By Marina Malenic
U.S. fighter jets have been intercepting an average of 400 aircraft per year over U.S. territory since 9/11, though none of those instances has involved any hostile intent, according to the top military officer in charge of North American security.
“There are a number of aviators out there who have had a chance to see an F-16 up very close, who have been landed at an airfield that wasn’t their planned airfield and were greeted by 30 or 40 of their newest friends in the FBI,” said Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, head of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM).
For example, a crop-duster plane that strayed into restricted air space near President George W. Bush’s ranch in Texas was spotted by the Joint NORAD-NORTHCOM operations center. Officials promptly sent fighters to intercept the aircraft, Renuart told reporters at a Dec. 17 Defense Writers Group breakfast.
“We’ve had a couple instances where, you know, 7 o’clock in the morning, that’s when the crop sprayer gets out to spray his crops, and if his crops are on the other side of a restricted area from his airfield, he just takes off and flies right through it,” he said. “Well that tends to alert the system quite a bit, and so we’ve had F-16s or F-22s even in one case chasing around after a cropduster.”
Renuart did not specify what type of fighter jet–F-15, F-16 or F-22–was involved in the mission. He said the cropduster pilot was likely unaware of NORTHCOM and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight restrictions around presidential aircraft.
While there is a procedure for shoot-down of threatening civilian aircraft put in place after 9/11, Renuart emphasized that all of the intercepts since then have been peaceful.
Most incidents are the result of “a mix of buffoonery or mechanical failure or just a lack of understanding of rules,” he added.
As a result, the military is reaching out to civilian aviators, emphasizing the need for timely filing of flight plans, Renuart said.
“We are working closely with the FAA to make everyone aware of the rules,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Air Force said yesterday that it will deploy 12 F-22 Raptors to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, for three months, while another dozen F-22s will deploy to Andersen AFB, Guam, from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
According to an 18th Air Wing news release, some 250 personnel from Langley AFB, Va., are set to accompany the fighters to Okinawa. The first deployment of Langley-based F-22s to Okinawa took place early last year, according to the Air Force.
The F-22 is a “transformational combat aircraft that can avoid enemy detection, cruise at supersonic speeds, and provides the joint force an unprecedented level of integrated situational awareness,” according to the statement. “These deployments underscore the U.S. commitment to Japan as a vital regional partner and signal U.S. resolve to ensure stability and security throughout the Pacific region.”