In the United States an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is a portion of airspace where identification and location of aircraft is necessary for national defense. Many countries have an ADIZ set up along their national borders. This is to identify any aircraft not complying with ADIZ requirements which may be a threat. It is closely related to the Temporary Flight Restriction which has been used extensively since the September 11, 2001 attacks. A "temporary" ADIZ was created in 2003 around the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Administered by the Federal Aviation Administration in an effort to keep potential threats to national security away from the District of Columbia. There are several locations of strategic interest there such as the White House.
This "temporary" ADIZ creates a lot of tension between the government and the pilots that fly in and around it. Despite the best efforts by the FAA to inform pilots of an ADIZ there are still many erroneous entrances by unsuspecting pilots. Many times the unfortunate pilot will get a military escort consisting of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter or a F-16 fighter jet to the nearest airport followed by a stern lecture. One highly publicized mishap inside the ADIZ involved a plane carrying the Governor of Kentucky and led to the evacuation of the Capitol.
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