NORAD fighter aircraft execute homeland defense mission from austere Eareckson Air Station

EARECKSON AIR STATION, Alaska - U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons maintained air defense alert at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, during an Oct. 18-26 deployment before launching a homeland defense mission on Oct. 25, integrating aircraft from two other Alaskan bases and one Canadian base.

The F-16s launched the mission under Operation NOBLE DEFENDER after deploying to Eareckson Air Station. As the operation developed, it transitioned to Operation NOBLE EAGLE in support of northern sovereignty operations and expanded into a coordinated, binational response that included two F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-35 Lightning IIs from Eielson Air Force Base, an E-3 Sentry from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets from Cold Lake, Alberta; multiple KC-135 Stratotankers and a CC-150 Polaris for aerial refueling; and an HC-130 Combat King II providing search and rescue and personnel recovery coverage. Eareckson lies approximately 1,600 miles from Eielson Air Force Base and 2,600 miles from Cold Lake, underscoring the scale across which NORAD synchronized the force.

During the Oct. 25 homeland defense mission, NORAD presented a layered fighter package across the Alaska theater of operations. F-16s from Eareckson Air Station provided coverage in the southern portion of the theater, while F-35s and additional F-16s from Eielson operated in the northwest and Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s covered the northern approaches. The combined operation demonstrated NORAD's ability to rapidly generate, position and synchronize a credible force package in defense of North America.

"Defending North America demands speed, flexibility, and the ability to bring combat power together across vast distances," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert D. Davis, commander, Alaskan NORAD Region. "Operating from Eareckson Air Station proved we can deploy to an austere location, maintain alert, launch on short notice, and seamlessly integrate U.S. and Canadian forces to defend the northern approaches."

The deployment also included successful F-16 certification of the arresting system, further validating Eareckson Air Station as a viable location for future fighter operations from an austere airfield.

Operation NOBLE DEFENDER is a recurring NORAD air defense operation that demonstrates the command's ability to defend the United States and Canada against threats from any approach while reinforcing the strength of NORAD's binational command and partnerships.