The United States and Mexico practised responding to scenarios of two hijacked aircraft simultaneously bound for the US from Mexico during the AMALGAM EAGLE 19 exercise.
The scenario for AMALGAM EAGLE 19, which had its live-fly portion on 17 July, focused on the combined Mexican-US response to two simultaneous tracks of interest (TOI) aircraft that were hijacked and stolen, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) spokesperson Roberto Garza. Another goal of the exercise is practicing a positive electronic handover, or the two jurisdictions practicing how to track aircraft going from one nation’s radar range to the other.
Mexico used a King Air 350 as part of the AMALGAM EAGLE 19 exercise. Pictured is a decorated King Air 350 flown by H-Bird Aviation Services of Stockholm, Sweden. (Paul Jackson)
Garza said the exercise is designed to exchange information between participating Mexican and US/NORAD command centers, as well as positive control and handoff from Mexican radar coverage to US/NORAD radar coverage until such time as the hijacked aircraft land at a controlled facility.
The first aircraft, Garza said on 17 July, was a Beechcraft King Air 350 utility turboprop twin Mexican general aviation aircraft. The second aircraft was a Boeing 737 reported stolen by air traffic control in Cancun, Mexico, and headed towards the US southern border via the Gulf of Mexico.
Joseph Bonnet, NORAD and US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) director of joint training and exercises, told Jane’s on 17 July that the King Air 350 will fly from Torreón, Coahuila towards El Paso, Texas, through the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
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