U.S. Air Force F-15 Fighters Scrambled from Portland

Two U.S. Air Force F-15 fighters scramble from Portland and take position alongside the unidentified Beech Baron, achieving missile lock on the unresponsive twin-engine prop plane. Nancy tracks their approach on screens while Fitzwallace demands action; Leo, Bartlet, and the General watch the standoff unfold in the Situation Room's charged silence, radar pings marking seconds to potential engagement.

2 appearances

Purpose

Air defense intercept of unidentified aircraft with missile lock capability

Significance

False alarm forces Bartlet to test rules of engagement in real time, exposing his doubts and prompting Cabinet assembly for 25th Amendment transfer amid personal fears for his daughter.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Air Alarm Forces a Rules Debate — Bartlet’s Judgment Tested

Two F-15 fighters scrambled from Portland appear as the kinetic instrument of national defense: they flank the Beech, achieve missile lock, and provide the immediate option to shoot down the plane if necessary, which raises the political stakes.

Before: Launched from Portland Air National Guard Base, airborne and vectored toward the unidentified aircraft.

After: Hold position with missile lock until called off after pilot contact; return to base or remain on station as appropriate (implicit).

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S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Bartlet's Crisis: Fear, Memory, and the Transfer of Power

Two F-15 fighters scrambled from Portland are the immediate military response, positioned to intercept the Beech Baron and reported by the General as having 'clear shots'—their presence raises the stakes and forces the President into a shoot/no-shoot choice.

Before: Launched from Portland Air National Guard Base and en route, establishing intercept positions flanking the Beech Baron.

After: Held missile lock until the private pilot radioed; returned to intercept posture while the Situation Room absorbed the defusing information.

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