NORAD

NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is a bi-national military organization of the United States and Canada charged with aerospace warning, air defense, and maritime warning for North America. Established in 1958 during the Cold War, its purpose was to provide early warning of aerospace threats and to coordinate defense of North American airspace. The command is headquartered at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex near Colorado Springs, Colorado, and operates as a joint, binational authority with components and facilities in both countries.

NORAD’s core missions include aerospace warning—detecting and tracking aircraft, missiles, and space objects; air defense—planning and executing measures to identify and respond to unknown or hostile aircraft; and maritime warning—monitoring approaches by sea to North America. It relies on an integrated network of radars, satellites, airborne sensors, and command-and-control centers to provide timely situational awareness and to direct intercepts or other defensive actions, often in coordination with national forces and allies.

Organization and operations are conducted through a binational framework that draws personnel from both countries. Leadership typically rotates between the United States and Canada, and the command works in close partnership with national defense authorities in each country. In the post-9/11 era, NORAD has maintained a heightened readiness posture and adapted to evolving security challenges, including enhanced space surveillance and missile warning capabilities, while continuing to coordinate cross-border defense and crisis response.

Today NORAD remains a central element of continental defense, balancing traditional air defense with modern warning responsibilities in a changing security environment.