PETERSON
AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct
exercise flights today, April 29, 2014, as they practice intercept and identification
procedures. The exercise will occur over northern Ohio between 10:00 a.m. and
noon EDT.
Although
they are scheduled for the morning, the flights could be delayed due to weather
concerns.
The
flights are scheduled to take place north of Marion between Lima and Mansfield.
People in this area may hear and/or see low-flying 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.
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.