Canadian Department of National Defence,
Yesterday marked 50 years since Canada and the United States decided to form a new command responsible for protecting North America and its citizens. Our two nations made the decision to activate the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) command on September 12, 1958, while a more formal agreement was signed on May 12, 1958.
Because the stand-up of NORAD has two dates attached to its formation, military personnel at NORAD Headquarters in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, Colorado plan a year-long celebration between now and next fall.
NORAD members agree that this birthday celebration is a time to reflect on the good relationship between Canada and the U.S. and how important it is that the two countries grow and strengthen together.
“We're celebrating 50 years of dedicated service to the defence of North America and we'd like to highlight NORAD's evolution over the years,” says Major Jason Proulx, a Canadian officer at NORAD Headquarters in Colorado. “We are as relevant now as in the past but we have different mission sets and the public should know that we continue to be here for them, making sure they can sleep soundly at night knowing the skies and waterways are safe.”
NORAD came about after the Second World War when Canada and the U.S. recognized they were vulnerable to enemy attack, especially by long-range Russian bombers. As a result, the two countries decided to integrate their defence planning and strategies into a bi-national military command. In 1958 they signed the NORAD agreement, outlining how they were going to organize the command, what kind of operations they would undertake, and defence plans against possible attacks.
NORAD is charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America. Aerospace warning includes the monitoring of man-made objects in space, and the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, through mutual support arrangements with other commands. Aerospace control includes ensuring air sovereignty and air defence of the airspace of Canada and the United States. The NORAD agreement has been renewed 10 times since 1958.
The May 2006 NORAD Agreement renewal added a maritime warning mission, which entails a shared awareness and understanding of the activities conducted in U.S. and Canadian maritime approaches, maritime areas and inland waterways.
