F-16s on alert at Eareckson Air Station launched the mission and covered the southern sector. The fighters had deployed to the remote airfield from Oct. 18 to 26 under Operation Noble Defender, and the mission shifted to Operation Noble Eagle as the response expanded to include Canadian aircraft.
Eareckson is about 1,600 miles from Eielson and 2,600 miles from Cold Lake. An E-3 Sentry from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson joined the mission, while KC-135 Stratotankers and a CC-150 Polaris provided aerial refueling and an HC-130 Combat King II stood by for search and rescue and personnel recovery.
“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 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 certification of Eareckson’s aircraft arresting system for F-16 operations. NORAD said that helped confirm the remote airfield could support future fighter operations.
