NORAD

• Origins During the Cold War: NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) was established on May 12, 1958, as a joint U.S.-Canadian command to provide aerospace warning and defense against Soviet bomber and missile threats during the Cold War. • Cheyenne Mountain Complex: NORAD’s iconic operations center is buried deep within Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. The facility is designed to withstand a 30-megaton nuclear explosion as close as 1.2 miles away. • Binational Command: NORAD is unique in that it is a combined organization of both the United States and Canada, with personnel and leadership drawn from both nations. • SANTA Tracking Tradition: Since 1955, NORAD has famously tracked Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, a tradition that began after a misprinted phone number in a department store ad led children to call NORAD’s predecessor. • Missile Warning System: NORAD operates a worldwide system of satellites and radar installations that can detect missile launches from anywhere on the globe within minutes. • 9/11 Response: On September 11, 2001, NORAD scrambled fighter jets in response to the terrorist attacks, marking one of its most significant domestic operations. • Alaskan Air Defense: NORAD's Alaska NORAD Region (ANR) monitors the vast and strategically important airspace in and around Alaska, frequently intercepting Russian aircraft near North American airspace. • Canada’s Role: The only non-American to serve as NORAD Commander was Canadian General Charles F. Bouchard, who served as Deputy Commander from 2009 to 2011. • Early Warning Radars: The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, a network of radar stations across the Arctic, was one of NORAD’s first and most significant projects to detect incoming attacks. • Expanding Mission: Originally focused on aerospace threats, NORAD’s mission has expanded to include maritime warning and cooperation with other U.S. and Canadian agencies in homeland defense.