WADS to Participate in Live Exercise June 15-17

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, along with its Alaskan and Canadian counterparts, will participate in Exercise Amalgam Dart Tuesday through Thursday off the coasts of northwestern U.S., western Canada and Alaska.

The exercise is designed to hone NORAD, CONR, Alaskan and Canadian NORAD Region's intercept and identification operations. These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure a rapid response capability.

CONR, along with its Eastern and Western Air Defense Sectors, provides airspace surveillance and control and directs all air sovereignty activities over the continental United States. CANR and ANR control airspace in Canada and Alaska respectively.

U.S. Air Force C-21 jets will take on the role as tracks of interest. They will fly during daylight hours at altitudes above 15,000 feet off the Alaskan, British Columbian, Washington and Oregon Coasts.

For the CONR piece of the exercise, the Western Air Defense Sector, based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., will scramble Air Force fighters and direct them to intercept the C-21s. The fighters will be F-15 Eagles from the Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing in Portland, Ore., and 120th FW in Great Falls, Mont. An E-3 Sentry from the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla., will provide airborne warning and control. KC-135 Stratotankers from the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild AFB, Wash., will provide aerial refueling to the E-3.

ANR and CANR will scramble fighters as the TOIs move into their respective airspace areas.

NORAD and CONR have conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command's response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, CONR has responded to more than 2,600 possible air threats in the United States and has flown more than 56,400 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft.

USS Shoup Supports NORAD in Air Defense Exercise

By Lt. Elisabeth Erickson, USS Shoup Public Affairs

USS SHOUP, At Sea (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer, USS Shoup (DDG 86) wrapped up participation in joint air and space exercise Amalgam Dart June 23.

Amalgam Dart is part of North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command's (USNORTHCOM) Ardent Sentry '09 exercise series. Shoup played a major role in Amalgam Dart which took place off the coast of Oregon and protected U.S. air sovereignty through airspace surveillance and control.

"Shoup does not often get the opportunity to participate in joint exercises like Amalgam Dart, so this was a valuable experience for my Sailors," said Shoup Commanding Officer Cmdr. Michael Lehman. "Working with the Army liaisons was very productive, and we gained important lessons learned for future exercises and real-world homeland defense scenarios."

Shoup was integrated into the exercise from the Air and Space Operations Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., where the Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR) commander and his staff directed Air Force and Army assets and coordinated with the Maritime Component Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, in employing Navy assets.

Shoup detected and tracked unknown air contacts with its advanced Aegis weapons system, while the Western Air Defense Sector, based at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., detected, identified, tracked and scrambled fighters to intercept threatening airborne objects.

Simultaneously, the Air Force's 552nd Air Control Wing E-3 Sentry provided all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications needed by air defense forces over secure data and voice networks provided by Rhode Island Air National Guard's (ANG) 282nd and Georgia ANG's 283rd Combat Communications Squadron.

"Being out on the ocean with a Navy ship is a unique experience for an Army officer, and we hope to incorporate the Navy in future homeland defense exercises," said Army Maj. Scott Joslin, who was aboard Shoup for the duration of the exercise,

These coordinated joint efforts ensured the air sovereignty and air defense of the continental United States, which met the goal of the exercise to demonstrate a rapidly deployable air defense system that could protect high profile national targets against cruise missiles and other low-flying threats.

"Exercise Amalgam Dart '09 provides the opportunity to train for potential scenarios that could affect the Continental U.S.," said Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow, CONR commander. "Exercises like this allow us to review processes and procedures and focus our future training efforts to identifying areas that may need attention."

"This exercise allowed us to practice our air control and engagement skills in a Real World Environment, so we will be better prepared for operations with the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group," said Chief Warrant Officer Bill Morgan, Shoup's Combat Information Center officer.

NORAD and USNORTHCOM exercise starts tomorrow

PETERSON AFB, Colo. – North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command are planning to conduct a combined exercise June 18 - 24 that will incorporate several military exercises with a National Guard exercise. These linked exercises are referred to as ARDENT SENTRY 09. Events will take place in multiple venues across the country including Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wyoming, and off the East and West Coasts.

The exercise will allow several Department of Defense organizations and some federal and state partners to implement plans and respond to a variety of notional events. Historically, exercises like these have helped both DoD and other agencies review their processes and procedures and focus their future training efforts on closing gaps and identifying areas that need additional attention.

Major AS 09 venues include:

■ NORAD’s AMALGAM DART exercise involving air defense activities at Camp Rilea, Oregon;

■ The National Guard’s VIGILANT GUARD exercise focused on civil support with major activities in Des Moines, Iowa and Topeka, Kansas; and,

■ A Nuclear Weapons Incident exercise (NUWAIX) with a U.S. Air Force response near Cheyenne, Wyoming;

The activities in the vicinity of Camp Rilea will involve the deployment of an Army National Guard ground-based air defense system that will be integrated with Air Force airborne systems (AWACS and fighters) and a Navy Aegis Destroyer

Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors to conduct air defense exercise

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- An Oregon National Guard base will host nearly 200 Soldiers and Airmen, and a U.S. Navy destroyer will patrol coastal waters while participating in a major U.S. Northern Command air defense exercise in mid-June.

Exercise Amalgam Dart '09 will take place at Camp Rilea and nearby Warrenton, Ore., June 18 to 20. It is one of several exercises under the Ardent Sentry '09 exercise series.

Local residents will see a minor influx of people and equipment moving into and out of the Warrenton and Camp Rilea areas a few days before and after the actual exercise starts and ends.

As the continental U.S. geographical component of the bi-national North American Aerospace Defense Command, Continental U.S. NORAD Region personnel provide airspace surveillance and control and direct all air sovereignty activities.

From their Air and Space Operations Center here, the CONR commander and his staff will direct Air Force, Army and Navy assets, ensuring the air sovereignty and air defense of the continental United States.

During Amalgam Dart '09, CONR participants will demonstrate a rapidly deployable air defense system that could protect high-profile national targets against cruise missiles and other low-flying threats.

Deployable-Homeland Air and Cruise Missile Defense assets will be brought from South Carolina to Camp Rilea and Warrenton where they will remain for the duration of the exercise.

"Exercise Amalgam Dart '09 provides us with the opportunity to train and for potential scenarios that could affect the continental U.S.," said Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow, CONR commander. "Exercises like this allow us to review processes and procedures and focus our future training efforts to identifying areas that may need attention. "

Participants in Amalgam Dart '09:

-- The Oregon National Guard's Camp Rilea will provide logistical support, including lodging and meals.

-- F-15 Eagles from the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing in Portland and F-16 Fighting Falcons from the California Air National Guard's 144th FW in Fresno will serve as interceptors during the exercise. They will operate out of the Portland airport and from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., respectively.

-- South Carolina National Guard's 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command from Anderson will deploy the Avenger short-range air defense system.

-- U.S. Navy Aegis-equipped destroyer which uses computers and radars to track and destroy enemy targets will patrol off the Oregon coast.

-- An E-3 Sentry from the Air Force's 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla., will provide all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications needed by air defense forces.

-- Rhode Island ANG's 282nd Combat Communications Squadron and Georgia ANG's 283rd Combat Communications Squadron will deploy communication teams to provide secure data and voice networks for the exercise.

-- The Western Air Defense Sector, based at McChord AFB, Wash., will detect, identify, track and scramble fighters if need be to intercept unknown or threatening airborne objects.

-- C-21s from the 311th Airlift Squadron at Peterson AFB, Colo., and the Air Force Flights Standards Agency in Oklahoma City , and Oregon Wing of the Civil Air Patrol Cessna 172s will serve as high and low-level "targets'" for the exercise participants.

There will be no night flying by Air Force and Air National Guard aircraft, while there will be some night flying by the Civil Air Patrol.

Additionally, there will be no live munitions involved in the exercise.