TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – A North American Aerospace Defense Command F-16 fighter aircraft and a MH-65 helicopter responded to a civilian aircraft over Wilmington, Delaware, on Oct. 28, 2023.
The civilian aircraft violated a Temporary Flight Restriction area at 2:25 p.m. Eastern Time and was escorted out of the area.
During this event, the intercepting aircraft dispensed flares – that may have been visible to the public – in an attempt to draw attention from or communicate with the pilot. Flares are employed with highest regard for safety of intercepted aircraft and people on the ground, they 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 binational 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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