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Pentagon to cut back air patrols over New York

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration has decided to end around-the-clock combat air patrols over New York and instead will rely on intermittent patrols and a plan to keep fighter jets on "strip alert," ready to fly within 15 minutes, officials said.

The exact date to implement the revised plan has not been revealed for security reasons. The 24-hour combat patrols will continue over Washington.

The Pentagon proposed the change several weeks ago. The White House agreed the patrols could be cut back because of improved aviation security since September 11, including more federal marshals on commercial flights, stronger cockpit doors on jetliners and more stringent security at airports.

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Improved security measures also include an instant alert system between the Federal Aviation Administration and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which orders military aircraft into the sky. The system would allow the military to react more quickly in the event of a problem or threat.

The around-the-clock patrols have been a drain on the Air Force in particular, cutting into other training efforts. Some 11,000 Air Force personnel and 250 aircraft have been involved in the operation at an estimated cost of more than $350 million. Nearly 20,000 flights have been conducted around the country by a combination of Air Force and Navy fighters.

Military jets began flying continuous patrols over New York and Washington within minutes of the September 11 attacks. Random patrols have been flown over some 30 additional metropolitan areas and during special events such as the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics.

Dozens of bases maintain a strip alert -- fighter aircraft on the ground at strategic airstrips ready to fly within 15 minutes. The number of strip alerts and random patrols will fluctuate depending on threat conditions.