PETERSON AFB, Colo. –
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, in close collaboration with U.S. Strategic Command, conducted intercept and safe passage escort procedures in all three of its regions Aug. 1, 2016. The exercises were carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure NORAD’s rapid response capability.
The training was conducted within the Alaskan NORAD Region, Canadian NORAD Region, and Continental United States NORAD Region as USSTRATCOM B-52s and B-2s conducted flights through each of the regions. Intercept aircraft consisted of two F-22 fighters in ANR, two CF-18 fighters in CANR and two F-15 fighters in CONR.
These intercepts were conducted in order to hone Operation Noble Eagle procedures, cross-border interoperability and coordination, and to reinforce the enduring defense relationship between the United States and Canada.
NORAD is the bi-national Canadian and American command that provides aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for Canada and the United States. The command has three subordinate regional headquarters: the Alaskan NORAD Region at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Canadian NORAD Region at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the Continental NORAD Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
USSTRATCOM combines the synergy of the U.S. legacy nuclear command and control mission with responsibility for space operations; global strike; global missile defense; and global command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR), and combating weapons of mass destruction. This dynamic command gives National Leadership a unified resource for greater understanding of specific threats around the world and the means to respond to those threats rapidly.