NORAD refocuses on terrorism

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- North American Aerospace Defense Command commander Navy Adm. Timothy Keating said in San Antonio, Texas this week his command's new primary mission was terrorism.

Air Force Print News reported Wednesday that NORAD, a bi-national U.S. and Canadian organization previously responsible for providing aerospace warning and control for North America against the Soviet threat, utilizes a network of ground-based radars and fighters to detect, intercept and, if necessary, engage threats.

Keating said, "The Air Force has a huge impact on the success of our mission. They provide the fighters and satellites used on a day-to-day basis to help us accomplish the task of securing our nation's skies."

"We are continually adjusting our structure and capabilities to meet the demands of a changing world," Keating said. "While the threats we face have changed, our charter remains to provide for the security of the United States and defend it against any enemy, whether that be a lone terrorist or a full-scale invasion on our shores."

"We are definitely better at (aerospace defense) than we were five years ago," he said.