NORAD exercise flights planned over Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

May 11, 2010

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct exercise flights today, May 11 in the skies in the vicinity of Bismarck, N.D. to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. as well as in the skies in the vicinity of Lincoln, Neb. to Sioux Falls, S.D. to South-Central Minn. The flights will take place in the late-morning, and people may hear and see NORAD fighter aircraft in close proximity with general aviation aircraft as they practice their intercept and identification procedures.  

The exercise has been carefully planned and will be closely controlled to ensure NORAD’s rapid response capability.   

NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. Each exercise flight utilizes a scenario to test NORAD’s response, systems and equipment.  Scenarios could include counter-drug operations, aircraft in distress, aircraft defecting, hijacking, unknown aircraft, Dangerous Military Activity, Temporary Flight Restriction violation or airborne terrorist. 

For more information about NORAD intercept procedures, please refer to this Federal Aviation Administration link: http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/Chap5/aim0506.html 

Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD fighters have responded to more than 3,300 possible air threats in Canada and the United States.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information, please contact NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889 or visit our Web sites at www.norad.mil or www.northcom.mil

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