Surface-to-air missile systems are now guarding the skies around President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. NORAD and US Northern Command confirmed that ground-based air defenses have been deployed at the request of the Secret Service, with some equipment positioned on a barge in the Intracoastal Waterway near the property and more near Donald J. Trump International Airport. The systems are reportedly Avenger units, Humvee-mounted launchers that carry Stinger missiles and are built to engage low-flying aircraft, helicopters and drones. Northern Command is also providing counter-drone equipment, and the Secret Service says it continues to operate in a heightened threat environment.

The move follows repeated airspace violations around Palm Beach, with local reports saying more than 60 aircraft have been intercepted near the estate since January 2025. The most recent was an F-16 intercept of a civilian aircraft on October 24, and NORAD held a planned air defense exercise over Palm Beach on October 14. Officials have not said whether a specific threat prompted the deployment, how long the systems will stay, or what it costs, and they cited security reasons for withholding details. Some nearby residents have said they're uneasy about seeing military hardware so close to home, while security experts say drones require defenses closer to the ground than the usual flight restrictions provide. Reports that Washington is weighing a permanent restricted airspace over Palm Beach are not confirmed by anything officials have said so far.