PETERSON
AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Two F-16 fighter jets under the direction of the North
American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted a general aviation aircraft at approximately 12:30 p.m. EST today, Apr. 6, 2014, that
was out of communications in the Special Flight Rules Area over Washington,
D.C.
The
aircraft was out of communications, but was exiting the restricted flight area
when the NORAD jets intercepted and visually identified the aircraft. Shortly
thereafter, the general aviation aircraft resumed communications with air
traffic control.
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 airspace of the United States and Canada by responding
to unknown, unwanted and unauthorized air activity approaching and operating
within this airspace, and provide aerospace and maritime warning for 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 multi-layered
defense to detect, deter and prevent potential threats flying over the airspace
of the United States and Canada.