MacDill supports CONR-1AF, Operation Noble Defender with aerial refueling
A CF-18 Hornet aircraft assigned to the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron flies away after receiving aerial refueling from a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing in support of North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) Operation Noble Defender (OND), March 16, 2022. As a part of OND, which is a recurring operation, the Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR) coordinated and conducted bi-national aircraft training intercept operations while concurrently launching jets from different locations across the United States' East Coast. This iteration of OND, involving First Air Force and Air Forces Northern assets, is an integrated air and missile defense operation designed to ensure the defense and security of the northern approach to North America. This particular OND provides an opportunity to exercise bi-national hand-off procedures between U.S. and Canadian fighters. A bi-national Canadian and American command, NORAD employs a network of aerial, ground-based, and space-based sensors, air-to-air refueling tankers, and fighter aircraft controlled by a sophisticated command and control network to deter, detect and defend against aerial threats that originate outside or within North American airspace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Hastings)