SC Air Guard flights over Myrtle Beach, Florence

MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. (AP) — Fighter jets with the South Carolina Air National Guard are conducting exercises in the skies over Myrtle Beach and Florence.

Guard spokesman Maj. Jim Roth says Tuesday’s exercises involved F-16s with the 169th Fighter Wing out of McEntire Joint National Guard Base outside Eastover.

Roth says the aircraft may be seen escorting a single-engine aircraft that is part of the South Carolina Civil Air Patrol.

He says the training is needed for the Guard’s mission as part of the force defending the nation’s airspace, which must train to respond to any potential airborne threats.