National Weather Service offices across the country are on high alert after recent threats to the agency’s infrastructure, particularly Doppler weather radar, by an anti-government militia called Veterans on Patrol.
The group was founded in 2015 in Arizona with the initial goal of supporting military veterans. The philosophy shared by its militants includes anti-Semitic, anti-Mormon and anti-Catholic views. Members also embrace the QAnon conspiracy theory. In the past, they have labeled Hurricane Helene as an act of war perpetuated by the U.S. military.
According to an internal e-mail from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the group in question considers the NWS Doppler radar network to be “weather weapons.”
“This group is advocating for anyone and everyone to join them in conducting penetration drills on NEXRAD sites to identify weaknesses which can be used to ultimately destroy the sites,” explained NOAA, “The group referred to the NEXRAD system towers as ‘weather weapons,’ and claimed there were no laws preventing American citizens from destroying the ‘weapons’”.
The NEXRAD network, or “next-generation radar,” has been in operation since the 1990s and detects atmospheric precipitation. It can also help detect tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, sending early, life-saving warnings. The system is also used by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force.
It is still unclear what nefarious functions the plotters attribute to such devices. What is certain is that NOAA security officials have advised the NWS to implement a system to protect workers operating at remote sites and to be on the alert for suspicious activity.
“Do not engage with anyone suspicious; instead, notify local law enforcement,” reads the email sent to the agency. Key U.S. authorities are aware of the activities of Veterans on Patrol, and continue to monitor them.
The security threat comes at a complex time for the NWS, which is understaffed due to hundreds of layoffs and early retirements promoted by the Trump administration.
“Nobody likes federal employees being demeaned by the administration, but when it escalates to violence or threats of it, it starts to become really demoralizing,” one agency employee told CNN, “Given the general temperature of the country right now, this stuff is especially concerning.”
