US Air Force,
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska: The annual exercise Alaska Shield/Northern Edge 2007 got under way May 7 and runs through May 18. It is part of the U.S. Northern Command-sponsored, national-level Ardent Sentry/Northern Edge 2007 exercise.
Ardent Sentry is designed to hone coordination between the Department of Defense as well as federal, state, local and private agencies in a series of challenging scenarios ranging from natural disasters to terrorist incidents.
“Because of its size and strategic importance, Alaska is unique in hosting a military command focused on the defense and, when requested, support of the state,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas Fraser, the Joint Task Force-Alaska commander. “This exercise is an opportunity to show how the local, state and federal partnership in Alaska provides the highest level of security and response.”
|
An F-15C Eagle taxis down the flightline May 7 at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, during a simulated alert launch as part of Alaska Shield/Northern Edge 2007. The exercise is part of the national level Ardent Sentry/Northern Edge 2007 — a joint chiefs of staff-directed, U.S. Northern Command-sponsored homeland defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo)
More Military Pictures
|
As part of that coordination between agencies, a scenario was planned May 7 for the on-alert F-15C Eagles stationed here.
“The scenario was to intercept a simulated drug runner out of the Pacific Northwest,” said Maj. Nick Guttman, the 3rd Wing weapons officer.
In this example, the Canadian Air Force would initially respond while the plane was over its air space. It would then be handed off to the pair of F-15s as the drug runner's plane approached Alaska.
Joint Task Force-Alaska is the military component of Alaska's integrated response. Its primary missions are to provide military support to civilian agencies and defend Alaska's borders from unauthorized entry. Commonly called Defense Support to Civil Authorities or Homeland Defense, these missions are performed in conjunction with state and local partners.
