NORAD fighter jets intercept aircraft near Trump’s Bedminster golf club

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said its F-16 fighter jets intercepted multiple general aviation aircraft over Bedminster, New Jersey, on Sunday after the planes reportedly violated temporary flight restrictions in the area. 

The 1st Air Force’s Air Forces Northern clarified that two aircraft were involved in the incident.

The general aviation aircraft were safely escorted out of the restricted area by NORAD aircraft, officials said. 

The temporary flight restrictions were in place over the Bedminster area, where President Donald Trump was expected to spend the weekend at his golf club as it hosted the four-day LIV Golf New York tournament.

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Ahead of Trump landing in New Jersey, NORAD previously said that it would enforce multiple FAA-established temporary flight restrictions over the region this weekend. 

Pilots and the public were also told that U.S. Army ground-based defense assets may be present in the area, operating under the Continental U.S. NORAD Region as part of the command’s routine, layered defense. 

"These systems are operating under NORAD authorities, constitute a routine component of the command’s layered defense posture and work in tandem with the command’s airborne assets to monitor and protect the airspace," information published by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service said. 

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Officials used the incident to remind general aviation pilots to check Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) before every flight for the latest information on airspace restrictions and other flight procedures, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

"Check NOTAMs before EVERY flight!" 1st AF/AFNORTH said in a post on X. 

If a pilot becomes intercepted by NORAD aircraft, the pilot should immediately adjust their radio frequency to 121.5 or 243.0, according to information published by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 

They should then "turn around to reverse course until receiving additional instructions on one of those frequencies."

Temporary flight restrictions are often issued to limit aircraft operations in designated areas for presidential movements, major sporting events, national security concerns and other special events. 

NORAD often employs a network of radars, satellites, fighter aircraft and other capabilities to identify and respond to potential threats in the North American airspace.