KINGSTON, Ont. — Residents between Kingston, Ont., Montreal and as far South as Rhode Island could see dog fights in the skies Thursday, but it'll just be a training exercise.
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) is conducting the high-speed exercise in the vast airspace between eastern Ontario in the west, Montreal in the east and south as far as Providence, R.I. and Plymouth, Mass.
The planes — two jets chasing a smaller third jet — will be dispatched out of CFB Bagotville, Que.
NORAD wants everyone in the affected area to be aware of the flight exercise.
“So if people do see them flying, they won't be scared,” said Stacey Knott, a public affairs specialist with NORAD.
She added that she wasn't sure of the exact flight path of the jets.
In training exercises such as these the jets fly at about 10,000 feet, said Staff Sgt. Thomas Doscher of NORAD.
He said the aircraft are visible on a clear day, but at that altitude, if it’s cloudy, people are unlikely to see them.
In this exercise, two fighter jets will chase a U.S. Airforce C-21, which is about the size of a private commercial jet. The C-21 is taking on the role of an unknown aircraft, or as NORAD calls it, a Track of Interest. The exercise is meant to test responses, systems and equipment and to simulate airspace violations, hijackings and responding to unknown aircraft.
NORAD training is part of Operation Noble Eagle, a response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
NORAD is a bi-National Canadian and American command that provides maritime and aerospace warning and defence for both countries. They have bases in Winnipeg, Alaska and Florida.
imacalpine@thewhig.com
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