PETERSON
AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – The North American Aerospace Defense Command, in
coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of
Homeland Security, will conduct calibration and training flights Wednesday, Nov.
5, 2014 over the southeastern Washington D.C. area.
The
calibration flights, which will take place from approximately 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
EST, will be performed by a civilian Beechcraft King Air aircraft flying
patterns at approximately 4,500 feet above ground level and two F-16 aircraft
flying patterns at 5,500 feet.
Additionally, a ground based air defense system will deploy to the
Washington D.C. area.
If
the Nov. 5 flights have to be cancelled for any reason, they will be attempted
again on Nov. 6 at the same time.
These
flights have been carefully planned and will be closely controlled. The flights are intended to assist in
calibration of systems and equipment, and training, and will serve to refine
and improve our ability to respond to unknown and potentially threatening
aircraft. No ordnance of any kind will
be employed during this exercise.
NORAD
has conducted 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, Florida.