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Press Releases
Press Release | Oct. 25, 2023

NORAD air defense exercise planned for southern Louisiana area

Western Air Defense Sector

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash.  –  

The North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct a live-fly air defense exercise, Amalgam Arrow, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. CST over southern Louisiana. 

Under the direction of the Continental U.S. NORAD Region and the Western Air Defense Sector, aircraft participating in the exercise include NORAD F-15 fighter aircraft and Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182 general aviation aircraft.

Some portions of the exercise may involve flights at approximately 4,500 feet and may be visible from the ground. If weather prevents regularly scheduled flights, the exercise will commence Wednesday, Oct. 25.

NORAD routinely conducts exercises with a variety of scenarios, including airspace restriction violations, hijackings, and responses to unknown aircraft. All NORAD exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled.

CONR is NORAD’s continental United States geographical component. CONR has two air defense sectors, the Eastern Air Defense Sector and Western Air Defense Sector. 

Amalgam Arrow is a recurring exercise in support of Operation NOBLE EAGLE, which places emphasis on the warning and control of airspace over Canada and the United States.

For more than 65 years, NORAD aircraft have identified and intercepted potential air threats to North America in the execution of its aerospace warning and aerospace control missions and maintain a watchful eye over Canadian and U.S. internal waterways and maritime approaches under its maritime warning mission.