PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – Two NORAD F-16 fighter aircraft and a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin responded to a civilian aircraft that violated a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) area near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, this morning.
The civilian aircraft violated the TFR at about 7:50 a.m. PT and was escorted out of the area.
During this event, the fighter aircraft dispensed flares – that may have been visible to the public – to gain attention from the pilot. Flares were employed with the highest regard for safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground. The flares burn out quickly and completely and there is no danger to people on the ground when dispensed.
NORAD employs a layered defense network of radars, satellites and fighter aircraft to identify aircraft and determine the appropriate response. The identification and monitoring of aircraft demonstrates how NORAD executes its aerospace warning and aerospace control missions for the United States and Canada.
Operation NOBLE EAGLE is the name given 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. The response to potential aerospace threats does not distinguish between the two nations, and draws on forces from both countries.
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