PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command identified two groups of two Russian maritime reconnaissance aircraft entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018.
The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace North of Alaska and at no time did the aircraft enter sovereign United States or Canadian airspace.
Defense of our nations is NORAD’s top priority. The identification and monitoring of aircraft entering a U.S. or Canadian ADIZ demonstrates how NORAD executes its aerospace warning and aerospace control missions for the United States and Canada.
NORAD employs a layered defense network of radars, satellites, as well as fighters to identify aircraft and determine the appropriate response.
“NORAD is committed to the defense of the United States and Canada and stands ready in our role of detecting, tracking and identifying aircraft approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace,” said General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, the NORAD Commander.
NORAD is on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Operation NOBLE EAGLE is the name given to the military response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and applies to all air sovereignty and air defense missions in North America. NORAD is a binational command focused on the defense of both the U.S. and Canada, the response to potential aerospace threats does not distinguish between the two nations, and draws on forces from both countries.