PETERSON Air Force Base, Colo. – The North American Aerospace Defense Command will exercise next week in Alaska and Northern Canada. Two of NORAD’s geographical components, Alaskan and Canadian NORAD Regions, will conduct flights with emphasis on identifying unidentified aircraft approaching North America.
The Russian military has also announced an exercise that will take place in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Sept. 26-30. This will provide NORAD fighters an opportunity to practice routine procedures as the United States, Canada and Russia conduct training exercises along their borders.
NORAD and its regional support units and bases conduct regular training to maintain and validate procedures and readiness levels for response in the event of emergency situations. NORAD airborne early warning assets and air-to-air refueling tankers play important roles in safeguarding the sovereignty of U.S. and Canadian airspace.
NORAD maintains a robust air defense posture for North America and employs a variety of assets to accomplish its mission. Fighters on alert, irregular air patrols, airborne early warning assets, improved radar coverage and connectivity, and a multi-layered air defense umbrella for specific areas are key components of this air defense posture. NORAD aircraft have flown more than 44,000 sorties since Sept. 11, 2001.