PETERSON AFB, Colo. –
The North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, along with the Mexican Air Force, successfully conducted AMALGAM EAGLE 17, a tactical exercise, which was designed to enhance mutual warning and information sharing procedures in support of a cooperative response to a an illicit flight that crossed the U.S. – Mexico border.
Representatives from the Mexican Air Force, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, conducted AMALGAM EAGLE 17 exercise July 12, 2017, in the skies over the United States and Mexico, and in command centers located in Mexico City and in Colorado Springs, Colorado, strengthening the cooperation and partnerships between our countries.
AMALGAM EAGLE is an exercise series to include command post exercises and field training exercises, designed to enhance airspace control procedures between the U.S. and Mexican militaries, supported by civilian agencies from both countries in response to an illicit flight event.
The exercise focused on national procedures for monitoring an illegal flight event and the cooperative hand off of the illicit aircraft from one nation to the other, while exchanging air tracking information. The main objectives of this exercise series were to exercise and refine procedures for monitoring, tracking and coordinating responses, as well as develop and use a communication process at strategic, operational and tactical levels regarding an illicit aircraft transiting U.S. - Mexico airspace, while demonstrating mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty.
“Amalgam Eagle 17 enables the militaries of the U.S., Canada and Mexico to construct relationships that build assurance and mutual respect for the sovereignty of our countries,” said Mr. Joseph Bonnet, the Director of Joint Training and Exercises for NORAD and USNORTHCOM. “Each year the exercise has grown in scope and complexity, which is a direct result of greater trust and confidence in each other as sovereign nations, capable of exchanging key information in a timely manner between military and appropriate civilian agency partners.”
NORAD's mission – in close collaboration with homeland defense, security and law enforcement partners – is to conduct aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning in defense of North America.
USNORTHCOM is responsible for Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities. USNORTHCOM provides DoD capabilities for disaster response operations in support of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, NIFC and state and local officials.
For more information, contact NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889.