Air defense exercise Nov. 5 over the Colorado/Kansas border

The Western Air Defense Sector will conduct air defense exercise Felix Hawk over the Colorado/Kansas border area Nov. 5.

Felix Hawk is designed to test WADS’ intercept and identification procedures for a variety of scenarios involving possible hostile aircraft. Residents between the Garden City, Kan., and Hugo, Colo., areas may observe F-16 aircraft or C-21 aircraft participating in the exercise between 3:30 p.m. and 4:40 p.m. MST.

These training flights are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region.

In the event of inclement weather the exercise will be canceled.

These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure WADS’s rapid response capability. WADS has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the western region since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

WADS and its eastern counterpart, Eastern Air Defense Sector in Rome, N.Y., are part of the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region. CONR, as the continental United States geographical component of the bi-national command NORAD, provides airspace surveillance and control, and directs air sovereignty activities for the CONUS region. CONR and its assigned Air Force assets throughout the country ensure air safety and security against potential air threats.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD fighters have responded to more than 5,000 possible air threats in the United States, Canada and Alaska, and have flown more than 62,500 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft.

For more information on these Felix Hawk flight-training exercises, please contact the 140th Wing Public Affairs office at 720-847-6164.