PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Two U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 “Dolphin” helicopters under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted a small general aviation aircraft as it entered restricted airspace in the vicinity of the National Capitol Region June 18 at approximately 11:50 A.M. EDT.
Upon being intercepted, the civilian aircraft was diverted to Annapolis where the pilot was to meet with local law enforcement.
NORAD's mission – in close collaboration with homeland defense, security, and law enforcement partners – is to prevent air attacks against North America, safeguard the sovereign airspaces of the United States and Canada by responding to unknown, unwanted and unauthorized air activity approaching and operating within these airspaces, and provide aerospace and maritime warning for North America. NORAD may be required to monitor, shadow, divert from flight path, direct to land and/or destroy platforms deemed a potential threat to North America.
NORAD is the bi-national Canadian and American command that is responsible for the air defense of North America and maritime warning. The command has three subordinate regional headquarters: the Alaskan NORAD Region at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Canadian NORAD Region at Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the Continental NORAD Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The command is poised both tactically and strategically in our nation’s capital to provide a multilayered defense to detect, deter and prevent potential threats flying over the airspace of the United States and Canada.