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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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F-16 fighter jets intercepted a plane entering a no-fly zone around President Donald Trump as he visited Geneva, Ohio, on Tuesday.
The fighters set off flares to attract the pilot's attention at around 6:15 p.m. ET, before escorting the aircraft away from the area, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement.
The incident came just days after the U.S. military said two civilian aircraft had breached restricted airspace around the president during a trip to New Jersey.
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Trump was visiting Ohio for the Patriot Games, a three-day sporting event for teenagers set up by the administration to mark the U.S.' 250th anniversary.
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NORAD, made up of American and Canadian forces, frequently intercepts aircraft that violate temporary airspace limits around the president.
It's responsible for securing the airspace around the commander-in-chief, as well as making sure North America is safe from foreign aerial attacks.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposes Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) around the president's location, which are passed to pilots through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). Crews are required to check NOTAMs before each flight.
If a plane breaks through these TFRs, it triggers a response from the U.S. military.
F-16s intercepted two "general aviation" planes breaking temporary restrictions over Bedminster, New Jersey, as Trump visited his golf course in the state on Sunday. General aviation is a broad term referring to non-commercial civilian aircraft.
The U.S. military warned pilots in the Bedminster area ahead of the weekend that "multiple" restrictions would be in place, as well as U.S. Army ground-based air defense systems.
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Ground-based air defense systems are designed to take out drones, missiles and aircraft like planes or helicopters that can pose a threat to the area they're protecting.
Trump arrived in Ohio on Tuesday for the last day of the games hosted at Spire Academy boarding school, and departed back to the White House later the same day.
Last month, NORAD said its F-16s intercepted three aircraft in a single day after more than 10 planes entered restricted airspace around Bedminster on July 19.
NORAD jets intercepted Russian and Chinese nuclear-capable aircraft flying in international airspace near Alaska during joint drills in July 2024.
The U.S. military said at the time it didn't see the activity within Alaska's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) as a threat. An ADIZ is an area outside a country's own airspace where aircraft still need to identify themselves.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Tony Phillips.
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