Ocean County center of tri-state airborne nuclear drill

An airborne nuclear response exercise is under way in the skies over Ocean County, and the tri-state area, continuing through Friday.

More than a dozen fixed-wing planes and helicopters fly low over New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, equipped with radiation detectors, taking of and landing at Ocean County Airport (Robert J. Miller Airpark) in Berkeley Township.

They are involved in the third Interagency Aerial Response WINGS exercise, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The aim is to improve and integrate response techniques among local, state and federal aerial support systems for radiological emergencies.

Airborne components are supplied by DOE, EPA, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and police departments in New York City, Suffolk County, Philadelphia, Florida's Highway Patrol and Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control, Delaware State Police, and the U.S. Army 244th Aviation Brigade with the 20th CBRNE Command.