Get Ready For Ammunition Testing At NWS Earle May 15

LEONARDO, NJ — If you hear the sounds of gunfire coming from the Leonardo waterfront Tuesday afternoon, don't worry: It's just Naval Weapons Station Earle (NWS Earle) doing some planned harbor protection exercises.

NWS Earle will be doing the testing in the afternoon hours of May 15, 22, 29 and June 5, 12 and 19 in the waters surrounding the Navy’s pier in Leonardo, N.J. The training is schedule to conclude by 4:30 p.m. each day. The exercises are designed to enhance the training and readiness of harbor security forces and are not in response to any specific threat.

The local communities that may be most affected by the noise of blank ammunition include Leonardo, Atlantic Highlands, Belford and Middletown.

The exercises will involve marked U.S. Navy harbor patrol boats and sentry towers firing blank ammunition in Sandy Hook Bay in the vicinity of the NWS Earle Waterfront Restricted Area.

As a reminder, the waters surrounding the NWS Earle Pier are restricted. The Marine Security Zone is shown on navigational charts for Lower New York Harbor and are patrolled by armed Navy Security Forces. Violators will be prosecuted.

Photos of NWS Earle supplied by U.S. Navy/Public Affairs Officer