Operation Gotham Shield
{{Short description|2017 US FEMA civil defense exercise}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox operational plan
| name = Operation Gotham Shield
| partof = the National Exercise Program
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| type = Exercise
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| date = {{Start date|2017|04|23}}
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| executed_by = Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Operation Gotham Shield was a 2017 exercise conducted by the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which tested civil defense response capabilities to a nuclear weapons attack against the New York City metropolitan area.
Background
Operation Gotham Shield occurred over the course of four days, from April 23 to 27, 2017, and was part of FEMA's National Exercise Program.
The operation involved the hypothetical ground burst of a nuclear device at the New Jersey-side entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, resulting in "hundreds of thousands" of killed and injured persons and 4.5 million refugees from the initial blast and subsequent fallout.{{cite news|title=Feds prep for nuclear attack in NJ|url=http://www.fox5ny.com/news/feds-prep-for-nuclear-attack-in-nj|accessdate=January 7, 2018|work=WNYW-TV|date=April 26, 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107232944/http://www.fox5ny.com/news/feds-prep-for-nuclear-attack-in-nj|archivedate=January 7, 2018|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|title=Public Health Actions to Prepare for an Effective Radiological/Nuclear Response|url=https://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/webinar/slides_082417_radiological_and_nuclear_preparedness.pdf|website=cdc.gov|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209020326/https://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/webinar/slides_082417_radiological_and_nuclear_preparedness.pdf|archivedate=December 9, 2017|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|title=FEMA National Advisory Council May 2017 Meeting Minutes NAC|url=https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1501859547272-a1fd534c002b3fa131d3844fd2eeafaf/2017.05_MeetingMinutes_FINAL(508).pdf|website=fema.gov|publisher=FEMA|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108063201/https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1501859547272-a1fd534c002b3fa131d3844fd2eeafaf/2017.05_MeetingMinutes_FINAL(508).pdf|archivedate=January 8, 2018|df=mdy-all}}
Due to the location of the simulated attack, the operation scenario assumed the disablement or destruction of FEMA's Region II Regional Response Coordination Center{{efn|FEMA's Region II is responsible for New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and eight tribal nations.{{cite web|title=Region II|url=https://www.fema.gov/region-ii-nj-ny-pr-vi-0|website=fema.gov|publisher=FEMA|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222080653/https://www.fema.gov/region-ii-nj-ny-pr-vi-0|archivedate=December 22, 2017|df=mdy-all}}}} which required transfer of command functions to the Region V Regional Response Coordination Center.{{efn|FEMA's Region V is normally responsible for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.{{cite web|title=Region V|url=https://www.fema.gov/region-v-il-mi-mn-oh-wi|website=fema.gov|publisher=FEMA|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119164353/https://www.fema.gov/region-v-il-mi-mn-oh-wi|archivedate=November 19, 2017|df=mdy-all}}}}{{cite web|title=GOTHAM SHIELD LEVEL 1 EXERCISE|url=https://www.aphis.usda.gov/emergency_response/downloads/hazard/AAR-Gotham-Shield-EX-NRCC2017.pdf|website=usda.gov|publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107232914/https://www.aphis.usda.gov/emergency_response/downloads/hazard/AAR-Gotham-Shield-EX-NRCC2017.pdf|archivedate=January 7, 2018|df=mdy-all}} In the final phases of the exercise, a hypothetical "massive influx" of refugees from the attack "overwhelmed" the resources of neighboring states.
Participating agencies
In addition to FEMA, other agencies and organizations which participated in the exercise included the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, the New Jersey National Guard, the Military Auxiliary Radio System, the Metro Urban Search and Rescue Strike Team, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the FBI, the New Jersey State Police, various municipal departments of the City of New York, and others.{{cite web|title=New Jersey agencies participate in FEMA's 'Gotham Shield' nuclear attack drill|url=http://newjersey.news12.com/story/35246251/new-jersey-agencies-participate-in-femas-gotham-shield-nuclear-attack-drill|website=news12.com|publisher=News 12 New Jersey|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107232912/http://newjersey.news12.com/story/35246251/new-jersey-agencies-participate-in-femas-gotham-shield-nuclear-attack-drill|archivedate=January 7, 2018|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|title=NJ Army National Guard Supports Gotham Shield Aerial Survey Of NYC|url=https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/images/133490|website=fema.gov|publisher=FEMA|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107175059/https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/images/133490|archivedate=January 7, 2018|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|title=Upcoming Army MARS Communication Exercises Highlighted at Regional Conference|url=http://www.arrl.org/news/upcoming-army-mars-communication-exercises-highlighted-at-regional-conference|website=arrl.org|publisher=American Radio Relay League|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107175356/http://www.arrl.org/news/upcoming-army-mars-communication-exercises-highlighted-at-regional-conference|archivedate=January 7, 2018|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|last1=Hochran|first1=Adam|title=An explosion at the NYC tunnels?|url=http://nj1015.com/an-explosion-at-the-nyc-tunnels-see-nj-rescuers-prepare-for-the-worst-in-drill/|accessdate=January 7, 2018|work=WKXW-FM|date=April 24, 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829033027/http://nj1015.com/an-explosion-at-the-nyc-tunnels-see-nj-rescuers-prepare-for-the-worst-in-drill/|archivedate=August 29, 2017|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|title=Understanding the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response (S-60)|url=https://www.transportation.gov/transition/understanding-office-intelligence-security-and-emergency-response-s-60|website=transportation.gov|publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation|accessdate=January 7, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107232921/https://www.transportation.gov/transition/understanding-office-intelligence-security-and-emergency-response-s-60|archivedate=January 7, 2018|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|last1=Kanzler|first1=Kaitlyn|title=Federal, state agencies testing readiness for nuclear attack|url=http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2017/04/24/federal-state-agencies-testing-readiness-nuclear-attack/100855428/|accessdate=January 7, 2018|work=northjersey.com|date=April 24, 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611035838/http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2017/04/24/federal-state-agencies-testing-readiness-nuclear-attack/100855428/|archivedate=June 11, 2017|df=mdy-all}}
Other activities
Gotham Shield occurred simultaneous with several partnered exercises testing the responsiveness of different agencies of the United States in the fulfillment of their own organizational priorities as they would apply to the core attack scenario, including Vibrant Response (led by United States Army North), Prominent Hunt 17-1 (led by the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office), and Fuerzas Amigas (a joint planning event of the Mexican Armed Forces and United States Armed Forces).
Ardent Sentry 17 (led by the Northern Command), was another simultaneous operation which focused on military aid to the civil power, specifically "marshalling simulated forces".{{cite news|title=Emergency-Response Training in Ardent Sentry 17|url=https://dmna.ny.gov/gt/gt_spring_17_web.pdf|accessdate=January 7, 2018|work=Guard Times Magazine|date=Spring 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108120503/https://dmna.ny.gov/gt/gt_spring_17_web.pdf|archivedate=January 8, 2018|df=mdy-all}} It was a command post exercise with staff operating from a primary command post at the 42nd Infantry Division headquarters in Troy, and a redundancy command post at the New York National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Latham. It was overseen by General Timothy LaBarge of the New York National Guard who was given "dual status command", or authority to command both State of New York and United States military forces.
Meanwhile, Canada conducted an overlapping exercise, Staunch Maple 17, whose scenario involved simultaneous "nuclear threats" in Ottawa and Halifax. It also involved the friendly intervention of U.S. military forces into eastern Canada.{{cite news|title=N.S. hosts nuclear emergency exercise|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1462570-n.s.-hosts-nuclear-emergency-exercise|accessdate=January 7, 2018|work=Chronicle Herald|date=April 24, 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107175403/http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1462570-n.s.-hosts-nuclear-emergency-exercise|archivedate=January 7, 2018|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|title=Military helicopters to fly low across Nova Scotia this week, including American Black Hawk|url=http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/2017/04/24/military-helicopters-halifax-american-black-hawk-.html|accessdate=January 7, 2018|work=Metro|date=April 24, 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108063819/http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/2017/04/24/military-helicopters-halifax-american-black-hawk-.html|archivedate=January 8, 2018|df=mdy-all}} Unlike Gotham Shield, Canada's Department of National Defence did not publicly describe the scenario around which Staunch Maple 17 was based, but media outlets would later cite sources who confirmed it involved a "nuclear event" and was a test of scaled contingency plans the country had involving "a wide range of scenarios involving attacks on Canada, including a missile attack."{{cite news|last1=Brewster|first1=Murray|title=Canada, U.S. held joint exercises simulating nuclear attack on both sides of border|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/canada-us-held-joint-exercises-simulating-nuclear-attack-on-both-sides-of-border/ar-BBFX4cy?li=AA59G3&%252525253BOCID=HPDHP|accessdate=January 7, 2018|work=MSN|agency=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=November 30, 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108062819/https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/canada-us-held-joint-exercises-simulating-nuclear-attack-on-both-sides-of-border/ar-BBFX4cy?li=AA59G3&%252525253BOCID=HPDHP|archivedate=January 8, 2018|df=mdy-all}}
Conspiracy theories
Operation Gotham Shield was billed as a "false flag" by some conspiracy theorists, who predicted it was designed to cover up a planned, actual nuclear weapons attack against the New York metropolitan area, or as distraction from a planned U.S. nuclear weapons attack against North Korea.{{cite web|last1=LaCapria|first1=Kim|title=What is Operation Gotham Shield?|url=https://www.snopes.com/2017/04/20/operation-gotham-shield/|website=snopes.com|date=April 20, 2017 |publisher=Snopes|accessdate=January 7, 2018}}{{cite news|last1=Faife|first1=Corin|title=Reddit's Conspiracy Theorists Think World War III Will Begin Today|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/reddits-conspiracy-theorists-think-world-war-iii-will-begin-tomorrow/|access-date=January 7, 2018|work=Vice|date=April 25, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107175014/https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/yp7qqk/reddits-conspiracy-theorists-think-world-war-iii-will-begin-tomorrow|archive-date=January 7, 2018|df=mdy-all}} The British tabloid Daily Express, meanwhile, propagated a different take on the conspiracy theory which hypothesized that "a major incident will happen to US President Donald Trump on Wednesday" (the date of the first day of Gotham Shield).{{cite news|title=Shock radio broadcast sparks fears Donald Trump will be attacked on Wednesday|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/795823/Shock-radio-broadcast-sparks-fears-Donald-Trump-will-be-attacked-April-26|accessdate=January 7, 2018|work=Daily Express|date=April 24, 2017}}
See also
Notes
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