WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — People in northwest Kansas, southwest Nebraska and northeastern Colorado may have seen F-16 Fighting Falcons and E-3 AWACS in an air defense exercise Wednesday.
NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, conducted the live-fly air defense exercise.
It involved NORAD F-16s and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft and civilian aircraft.
The exercise was at approximately 8,000 feet, so it may have been visible to the public.
NORAD said it routinely conducts air defense exercises to test responses, systems and equipment. It uses various scenarios, including hijackings, airspace restriction violations and responding to unknown aircraft.
Officials say the exercises are planned carefully and closely controlled.
