NORAD exercise flights planned over Eastern and Southern South Carolina

April 8, 2010

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct exercise flights today, April 8 in the skies in the vicinity of Eastern and Southern South Carolina near the areas of Conway, Georgetown, St. Stephen and Greeleyville. The flights will take place in the late-morning to early afternoon, and people can expect to 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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