STATEMENT OF

MAJOR GENERAL CRAIG R. MCKINLEY, USAF

COMMANDER, CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICAN
AEROSPACE DEFENSE COMMAND REGION
BEFORE THE
NATIONAL COMMISSION ON TERRORIST ATTACKS
UPON THE UNITED STATES

23 MAY 2003

Governor Kean, Congressman Hamilton and members of the Commission:

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the response of North American

Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

It is an honor to represent the thousands of men and women from the active duty forces,

Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve serving around the clock to defend our

Nation's airspace. Since the attacks, we have flown almost 30,000 airborne sorties as

part of Operation NOBLE EAGLE. Every day Americans and Canadians work side-by-

side in NORAD to protect North America. In addition, we have forged unprecedented

relationships with federal agencies to strengthen our ability to detect and defend against

further attempts to harm our Nation from the air.

The following responds to the Commission's specific questions regarding the

events surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks.

What information did NQRAD and the DoD have about terrorist threats to civil
aviation prior to September 11?

There was no intelligence indication at any level within NORAD or the

Department of Defense (DoD) of a terrorist threat to commercial aviation prior to the

attacks. Information from the daily Joint Chiefs intelligence briefings the morning of

September 11, 2001 indicated no specific dangers or threats within the country.
What NORAD policies and procedures were in effect on September 11 regarding
hijacked airliners?

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 3610.01A, dated 1 June 2001,

entitled Aircraft Piracy (Hijacking) and Destruction of Derelict Airborne Objects

outlines DoD responsibilities regarding hijacked aircraft. It is still in effect. The

instruction states the Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has

exclusive responsibility to direct law enforcement activity related to actual or attempted

aircraft piracy in the "special aircraft jurisdiction" of the United States. When requested

by the FAA Administrator, the DoD provides assistance to these law enforcement efforts.

What happened on September 11 relevant to the hijackings?

The day before the attack, NORAD was participating in an annual exercise called

VIGILANT GUARDIAN. The exercise scenario focused on traditional and non-

traditional attacks coming from outside North America. It was a command and control

exercise only and involved no live flying.

On the day of the attack, fourteen armed fighters were on alert at seven locations

around the United States. This was NORAD's normal air sovereignty posture. Due to

the exercise, the NORAD battle staffs and the Continental United States (CONUS) Air

Operations Center in Florida were manned and functioning at wartime levels. Concurrent

with VIGILANT GUARDIAN, the Russian Air Force was conducting strategic exercises.

Almost immediately after the 9-11 attacks, the Russian Air Force cancelled their planned

polar operations.

How did NQRAD respond to the four hijacked airliners on September 11?

The FAA notified NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector in Rome NY at 0840

EOT that American Airlines Flight 11 had been hijacked after taking off from Boston en
route to Los Angeles. At 0843 EOT, the FAA notified NORAD that United Airlines

Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles had also been hijacked.

At 0846 EDT, NORAD scrambled two F-15s from Otis Air National Guard Base,

Falmouth MA. American Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center 1 at

approximately the same time. The F-15s from Otis were airborne at 0852 EDT. When

United Flight 175 struck the World Trade Center 2 at 0902 EDT, the F-15s were 71 miles

away (8 minutes flying time).

At 0924 EDT, the FAA alerted NORAD that American Flight 77, en route to Los

Angeles from Dulles International Airport, had been hijacked. We ordered two F-16

fighters from Langley Air Force Base VA to intercept the airliner. The F-16s were

airborne within six minutes, but were 105 miles (12 minutes) away when AA Flight 77

struck the Pentagon. -

As F-16s from Langley flew combat air patrols over Washington DC after the

attack on the Pentagon, United Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco was over

Pennsylvania. United Flight 93 crashed outside Shanksville PA at approximately 1003

EDT. The F-16s over Washington DC were 100 miles (11 minutes) away.

What other defensive measures were taken by NORAD to protect our Nation on
September 11?

Our Nation's air defense posture rapidly grew from fourteen to over 200 hundred

fighters, tankers and airborne early warning aircraft by 1900 EDT on September 11,

2001. By the morning of September 12, we had over 400 aircraft on alert or airborne.

Combat air patrols were generated over sixteen major metropolitan areas. The Second

and Third Fleet commanders offered the capabilities of their carrier battle groups and
Aegis cruisers off the east coast. All systems were woven into the NORAD air defense

system.

What improvements have and should be made in the aftermath of the attacks?

Since September 11, 2001, our capability to detect and defend against hostile

airborne targets has improved tremendously. Operation NOBLE EAGLE was established

shortly after the attacks to provide an operational framework for unified defense of the

United States. Baseline Air Force fighter alert sites have more than doubled and provide

a robust capability to defend along our coasts, as well to respond to events in the interior.

Irregular combat air patrols continue to be a regular aspect of our daily operations.

Ground-based air defense artillery is now deployed around the country. U.S.

Navy ships remain on call to provide forward defense capabilities offshore.

The CONUS Region Air Operations Center facilities and manning levels have

been enhanced to provide improved command and control of combat air patrols. Over

100 additional FAA radars have been netted into the joint surveillance system to give

NORAD "eyes" in the Nation's interior. Mobile air control radar squadrons are regularly

used to provide surveillance in areas with limited radar capability. We also added

ground-to-air communications capability to improve command and control of fighter

aircrews. In addition, NORAD "rules of engagement" for domestic airspace have been

streamlined and coordinated between the United States and Canada regarding the use of

lethal force.

Conclusion

NORAD remains committed to winning the Global War on Terrorism and to

protecting our Nation in the face of new threats. In cooperation with other agencies and
elements of the DoD, we have made enormous progress since the 9-11 attacks in

providing more robust air defense capabilities. We have developed a clear vision of what

remains to be done to ensure the protection of our citizens. We appreciate the continued

support of Congress for our people and missions. I am honored to appear before you and

look forward to your questions.