PETERSON
AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – On two occasions today, March 9, 2014, F-16 fighter jets under the
direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted general
aviation aircraft in the vicinity of the Florida Keys and escorted them out of
Temporary Flight Restricted areas.
The first
aircraft was out of radio communication initially, but once communication was
established it turned around and proceeded out of the restricted area. There was also no communication with the
second aircraft, prompting the F-16s to intercept the aircraft and escort it
out of the TFR.
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.