425 Squadron Patrols The Alaskan NORAD Region

[BUFF 8]

Mar. 3, 2008

 

A CF-188 Hornet from 425 Squadron, 3 Wing Bagotville, obtains visual

identification of a Russian Bear aircraft.

by Maj Paul Doyle and Capt William Mitchell

This winter, under the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), a

bi-national deployment was exercised between the U.S. and Canada. Canadian

CF-18 Hornets were deployed from 3 Wing Bagotville, Que., and were charged

with the mission of aerospace warning and control for the Alaskan NORAD

Region.

An aerospace warning and control mission for the Alaska region is no small

job. The deployment is equivalent to sending an aircraft from Bagotville to

Europe, and in this case, the task couldn't have been completed without the

support of the United States Air Force's air-to-air refuelling aircraft,

which helped out on short notice.

Upon arrival in Alaska, the Canadian fighter jets were stationed at

Elmendorf Air Force Base. Morale among aircraft maintenance technicians and

pilots was high. From Alaska, members of 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron from

3 Wing would be exercising primary duty of sovereignty operations along the

Northwest Coast of North America. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,

and the Canadians had the unparalleled support from the U.S.'s 3 Fighter

Wing and 611 Air Operations personnel.

 

 

 

During their time there, members of 425 Squadron conducted several

Sovereignty Patrol missions in CF-18s, with successful visual

identifications of Russian strategic bombers (Tu-95 Bear H). The Russian

aircraft never entered Canadian or American sovereign airspace and were

continuously escorted and monitored while in the Canadian and Alaskan air

defence identification zones. The coordination of these escorts and the

assets needed to carry out these missions successfully, demonstrated a

seamless interoperability between Canadians and Americans.

The NORAD operations 425 Squadron conducted in Alaska is an achievement the

squadron can be proud of, and 3 Wing demonstrated that it was up to the

challenge of sending aircraft long distances away from home on very short

notice to fulfill the mission. The mission stands out in the minds of both

Canadians and Americans as an extreme success that speaks highly of the

operational focus of 3 Wing.

[Airmax 0]

I read about his very item you had mention back in 2007 in the Globe & Mail. I was surprise to see these old birds still in use in the Soviet Airforce. An photo was released with an CF-18 escorting an Tu-95 Bear.

[+Typhoid 231]

I read about his very item you had mention back in 2007 in the Globe & Mail. I was surprise to see these old birds still in use in the Soviet Airforce. An photo was released with an CF-18 escorting an Tu-95 Bear.

 

 

I posted quite a few intercept photos, including the NORAD CF-18 escorts, awhile back. The Bear H's are all late model built in the 80's so are very good condition "low milage" birds.