Air Defense Identification Zone

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An Air Defense Identication Zone is defined as "the area of airspace over land or water, extending upward from the surface, within which the ready identification, the location, and the control of aircraft are required in the interest of national security."^[1] Typically, aircraft entering an ADIZ is required to radio its planned course, destination, and any additional details about its trip through the ADIZ to a higher authority, typically an air traffic controller. ADIZs typically occur along international borders, but can also surround areas of high security, such as the airspace above the American capital of Washington, D.C. ADIZs are commonly used as part of international airspace control arrangements in many countries, including the United States, Australia, and Japan.

[edit] North America

In North America, the United States and Canada are surrounded by an ADIZ, which is jointly administered by the civilian air traffic control authorities and the militaries of both nations, under the auspices of the North American Aerospace Defence Command or NORAD.

This ADIZ, which is almost exclusively over water, serves as a national defense boundary for aerial incursions. Any aircraft that wishes to fly in or through the boundary must file either a Defense Visual Flight Rules (DVFR) flight plan or an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan before crossing the ADIZ. The aircraft must have an operational radar transponder and maintain two-way radio contact while approaching and crossing the North American ADIZ.

In the United States, the FAA handles the requests of international aircraft and Transport Canada handles Canadian requests. Any aircraft flying in these zones without authorization may be identified as a threat and treated as an enemy aircraft, potentially leading to interception by fighter aircraft.

[edit] Washington D.C.

One of the most well-known recent additions to the collection of North American ADIZs is the Air Defense Identification Zone (Washington DC), which was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks by Al-Qaeda. The attacks, which used commercial airliners in large-scale suicide attacks, caused an increase in airborne security measures, including the establishment of the new ADIZ.

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