Are they basically just there to shoot down the plane before causes larger casualties by crashing into a heavily populated area? I can’t imagine what else a jet can do to a large commercial aircraft in the air.
Are they basically just there to shoot down the plane before causes larger casualties by crashing into a heavily populated area? I can’t imagine what else a jet can do to a large commercial aircraft in the air.
Depends. It’s very situational, but the procedure first calls for monitoring and communications (long story short there are ways of communicating between aircraft using maneuvers.)
Beyond that, there will be attempt at guiding the offending aircraft, either to a runway, or to a safer area.
But if it comes to it, the passenger jet can be shot down - A Hijacked passenger liner should be considered a weapon of mass destruction.