PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct an air defense exercise on Tuesday, Sept. 17, in the airspace between Richmond, Indiana and Toledo, Ohio. The exercise will occur between noon and 2 p.m. eastern.
NORAD F-16 and Civil Air Patrol C-182 aircraft will participate in the exercise. Some portions of the exercise may be visible from the ground. If weather prevents regularly scheduled flights, the exercise will commence the next day.
To test responses, systems and equipment, NORAD routinely conducts exercises with a variety of scenarios, including airspace restriction violations, hijackings and responding to unknown aircraft. All NORAD exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled.
The defense of North America is NORAD’s top priority. NORAD is on alert around the clock, every day. For more than 60 years, NORAD aircraft have identified and intercepted potential air threats to North America in the execution of the command’s aerospace warning and aerospace control missions under Operation NOBLE EAGLE.
Operation NOBLE EAGLE applies to all air sovereignty and air defense missions in North America. NORAD is a bi-national command focused on the defense of both the U.S. and Canada. NORAD’s response to potential aerospace threats does not distinguish between the two nations and draws on forces from both countries.
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