U.S., Canada Conduct Disaster Preparedness Drill

The United States and Canada yesterday began a 19-day disaster preparedness drill that includes responses to a nuclear detonation and terrorist attacks, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Dec. 12, 2006).

Thousands of U.S. military personnel, along with officials from local and state agencies, are participating in Ardent Sentry-Northern Edge 07.

U.S. Northern Command called the event “the largest and most complex exercise” that it has ever conducted.

“The intent obviously is to stress the system,” said Northern Command spokesman Mike Kucharak.

Exercise scenarios include a hurricane hitting Rhode Island, terrorist actions at sea and against aircraft in Alaska, and the explosion of a 10-kiloton atomic bomb in Indiana.

Military personnel trained to respond to nuclear events are set to participate in the Indiana scenario, Kucharak said (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, April 30).

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