NORAD - September 29, 2006
WINNIPEG, MAN. – North American Aerospace Defense Command launched three
pairs of fighters Thursday evening from the command's Canadian NORAD Region
(CANR) and the Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR) in response to Russian aircraft that
penetrated North America’s Air Defense Identification Zone, according
to NORAD officials.
“While the Russian air assets at no time violated Canadian or U.S. airspace,
integrated air defense assets in and around CANR and ANR 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 did not intercept any of the bombers,”
said Cairns.
NORAD is a bi-national Canadian and United States 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.
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Note to editors: For more information, please contact Captain Jennifer Faubert
at Canadian NORAD Region (204) 833-2500 ext 6795 or (204) 931-0739.
