UPDATE 1 -- Fighter jets intercept small planes near Obama's country retreat

2011-07-10 10:22:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- Two fighter jets on Saturday afternoon intercepted two small planes near Camp David in Maryland, where U.S. President Barack Obama is spending the weekend.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said two F-15E fighter jets were first alerted when a small plane out of radio communication entered an area where temporary flight restrictions are in place. The area is near Camp David, the country retreat of the president.

The fighter jets intercepted the small aircraft at around 12.17 p.m. EDT and escorted it out of the restricted airspace. "It landed without incident," NORAD said in a brief statement, giving no other details.

Hours later, a Cessna 210 aircraft also entered temporarily restricted airspace near Camp David. The F-15E fighter jets were again dispatched and intercepted the civilian aircraft at approximately 6.56 p.m. EDT. "[The aircraft] landed at Carroll County Regional Airport where it was met by law enforcement," NORAD said.

The statements gave no other details about the incidents, but there was no indication that the planes had approached Camp David on purpose. Obama and the First Family arrived at Camp David on Saturday and are spending the weekend at the retreat.

There has been a series of similar incidents in recent months. Just last Saturday, an F-15E fighter jet intercepted a small plane in the vicinity of Camp David. And on June 11, two F-15 fighter jets were alerted when a small Beechcraft Bonanza remained out of radio contact while near restricted airspace over Camp David.

NORAD is tasked to prevent air attacks against North America and 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. It is allowed to monitor, shadow, divert from flight path, direct to land and destroy targets which are deemed to be a security threat to North America.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-10

Camp David is "Obama's country retreat"?

It has been used by every US President since the 1930s, and President Eisenhower renamed it after his grandson, David.