Northeast Intelligence Network

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-- John McCain

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Helicopter Image Sparks Controversy, Onslaught of E-Mails

2 December 2003-- The Northeast Intelligence Network received the following E-Mail response (printed in its entirety and with the author's permission) today. Following the receipt of his E-mail, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Darwin Morgan, who is the Director of the Office of Public Affairs at the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration at the Nevada Site Test Office. In addition to the information Mr. Morgan graciously provided below,  he added that he had shown the image to others at his facility, and no one there could identify the "array" being towed by the helicopter. Beyond that, I believe his well-worded E-mail message speaks for itself. I would like to publicly thank Mr. Morgan for taking time from his busy schedule to provide his assistance.-- Douglas J. Hagmann

Mr. Hagmann,

I am writing in regard to your November 30 posting, "Helicopter Image Sparks Controversy, Onslaught of E-Mails".  I would like the opportunity to correct misstatements you have made (http://www.hagmannpi.com/copter.htm ).

First, I am the Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office.  We are the responsible organization for the assets that provide support to and respond to a wide range of radiological responses.  Under that umbrella are the: Federal Radiological Monitoring & Assessment Center; the Aerial Measurement System; the Nuclear Emergency Support Team; Accident Response Group and others.  If you will go to our web site (http://www.nv.doe.gov/news&pubs/factsheet.htm) and note the information under emergency response you can get more details on these functions.

For the last two years our agency has been using Bell 412 helicopters.  The BO-105 has not been in our fleet for almost two years now.  All sensor equipment and detectors used by our agency are skid mounted.  We do not use any dangling or hanging arrays or hanging sensors in our work.  Your statement that, "The tethered device/sensor array is also a standard DOE procedure" is simply not true.  The bottom line, we do not use them because of the increased safety risk posed by such devices.  The picture you have is not a picture of a DOE/NNSA aircraft.

Your bolded statement, "All DOE/NEST helicopter assets utilize tethers for their sensor arrays..." simply is not accurate.

The Hanford Aerial Measurement example you quoted is a typical function performed by our organization for other DOE sites.  Part of our work effort is to provide detailed radiological maps of existing radiological contamination to many of the current DOE sites that are involved in the ongoing environmental management cleanup program.  In addition, the NRC requires all nuclear power plants to positively show that no radiation is leaving their sites.  One of the ways this is done, is with our Aerial Measurement Systems.

Finally, you write that you contacted "...three military and intelligence sources and requested their insight."  If you would have contacted either DOE/NNSA in Washington or our offices here in Las Vegas we could have definitively told you the pictured helicopter was not and is not one our aircraft.  As well we would have been able to tell you that we do not and will not use any type of towed or dangling sensor due to safety concerns.

If you have any further questions or would like to talk to me, please feel free to either call or e-mail me.

Thank you for your time.

Darwin J. Morgan, Director
Office of Public Affairs

     Within an hour of sending the image to our initial source, we received an e-mail from him where he asked a number of questions concerning the location sighted, the flight pattern, the markings of the helicopter and so on. Having our interest piqued at this point, we provided him with a full accounting of the circumstances concerning the location and other matters of relevance. Approximately three-(3) hours later, our source contacted this investigator by telephone and advised us NOT to post the image-- for two reasons: first, the photograph appears to be that of a NEST helicopter using a "tethered array of directional flux probes"  designed to search for signatures of radiological devices. With that in mind, he stated that posting the image might create "unnecessary attention" to the routine search activities and "unwarranted concern" among those who are familiar with such devices now being used by our internal security. He added that the search for such items have increased since 9/11 and are now even considered to be "somewhat" routine. Recently, the one agency heavily involved in such searches (NEST) began using additional or "secondary"  assets out of necessity due to budgetary constraints.  The second reason he provided was much more practical and quite simple; he stated that it would cause all but a few more knowledgeable individuals to claim that the photograph was that of a normal brush cutting device, and he believed that the response among those without the proper background and contemporaneous knowledge of government assets would openly challenge the credibility of our posting. (We have used him for consultation purposes numerous times before on issues regarding nuclear power plants, and he knows us well and graciously operates "behind the scenes" on our behalf.)

     Continuing to be intrigued by the photograph and following that assessment, we conducted a number of inquiries with sources at the power plant in question, other civil and governmental engineers, and individuals familiar with radiological detection equipment.  We also verified the authenticity of the image and that of the professional photographer who observed the helicopter in flight for several minutes using 10-power binoculars. As detailed in our initial account, the tethered device being carried under the helicopter was never observed anywhere near trees or power lines, and flew in a tight grid-like pattern while under direct visual observation. Further (and as detailed in our initial report), we obtained confirmation that no authorization was given to any contractor or subcontractor to perform any type of work at or near the power plant, including but not limited to clearing brush, cutting limbs or working on any of the power lines at or near the facility. 

     In consideration of the above, we sought and received the opinions of several other professional sources, each involved with various aspects of power plant operations or the use of radiological leakage detection equipment. In each instance, their responses were similar-- the tethered device is not a trimmer of any type based on its construction-- the device in "our" image contains 11 elliptical attachments affixed in a horizontal fashion that are not consistent with cutting blades, which are definitively more circular in their construction and are usually attached in a vertical array. There appears to be a vertical stabilizer above the elipsoids to keep the array in position with the helicopter's direction of travel as well. 

     After assessing all of the above, I personally made the decision to present the photograph on our web site for public interest and discussion under the heading "The Nuclear Threat Is Real." After all, there have been numerous references to nuclear weapons in the form of "suitcase nukes" and "dirty bombs" being a threat, even by official sources within our government. The homework was done, and the most that we could say (based on the above) was "The original image was shown to several individuals familiar with radiological detection equipment...All sources provided nearly identical responses-- the helicopter is most likely an asset of the Nuclear Emergency Search Team (NEST) and the line is carrying an array of 'directional flux probes' designed to search for the 'signature' of a radiological device." 

     Within a few hours of our posting, we began receiving an onslaught of E-mails, most challenging the credibility of not only our sources, but of our ability to discern a brush cutting device from other, lesser known equipment in use by our government. I was surprised by not only the volume of the E-mail received, but by the antagonistic tone and nature of the messages along with the same images over and over again of those we had already researched. Recalling the 1970 series Banacek, I remember one of his famous "Polish proverbs"-- "read the whole library my son, but the cheese will smell after four days." In this case, it did not take four days.

     Obviously we "struck a nerve" with some people by posting this image and the story attached. Some of the E-mails we received were simply antagonistic, some were merely insulting, but most had one thing in common: an obvious ignorance about the subject matter. Not one of the negative responses contained any firmly sourced information aside from the pictures of vertical brush cutters found on the Internet -- the same images we had reviewed within an hour after we obtained the original photograph. 

     Based on the unprecedented number of E-mails we received on this subject, I contacted three military and intelligence sources and requested their insight. As of 0730 EST on 30 November 2003, I received responses from all three sources. Two of the three sources are currently involved in the area of special operations and are familiar with many devices used for the detection of radiological signatures. Below is a compilation of information copied from their individual responses (emphasis added is mine):

     The tether in this image exhibits a vertical stabilizer fin at the top of the device to keep it oriented in the direction of the helicopter's direction of travel, but there are are no discernable cutting wheels. The torpedo-like device has 11 oblong or elipsoid attachments which do not appear to be circular cutting wheels. The classified nature of the device precludes positive identification of what is at the end of the tether.

There is ample open-source intelligence indicative of US Navy SEAL and Army Delta NEST activity of late. Such as the recent incident with the freighter SS Palermo Senator which was quickly removed out of Port Newark (NJ)/New York City Harbor because of a full blown NEST alert and summarily parked off of Sandy Hook NJ/Long Island NY until the all clear was given. These kinds of operations are within a project called and/or use a codeword to identify them, that term is "ICEFIRE".

All DOE/NEST helicopter assets utilize tethers for their sensor arrays. They are highly classified gamma ray detection devices. They come in a variety of forms and/or disguises. They operate in broad day light or at night. There is an SOP on flight operations.

In the role in which the image is shown depicts the helicopter conducting a standard operation in broad daylight. Operations of this type were conducted at the DOE Hanford WA facility in 1996:

"RICHLAND, Wash., March 1, 1996 -- As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) regular environmental monitoring program, two specially equipped helicopters from the DOE Nevada Operations Office (NV) will be used to perform aerial radiological surveys of the 560-square-mile Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The blue and white BO-105 helicopters are equipped with sophisticated instruments designed to detect radiological contamination. The flights will start Thursday, February 29, and continue for about three weeks.

The helicopters will fly at a speed of 80 knots per hour at an altitude of 200 feet above the ground in a north/south grid pattern. The grid lines will be about 400 feet apart. The total air miles to be flown during this campaign is expected to exceed 8,330 miles..."

From DOE Flight Operations Doctrine:

g.   Altitude Considerations.

         (1)  Routine Training and Operations.

              (a)  Daylight Operations.  Aircraft shall maintain a minimum altitude of 200 feet above any known obstacle within 500
                   feet either side of the planned route of flight during daylight operations except for takeoff, approach, and landing.

The tethered device/sensor array is also a standard DOE procedure. 

     Our site does not now, nor will it ever, succumb to people who are quick to criticize - the same people who seem to have all of the answers, all of the time. To them I ask, "what have you done to assist in the fight against terrorism?" We do our homework, and we do it well. When applicable, we report our findings and leave it to our visitors to decide for themselves the impact such information has on their own lives. We are able to operate because we live in a great and free country, a country that we are independently are trying to preserve and protect through our information and intelligence gathering activities. 

Douglas J. Hagmann, Director

Northeast Intelligence Network

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