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Fact Sheet Article View

FACTSHEET | Aug. 2, 2023

Canadian NORAD Region

Commander: Major-General Iain Huddleston, OMM, CD (RCAF) 

Deputy Commander: Brig. Gen. Jocelyn J. Schermerhorn (USAF) 

Mission: The mission of the Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region is to provide aerospace surveillance, identification, control and warning for the defence of Canada and North America. 

Headquarters: 1 Canadian Air Division (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) 

Area of Operations: Canada, Canada Air Defense Identification Zone 

Participating Organizations: Royal Canadian Air Force, United States Air Force

Contributing Organizations: 3 Wing (Bagotville, QC), 4 Wing (Cold Lake, AB), 22 Wing (North Bay, ON), NAV Canada, Transport Canada, tasked CAF organizations 

Number of Canadian/US staff at HQ: ~550 

Brief History of Command: In 1958, against the backdrop of the Cold War and threat of Soviet air attack, Canada and the United States formally established the world’s only binational military command, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is responsible for the shared monitoring and defence of North American aerospace, and therefore, NATO’s Western flank. 

Over the years, the strength of NORAD has rested in its ability to evolve in response to the changing threat environment. For example, in 1985, Canada and the U.S. agreed to modernize NORAD by replacing the Distant Early Warning (DEW) line with the North Warning System (NWS). In the aftermath of 9/11, NORAD implemented Operation NOBLE EAGLE to address air security threats. By 2006, our countries had renewed the NORAD Agreement in perpetuity and added maritime warning to the overall mission. 

Today, NORAD remains the model of a successful defence partnership and a symbol of our enduring and mutually beneficial cross-border relationship with the U.S. NORAD has evolved to keep North America safe from modern aerospace and maritime threats, and with additional investments announced in 2022, will continue to uphold its mandate well into the future. 

TW: @RCAFOperations