A nuclear incident training exercise currently being undertaken by several federal agencies in New York is nearing completion, officials have said.
The large-scale exercise, which began on Sunday, is expected to conclude its operations tomorrow. Training has been focused around Schenectady, New York, although surrounding counties have also participated in the drill.
In a statement issued by FBI Albany, the exercise “will not pose any risk to area residents,” and officials with the FBI and other agencies advised against public alarm if any training activity is observed by area residents.
Military personnel, aircraft, and “people in protective equipment” have all participated during the training exercise, held jointly between the FBI and its partners with the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
State and local partners in New York have also participated alongside the federal agencies involved “as part of a series of regularly scheduled U.S. government biannual exercises,” the FBI Abany statement read. Among the local and state agencies listed as participants were the New York State Police, Albany, Saratoga, and Schenectady County Sheriff’s Offices and the Albany Police Department.
“Similar trainings have been conducted in various regions across the United States since 2012,” the statement added.
Officials involved with the multi-agency effort said most of the training operations were focused around the Albany Airport, which in the past has been used during military operations in the region because of its ability to accommodate larger aircraft that are occasionally required.
In addition to Albany Airport, officials said Stratton Air National Guard Base is also being used during the exercises.
“Exercise participants will conduct operations in personal protective equipment to simulate realistic conditions,” FBI Albany said. “It will also include aircraft from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.”
FBI Albany said the exercise provided federal agencies tasked with protecting the U.S. with an opportunity to enhance operational readiness and prepare for coordinating responses to any nuclear incident, should one occur either on the U.S. mainland or a location overseas.
The exercise was planned amid rising international tensions within the Indo-Pacific region, much of which are driven by recent assertive actions by China in the South China Sea.
U.S. officials remain focused on Beijing’s growing military power, acknowledging competing interests China shares with the United States and other regional players that could escalate into conflict, which may arise from territorial claims, maritime access, or other issues.
In recent weeks, the northeastern U.S. was the focus of widespread speculation involving sightings of alleged drones operating in the airspace above New Jersey and surrounding states, which included New York.
On Tuesday, the White House issued a statement saying that the drone flights involved in “research, and various other reasons,” but offered no clear details other than that the flights had been approved by the FAA.
The White House’s statement appears to have been consistent with a multi-agency assessment issued late last year which similarly attributed most of the drone sightings to misidentifications or lawful drone activities over the northeast.
Federal agencies have given no indication that this week’s nuclear incident training exercises in New York were related to the alleged drone sightings last year.
FBI Albany advised that public and media access were not permitted during the exercises, due to the sensitive nature of the capabilities being utilized during this week’s training.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow his work at micahhanks.com and on X: @MicahHanks.