A distinctive U.S. Air Force Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS was seen flying low over Ottawa on Tuesday, sparking attention across social media.
Why It Caught Attention
- The E-3 Sentry, equipped with a large rotating radar dome, is used to augment ground-based radar and provide a full “air picture” of a region.
- The aircraft is rare in the U.S. fleet and considered high-demand, according to Christopher Coates, a former deputy commander of NORAD.
- Spotting one above Ottawa is unusual.
Possible Reasons for the Flight
Christopher Coates, now with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, outlined three likely scenarios:
- Routine training mission
- Enhanced security for an event
- Updating radar coverage of the region
Flight Path
According to ADS-B Exchange flight tracking data:
- Departed from Bangor International Airport (Maine)
- Tracked across southern Quebec before circling over Ottawa’s runways
- Continued west toward Kingston, then south across Lake Ontario
- Finished by circling Griffiss International Airport in Rome, N.Y.
Witness Accounts
- Ottawa resident Derek Puddicombe noticed the unfamiliar roar of the engines and identified the plane as AWACS when he saw its radar dome.
- He described the experience as “really something different.”
Official Silence
- The Canadian Department of National Defence, U.S. Air Force, and NORAD did not provide details.
- Nav Canada cited confidentiality in not disclosing flight plans.
- Canada’s Defence Minister Dalton McGuinty stated: “I know nothing about it.”
