Two F-16s from Eareckson covered the southern portion of the Alaska theater. F-35s and additional F-16s from Eielson Air Force Base operated in the northwest, while Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornets covered the northern approaches.
“Defending North America demands speed, flexibility, and the ability to bring combat power together across vast distances,” said Lt. Gen. Robert D. Davis, commander of the 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 Eareckson’s arresting system. NORAD said that work further validated the airfield as a location for future fighter operations.
The mission began under Operation Noble Defender before transitioning to Operation Noble Eagle in support of northern sovereignty operations. It brought together aircraft from Eareckson, Eielson, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Cold Lake in Alberta.
An E-3 Sentry supported the operation, while KC-135 Stratotankers and a Canadian CC-150 Polaris provided aerial refueling. An HC-130 Combat King II supplied search-and-rescue and personnel-recovery coverage.
Eareckson is approximately 1,600 miles from Eielson and 2,600 miles from Cold Lake. NORAD said the operation showed it could position and coordinate a layered fighter force across those distances to defend North America.
