The National Weather Service (NWS) is on heightened alert after recent threats from a militia-style group that believes the agency’s Doppler radar systems are being used as “weather weapons.”

Initial reports indicate the group, identified by CNN as Veterans on Patrol, has targeted radar facilities operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The group reportedly sent threats, calling the radar network a weapon and encouraging attacks on weather sites.

“They are the number one tool in our toolbox,” said Herb Simmons, director of St. Clair County Emergency Management.

Simmons emphasized the critical role Doppler radar plays in severe weather forecasting and emergency response. The NWS data reaches nearly 4 million people in the St. Louis region alone.

The group’s actions have raised concerns about the safety of NWS infrastructure and personnel, as well as the potential disruption of critical weather forecasting services.

Veterans on Patrol, based in Pima County, Arizona, is an anti-government militia founded by Michael “Lewis Arthur” Meyer, a Christian nationalist who is not a military veteran.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), VOP has evolved from a group focused on veteran suicide awareness to one that promotes conspiracy theories, including QAnon, and engages in vigilantism.

The group has a history of mobilizing during natural disasters, such as Hurricane Helene in 2024, where it spread misinformation about government responses while distributing aid in affected areas.

VOP’s current campaign targets the NWS’s Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) systems, which are Doppler radars used to detect precipitation, wind, and thunderstorms.

The group alleges, without evidence, that these radars are military-controlled “weather weapons” capable of manipulating weather patterns. This claim aligns with broader anti-government conspiracy theories that question the legitimacy of federal agencies.

Internal emails from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the NWS, reveal that VOP has been recruiting individuals for “penetration drills” targeting NEXRAD radar sites.

While NOAA has stated there are no specific or credible threats at this time, the agency has taken precautionary measures, including advising NWS staff to implement a buddy system at remote sites and to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement rather than engaging directly.

The FBI and other federal authorities are reportedly monitoring VOP’s activities, though independent confirmation of their involvement is lacking.

The threats come at a challenging time for the NWS, which has seen a 10% reduction in staffing since January 2025 due to layoffs and early retirements under the Trump administration.

This staffing shortage exacerbates concerns about the agency’s ability to maintain operations under heightened security risks.

Doppler radar systems are critical for weather forecasting, providing data that helps predict severe storms, hurricanes, and other hazardous conditions.

Disrupting these systems could have dire consequences for communities reliant on accurate weather warnings.

As NWS meteorologist Simmons noted, “Without their monitoring, without their prediction, it will create problems for these communities when storms decide to raise their ugly heads.”

Simmons also warned that the threats could incite violence, describing the potential outcomes as “terrible” and urging swift legal action.

According to experts like Luke Baumgartner from George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, VOP’s rhetoric taps into a broader wave of domestic extremism fueled by conspiracy theories.

Such groups exploit public distrust, particularly in the wake of natural disasters, to promote narratives of government malfeasance. This not only endangers federal employees but also undermines public confidence in essential services like weather forecasting.