In
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
, a National Security Area (NSA) is a designated airspace through which flight is discouraged for reasons of national security.
Flight through NSAs is not prohibited and no special advance clearance or authorization need be obtained to enter them. However, pilots of aircraft are strongly encouraged to either stay clear of NSAs or obtain prior authorization to pass through them in order to reassure the controlling agency that no threat to national security exists.
NSAs are a compromise between normal airspace and restricted or prohibited airspace. NSAs can be temporarily converted into restricted airspace by
NOTAM
A NOTAM (ICAO & FAA: Notice to Airmen, CAA: Notice to Aviation or, for the FAA from 2021 to 2025, Notice to Air Missions) is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a loca ...
s.
On VFR
sectional chart
In United States aviation, a sectional aeronautical chart, often called a sectional chart or a sectional for short, is a type of aeronautical chart designed for air navigation under visual flight rules (VFR).
In Australia, Canada and some other ...
s, NSAs are delimited by a heavy dashed magenta border and a special notation.
When not referring to aviation, a National Security Area is a designated area temporarily placed under the command of the
National Nuclear Security Administration
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a United States federal agency responsible for safeguarding national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and ef ...
. It is designed to safeguard
classified
Classified may refer to:
General
*Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive
*Classified advertising or "classifieds"
Music
*Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper
* The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...
, sensitive, or
restricted information, equipment or materials relevant to the NNSA mission.
See also
*
Special-use airspace
*
Restricted airspace
Restricted airspace is an area of airspace typically used by the military in which the local controlling authorities have determined that air traffic must be restricted or prohibited for safety or security concerns. It is one of many types of s ...
*
Prohibited airspace
A prohibited airspace is an area (volume) of airspace within which flight of aircraft is not allowed, usually due to security concerns. It is one of many types of special use airspace designations and is depicted on aeronautical charts with the ...
References
Air traffic control in the United States
Nuclear secrecy
United States government secrecy
Nuclear safety and security
Special use airspaces
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