PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - F-22 fighters under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command responded earlier today to a single engine aircraft violating a temporary flight restricted area over Chicago.
Fighters, which were on station to enforce the TFR, intercepted a bi-plane at approximately 11:40 Central Time and escorted it out of the area. The fighters then returned to patrol 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.