NORAD Tests Anti-Hijacking Skills, Avoids Panic

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NORAD Tests Anti-Hijacking Skills, Avoids Panic

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - U.S. and Canadian military authorities tested their ability to deal with international hijackings on Tuesday and succeeded in at least one area -- they didn't panic the public.


The binational North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, took the unusual step last week of warning the public in advance of the counter-terrorism training exercise over the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.

NORAD had worried because the training scenarios included radio transmissions on general aviation frequencies and had the potential to involve military aircraft flying at low altitudes over urban areas such as Vancouver.

The two "hijacked" planes were successfully landed at airports in Vancouver and Alaska by Tuesday afternoon, and officials said they had received no reports of the public or news media confusing the tests were the real thing.