NORAD Intercepts Russian Aircraft

[Jag]

PETERSON AFB, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command launched three pairs of fighters Thursday evening from the command's Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR) and
the Canadian NORAD Region (CANR) in response to Russian aircraft that penetrated North America’s Air Defense Identification Zone, according to NORAD officials.

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska--An F-15C Eagle from the 12th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base flies next to a Russian Tu-95 Bear Bomber during a Russian exercise Sept. 28, which brought the Bear near the west coast of Alaska. The Eagle took off as part of North American Aerospace Defense Command’s reaction to this training opportunity provided by the Russian 137th Air Army. Photo courtesy 12th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force base.

"While the Russian air assets at no time violated U.S. or Canadian airspace, integrated air defense assets in and around ANR and CANR were able to detect, intercept and identify a number of the Russian Tu-95 Bear heavy bombers participating in an annual Russian air force exercise near the coast of Alaska and Canada," said Maj. Gen. Brett Cairns, NORAD director of operations. F-15s launched out of ANR intercepted the bombers off the west coast of Alaska. CF-18 fighters also launched out of CANR, but were not required intercept any of the bombers, said Cairns.

NORAD is a bi-national United States and Canadian organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America. Aerospace warning includes the monitoring of man-made objects in space, and the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, utilizing mutual support arrangements with other commands. Aerospace control includes ensuring air sovereignty and air defense of the airspace of Canada and the United States.

While this response to the Russian bombers shows how NORAD continues to monitor the air approaches to North America, NORAD’s mission also focuses on airspace within North America. Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD has scrambled or diverted more than 2,200 times to execute its aerospace control mission for North America.

Jag