Continental Air Defense: A Dedicated Force Is No Longer Needed

The continental air defense mission evolved during the Cold War to detect and intercept Soviet bombers attacking North America via the North Pole. The continental air defense force that carries out that mission is within the North American Aerospace Defense Command NORAD, which is ajoint U.S. and Canadian command. The U.S. portion of that force is currently comprised of 180 Air National Guard F-15AB and F-16AB aircraft located in 10 units and 14 alert sites in the United States. In addition to the 10 dedicated units, 2 F-15 dual-tasked general-purpose units stand alert for NORAD an active unit at Elmendorf, Alaska, and an Air National Guard unit at New Orleans, Louisiana-part of which is on 24 hour alert. Because it does not have a wartime mission outside North America, the continental air defense force is not counted as part of the Air Forces 26-12 fighter wing equivalent base force or the 20 fighter wing equivalent force recently proposed by the Secretary of Defense as a result of the Bottom-Up Review. The Air Force currently budgets about 370 million annualiy to operate and support the continental air defense force.