are funding.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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