Fighter aircraft under the direction of the North American Aerospace Command will conduct flight interception exercises over Colorado Springs on Friday, NORAD announced today.
NORAD, which is based in Colorado Springs, said the exercise has been carefully planned and will be closely controlled to ensure a rapid NORAD response.
NORAD said the exercises will take place late in the morning and people can expect to see and hear NORAD fighter aircraft as they practice their interception maneuvers.
NORAD noted that it has conducted exercise flights of this nature in both the United States and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle – NORAD’s response to the terrorist attacks which occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
Each exercise flight utilizes a scenario to test NORAD’s response, systems and equipment.
According to NORAD, scenarios include counter-drug operations, aircraft in distress, aircraft defecting, hijacking unknown aircraft and airborne terrorists.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD said fighters under its direction have responded to more than 3,300 possible air threats in Canada and United States.
Last week, NORAD scrambled fighters twice to escort commercial airliners who reported having problems with unruly passengers. One of those flights landed in Colorado Springs, accompanied by two F-16s.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
