Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 112; Flight Crew Total 2952; Flight Crew Type 529
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Exited Penetrated Airspace; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Weather
Upon the route; thunderstorms were heavily building to the north and I requested deviations to the south. We were then cleared direct to destination where I had to request more deviations for thunderstorms. When handed off to next controller; I was informed of 'military operating airspace' that was active and asked if we could fly a more northern heading to avoid the airspace. I told ATC I was unable due to heavy thunderstorms to the north of our current heading. When I looked at the high altitude chart; I then saw that our current heading had us directly over the Florida panhandle shoreline where we penetrated restricted areas R-2919A; R-2919B and R-2915A. I could not have flown south of these areas due to restricted over water operations and was unable to fly north around these areas due to heavy thunderstorm activity. ATC did not alter my path nor incline that there was any issue of this airspace penetration during the entire flight. As for corrective action; ATC could have possibly altered my route to fly north of the entire system otherwise; weather avoidance and safety take precedence in a situation like this.
A corporate jet Captain reported penetrating restricted airspace after he was forced to deviate from his course toward the restricted airspace due to weather and could not circumnavigate the restricted airspace because of overwater restrictions.