Two US F-15 Fighter Jets are Intercepting Unresponsive Aircraft over Atlantic
5 September 2014
Two American fighter jets were sent to intercept an unresponsive “light business and utility aircraft” late Friday morning, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, acknowledged.
According to a statement published by NORAD, jets have been deployed to investigate the aircraft, believed to be en route from Rochester, New York to Naples, Florida, after the plane failed to respond to attempts to communicate.
NORAD, “the bi-national Canadian and American command that is responsible for the air defense of North America and maritime warning,” is monitoring the situation along with the US Federal Aviation Administration, the group said on Friday.
The aircraft is question was described as a Socata TBM-700 jet, and was being trailed by NORAD as of 11:30 am EDT.
“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,” according to the statement.
According to CNN, the US Coast Guard has been communicating with authorities in Cuba as the plane approaches that nation’s airspace.
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