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NORAD NEWS
News | June 23, 2021

FROM THE BEAUFORT SEA TO THE EASTERN ATLANTIC: NORAD EXERCISE AMALGAM DART PROVIDES VALUABLE TRAINING IN THE ARCTIC

Canadian NORAD Region

Exercise AMALGAM DART, which ran from June 10 to 18, 2021, was an air defence exercise that included participation from all three NORAD Regions, and featured a variety of military aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and United States Air Force (USAF), along with support from the South Dakota and Colorado Air National Guards and South Carolina and Florida Army National Guards.

 

Operating out of northern locations in Alaska and from the Beaufort Sea to the Northern Atlantic including Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, N.W.T, 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta, 5 Wing Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Iqaluit and Canadian Forces Station Nunavut and Thule Air Base, Greenland. AMALGAM DART was designed to exercise NORAD’s multi-domain rapid response capabilities used in the defence of North America, while also challenging members to provide logistical support for Arctic operations.

 

The Arctic remains a strategically important region for continental defence. The northern approaches to North America are a potential avenue of attack for a strike on Canadian and US critical infrastructure. Arctic exercises like AMALGAM DART help enhance and sustain the expertise of NORAD personnel in support of a mission in demanding operating environments, while working alongside partners and allies in defence of Canada and the United States

 

“With unique Arctic airpower capabilities, whether it’s disaster relief, search and rescue, or ensuring our National sovereignties, our Canadian and U.S. forces, along with our mission partners in High North communities, stand ready to secure North American sovereignty, anytime, anywhere,” said Brigadier-General Edward Vaughan, Deputy Commander, Canadian NORAD Region.

 

In addition to fighter aircraft, Exercise AMALGAM DART included Search and Rescue aircraft, radar operators, air-to-air refueler support, tactical airlift, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, and a fully independent short-range air defence capability. Participants included members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, along with U.S. Air Force, and National Guards that came together to contribute to its success.

 

Exercise AMALGAM DART also saw the inclusion of the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC) from the South Carolina Army National Guard, and the 265th Combat Communications Squadron of the Maine Air National Guard.  Using their ground based Sentinel Radar Systems, and LINK 16 tactical data link they were able to provide valuable contributions to the combined common operating picture (COP), creating an effective and integrated short-range ground based air defence (GBAD) capability

 

"The team has again delivered an outstanding effort, demonstrating our ability to quickly respond to complex, dynamic situations with great success. The addition of the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command and 265th Combat Communications Squadron as part of Exercise AMALGAM DART provided excellent training, enhancing our binational effectiveness and capability to respond in a multi-domain environment,” said Major-General Eric Kenny, Commander, Canadian NORAD Region.

 

Operating from remote locations like Inuvik, Northwest Territories, and Thule, Greenland, members of the RCAF and the USAF, conducted air defence missions designed to test responses, systems and equipment in austere environments. To ensure the safety of members the exercise was supported by search and rescue capabilities, including CH-149 Cormorant helicopters operating out of Canadian Forces Station Alert, Nunavut, and CC-130 Hercules aircraft and CH-146 Griffon helicopters on standby in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

 

Demonstrating our binational partnership, and constant readiness through exercises like AMALGAM DART, provides a strong deterrence, backed by an agile and credible capability to counter those who might seek to threaten North America.

 

NORAD remains prepared to defend, detect and defeat threats that can reach North America through the Arctic.

 

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NOTE TO EDITORS: A selection of supporting images for this article highlighting Exercise AMALGAM DART 21-1 are available for use from the Canadian NORAD Region SmugMug website located at https://rcafoperationsarc.smugmug.com/Ex-AMALGAM-DART/n-Kx3SPf

A greater selection of imagery captured during Exercise AMALGAM DART 21-1 can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System (DVIDS) using the following link https://www.dvidshub.net/search/?q=AMALGAM+DART&filter%5Bdate%5D=1m&view=grid

For further information, please contact CANR Public Affairs at (204) 833-2500 ext. 2030 or visit our website at http://www.norad.mil

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