PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Fighter jets under the
control of the North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted multiple
general aviation aircraft in the Temporary Flight Restricted area over Palm
Springs, Calif., during the past weekend, June 14-16, 2014.
* On Saturday,
June 14, at approximately 10 a.m. EDT, an F-16 fighter based at Davis Monthan
AFB in Tucson, AZ intercepted a general aviation aircraft that was out of
communication in the TFR. The aircraft
exited the TFR on its own;
* On Sunday,
June 15, at approximately 1 p.m. EDT, an F-15 fighter based out of Portland, OR
intercepted a general aviation aircraft that was out of communication in the
TFR. The aircraft re-established
communications and exited the TFR on its own;
* On
Sunday, June 15, at approximately 3:45 p.m. EDT, an F-15 fighter based out of
Portland, OR intercepted a general aviation aircraft that was out of
communication in the TFR. The aircraft
re-established communications and exited the TFR on its own;
* On
Sunday, June 15, at approximately 9 p.m. EDT, an F-15 fighter based out of
Portland, OR intercepted a general aviation aircraft that was out of
communication in the TFR. The aircraft
re-established communications and exited the TFR on its own; and
* On
Monday, June 16, at approximately 8:30 a.m. EDT, an F-16 fighter based at Davis
Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ intercepted a general aviation aircraft that was out
of communication in the TFR. The
aircraft re-established communications and exited the TFR on its own.
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 airspaces of the United States
and Canada by responding to unknown, unwanted and unauthorized air activity
approaching and operating within these airspaces, and provide aerospace and
maritime warning for North America.
As one of NORAD's critical airspace security partners,
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides air traffic services for
NORAD to safely and effectively perform its mission and to minimize the impacts
on normal air traffic operations.
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 multilayered defense to detect, deter and prevent
potential threats flying over the airspace of the United States and Canada.