NORAD Intercepts Two General Aviation Aircraft in Chicago Area

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – An F-16 fighter under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted two general aviation aircraft during separate responses today.

The fighter intercepted the first aircraft at approximately 4:00 p.m. CDT in the Chicago, IL, area after it entered the temporary flight restricted area. After intercepting the first aircraft, the F-16 followed it until it landed without incident, where the plane was met by law enforcement. The fighter intercepted a second aircraft at approximately 6:00 p.m. CDT in the Chicago, IL, area after it entered the temporary flight restricted area. After intercepting the second aircraft, the F-16 followed it until it landed without incident, where the plane was met by 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.

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