Publicity and political pressure from Louisiana Congressman Felix Edward Hébert forced the Air Force to establish the Southeast Air Defense Sector and open a radar network along the Gulf coast. The ADIZ was focused on aircraft approaching primarily from the Soviet Union, but on October 26, 1971, a Cuban aircraft landed in New Orleans after flying completely undetected through American airspace. The air defense system reached its peak in 1962, however with the deployment of the SS-6 ICBM in the USSR, strategic threats shifted overwhelmingly to ICBM attacks, and bomber intrusions were considered to be less of a threat. If radio interrogation failed to identify an aircraft in the ADIZ, the Air Force launched interceptor aircraft to identify the intruder visually. An air defense command and control structure was developed in 1950, creating five air defense identification zones around North America. With the outbreak of the Korean War, the Air Force placed its forces on alert and uncovered major weaknesses in the coordination of domestic defense units. However, by 1943 the Axis powers no longer posed a severe threat to the safety of North America. With the outbreak of World War II, the United States asserted control of coastal airspace in 1940, and this took on a sense of urgency after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. The aircraft must also be equipped with a radar transponder. Any aircraft flying in these zones without authorization may be identified as a threat and treated as an enemy aircraft, potentially leading to interception by fighter aircraft.Īn aircraft entering an ADIZ is required to radio its planned course, destination, and any additional details about its trip through the ADIZ to a higher authority, typically an air traffic controller. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) handles the requests of international aircraft and Transport Canada handles Canadian requests. This ADIZ is jointly administered by the civilian air traffic control authorities and the militaries of both nations, under the auspices of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). and Canada, the response to potential aerospace threats does not distinguish between the two nations, and draws on forces from both countries.The Air Defense Identification Zone of North America is an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) that covers the airspace surrounding the United States and Canada – in which the ready identification, location, and control of civil aircraft over land or water is required in the interest of national security. NORAD is a binational command focused on the defense of both the U.S. Operation NOBLE EAGLE is the name given to all air sovereignty and air defense missions in North America. The importance of our continued efforts to project air defense operations in and through the north has never been more apparent.” “This year, we’ve conducted more than a dozen intercepts, the most in recent years. “Our northern approaches have had an increase in foreign military activity as our competitors continue to expand their military presence and probe our defenses,” said General Glen D. The identification and monitoring of aircraft entering a US or Canadian ADIZ demonstrates how NORAD executes its aerospace warning and aerospace control missions for the United States and Canada. NORAD employs a layered defense network of radars, satellites, and fighter aircraft to identify aircraft and determine the appropriate response. The Russian aircraft loitered within the ADIZ for approximately five hours and came within 50 nautical miles of Alaskan shores however, remained in international airspace and at no time entered United States or Canadian sovereign airspace. North American Aerospace Defense Command F-22 fighter aircraft, supported by KC-135 air refuelers, intercepted three groups of two Tu-142 Russian maritime patrol aircraft that entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone late last night.
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