PETERSON
AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct
exercise flights today, May 2, 2014, as they practice intercept and identification
procedures. The exercise will occur over northeastern South Carolina and
central North Carolina between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. EDT. Although they are scheduled for the morning,
the flights could be delayed due to weather concerns.
The
flights are scheduled to take place in the regions encompassing Columbia,
Myrtle Beach and Jacksonville, as well as between Franklin and Fayetteville.
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.