Latest news with #Griffons


Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Persistent intruders flying into restricted G7 Kananaskis airspace could be shot down: RCMP
Article content 'Shooting is an extreme measure but yes, we have the capability of taking them down,' Basanta told a media conference at the Springbank Airport just west of the city. 'They'll be met, they'll be intercepted, we do have (CF-)18s flying combat air patrol, we'll have Griffons (military helicopters) support. Hopefully that'll be a deterrent for them to turn around.' He noted those aircraft will be making practice runs in the area in the lead-up to the gathering of leaders from Canada, the U.S., Germany, the U.K., France, Italy and Japan that's considered the largest security operation in the world. Another flight exclusion zone banning unauthorized manned aircraft and drones radiating 20 nautical miles from the Calgary International Airport will be imposed, with both in effect from 6 a.m. on June 14 to 11:59 p.m. on June 17. The restricted zone over Calgary won't disrupt regularly scheduled commercial airline flights, which are expected to be deviated around the Kananaskis zone to the west, said RCMP.


Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Persistent intruders flying into restricted G7 Kananaskis airspace could be shot down: RCMP
Article content Pilots persistently breaching restricted airspace over the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis could be shot down my military aircraft, an RCMP security official said Thursday. Article content Aerial intruders who refuse to obey orders to turn back from restricted airspace radiating 30-nautical miles from the summit venue at Kananaskis Village could be brought down with force as a last resort, said Sgt. Mark Basanta, lead aerospace planner for the G7 which runs from June 15 to 17. Article content Article content 'Shooting is an extreme measure but yes, we have the capability of taking them down,' Basanta told a press conference at the Springbank Airport just west of the city. Article content Article content 'They'll be met, they'll be intercepted, we do have (CF-)18s flying combat air patrol, we'll have Griffons (military helicopters) support. Hopefully that'll be a deterrent for them to turn around.' Article content He noted those aircraft will be making practice runs in the area in the lead-up to the gathering of leaders from Canada, the U.S., Germany, the U.K., France, Italy and Japan that's considered the largest security operation in the world. Article content Another flight exclusion zone banning unauthorized manned aircraft and drones radiating 20 nautical miles from the Calgary International Airport will be imposed, with both being in effect from 6 a.m. on June 14 to 11:59 p.m. on June 17. Article content Article content The restricted zone over Calgary won't disrupt regularly scheduled commercial airline flights, which are expected to be deviated around the Kananaskis zone to the west, said RCMP. Article content 'The hardline zone is in (Kananaskis) . . . there will be a combination of military and police assets in the air,' said Basanta, adding Blackhawk military helicopters are being integrated into the security mission.