PETERSON
AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct
exercise flights Thursday, April 17, 2014, as they practice intercept and identification
procedures. The exercise will occur over northern Ohio between 12:00 p.m. and
2:00 p.m. EST.
The
flights are scheduled to take place in northern Ohio in the area between Marion
and Toledo. People in this area may hear
and/or see NORAD-controlled fighter jets in close proximity to a military or
military contracted aircraft, which will be taking on the role of aircraft of
interest.
Although
they are scheduled for the afternoon, the flights could be delayed or cancelled
due to weather concerns.
In order
to test responses, systems and equipment, NORAD continuously 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.
NORAD has
conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout Canada and the U.S. since
the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist
attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
NORAD
is the bi-national Canadian and American command that provides maritime
warning, aerospace warning and aerospace control for Canada and the United
States. The command has three subordinate regional headquarters: the Alaskan
NORAD Region at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Canadian NORAD Region at
Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the Continental NORAD Region at
Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.