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NORAD prepares for Super Bowl XL

WINNIPEG, Jan. 25 /CNW Telbec/ – The Canadian NORAD Region (CANR) will conduct an early morning exercise rehearsal January 26 in the Windsor, Ont/Detroit, Mich. area in preparation for air defense support to Super Bowl XL February 5 at Ford Field. The exercise will comprise a series of training flights conducted in coordination with the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), Canadian Air Defence Sector; Nav Canada, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

NORAD is a bi-national Canada U.S. command responsible for the aerospace defence of North America. This rehearsal is a robust, bi national exercise to test intercept and identification operations. It will involve CF 18s out of Bagotville, Quebec; a CH-146 Griffon helicopter out of Kingston, Ontario; F-16s out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich.; multiple Cessna aircraft; a C-21 Learjet; H-65 helicopters; an E-3 Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft; and air refueling tankers-all flying at low altitudes above the Windsor-Detroit area during twilight (very early) hours Thursday. In the event of inclement weather, the exercise will roll over to the following day.

Enhancing NORAD's capability, the NAV CANADA and FAA interior radars feed a comprehensive air picture to defense sectors controlling the air picture, allowing instantaneous communication with the FAA and other relevant agencies. NORAD has conducted exercises of this nature throughout the United States and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. These ongoing exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure a rapid military response. NORAD aircraft are on alert or conducting irregular patrols throughout the country, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

As the Canadian geographical component of NORAD, CANR provides airspace surveillance and control and directs all air sovereignty activities for the Canadian NORAD Region. CANR and its assigned Air Force assets throughout the country ensure air safety and security against potential air threats and have supported special events such as the G-8 Summit and the visits of foreign dignitaries.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, NORAD fighters have responded to more than 2,000 air events in the United States and Canada and have flown more than 40,000 sorties, or flights, in support of ONE.