Japan Self Defense Force participates in the Planning Conference for joint NORAD-Russia exercise

February 14, 2014 Colorado Springs - Members of the Japan Air Self Defense Force participated in Vigilant Eagle 14 Initial Planning Conference (IPC) in Colorado Springs with their military Russian and NORAD counterparts this week.  The Vigilant Eagle 14 exercise will be conducted in August this year as a Computer Command Post Exercise and will incorporate a more complex scenario to be further discussed and developed during this IPC. 

“We recognize the importance of mutual cooperation,” said Colonel Hidetada Inatsuki, JASDF, Air Staff Office, Deputy Head, and Operations Division.  Since 2007, the Vigilant Eagle Exercise Series focuses on national procedures for monitoring the situation and conduct a hand-off of a hijacked aircraft from one nation to the other while exchanging air track information.

Last year’s live-fly Vigilant Eagle 13 exercise took place August 27-28 between Anchorage, Alaska and Anadyr, Russia, and involved Russian, Canadian and U.S. military personnel and aircraft operating from command centers in Russia and the United States. 

“We are very happy to welcome members of the Japan Air Self Defense Force to NORAD.  This meeting is the start of another valuable security partnership with Japan which will help all of us make the airspace safer and more secure,” said Joe Bonnet, Director of Joint Training and Exercises for NORAD and U.S. Northern Command.  

 Working in partnership with the civilian Federal Aviation Agency and its Russian counterpart, all players will focus on coordinating their response to the incident.

 The U.S.-Russian Federation Armed Forces Military Cooperation Work Plan is the basis that allows the Russian Federation and NORAD personnel to conduct Vigilant Eagle conferences and execution.