fighter jet drills

Fighter jets to conduct military drills over Toronto

If you hear an obnoxiously loud noise coming from high above at some point tomorrow, know that the City of Toronto is not under attack. 

On the contrary, the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) will be conducting "routine air defence training" above the city tomorrow.

NORAD announced the drills in a series of tweets Wednesday morning and said they're being conducted to allow pilots to practice response procedures in a high-density airspace. 

"These exercises ensure #NORAD forces remain ready to respond to aerospace threats 24/7 anywhere in #Canada and the #UnitedStates," they tweeted.

"The defence of North America is our top priority."

Throughout the drills, Torontonians may spot a series of fighter jets from both the Royal Canadian Airforce and the U.S. Airforce, including CF-18s, F-16s and a Boeing KC-135. 

NORAD said the drills are not related to COVID-19 response efforts in Canada or the U.S., and that exercises such as these are conducted hundreds of times per year throughout Canada and the United States. 

Toronto residents in particular know this to be true, as this will be far from the first time residents are subjected to the sounds of fighter jets overhead. 

Lead photo by

North American Aerospace Defense Command


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