NORAD F-16s fly homeland defense mission from remote Aleutian air station

Air Force F-16s launched a homeland defense mission Oct. 25 from Eareckson Air Station, according to NORAD. The station is on Shemya Island, the westernmost U.S. military outpost in the Aleutian chain. The mission grew to include aircraft from two other Alaska bases and a Canadian base.

The command did not say what, if anything, prompted the mission.

The F-16s flying from Eareckson covered the southern part of the Alaska theater. F-35s and more F-16s from Eielson Air Force Base covered the northwest, and Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s from Cold Lake, Alberta, covered the northern approaches. Eareckson is about 1,600 miles from Eielson and 2,600 miles from Cold Lake.

Support aircraft took part too. An E-3 Sentry radar plane came from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Air Force KC-135 tankers and a Canadian CC-150 Polaris handled aerial refueling, and an HC-130 Combat King II provided search and rescue coverage.

The mission began under Operation Noble Defender, which NORAD calls a recurring air defense operation. As it developed, it shifted to Operation Noble Eagle "in support of northern sovereignty operations," NORAD said.

The F-16s held air defense alert at Eareckson during an Oct. 18–26 deployment. The deployment also certified the station's arresting system for F-16s. That's the cable that catches a fighter's tailhook on landing. NORAD said that further validates Eareckson "as a viable location for future fighter operations."

"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," said Lt. Gen. Robert D. Davis, commander of the Alaskan NORAD Region.