[MilCom] WADS to Participate in Live Exercise June 15-17

[Bryan Herbert]

Joann Missey, CIV
NORAD and USNORTHCOM
Public Affairs, Strategic Outreach Specialist

Comm 719-554-4647

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The Continental U.S. North American 
Aerospace
Defense Command Region, along with its Alaskan and Canadian counterparts,
will participate in Exercise Amalgam Dart Tuesday through Thursday off the
coasts of northwestern U.S., western Canada and Alaska.

The exercise is designed to hone NORAD, CONR, Alaskan and Canadian NORAD
Region's intercept and identification operations. These exercises are
carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure a rapid response
capability.

CONR, along with its Eastern and Western Air Defense Sectors, provides
airspace surveillance and control and directs all air sovereignty 
activities
over the continental United States. CANR and ANR control airspace in Canada
and Alaska respectively.

U.S. Air Force C-21 jets will take on the role as tracks of interest. They
will fly during daylight hours at altitudes above 15,000 feet off the
Alaskan, British Columbian, Washington and Oregon Coasts.

For the CONR piece of the exercise, the Western Air Defense Sector, 
based at
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., will scramble Air Force fighters and 
direct
them to intercept the C-21s. The fighters will be F-15 Eagles from the Air
National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing in Portland, Ore., and 120th FW in 
Great
Falls, Mont. An E-3 Sentry from the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB,
Okla., will provide airborne warning and control. KC-135 Stratotankers from
the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild AFB, Wash., will provide aerial
refueling to the E-3.

ANR and CANR will scramble fighters as the TOIs move into their respective
airspace areas.

NORAD and CONR have conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout 
the
U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command's
response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, CONR has responded to more than 2,600 possible air
threats in the United States and has flown more than 56,400 sorties with 
the
support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling
aircraft.

-- 
Bryan Herbert - KE6ZGP | WQKW261
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