Noble Eagle Remains Vital Operation

March 20, 2008— There’s been no let up in the number of Operation Noble Eagle sorties generated by 1st Air Force/Air Forces Northern, and in fact the Air National Guard-led operation posted 59 more sortie in February than the previous month. Of the 190 fighter sorties, covering the Western and Eastern Air Defense Sectors, ANG and Air Force Reserve Command flew almost three-quarters. And the Air Reserve Components flew all but one of the 30 tanker sorties. Testifying earlier this month on the Fiscal 2009 budget request, NORAD/US Northern Command boss Air Force Gen. Victor Renuart said the ONE mission would remain “critical” for the foreseeable future to monitor the air threat, particularly with the aging-out of the systems monitoring our national airspace. He said it also would continue to have a “key role” in monitoring for low observables and cruise missiles.

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An Essential Role
“A credible and reliable nuclear deterrent is essential to our national security and it instills confidence in our allies and friends. And the Air Force has a continuing and essential role in this mission. Today thousands of America’s airmen ensure the readiness of this nuclear arsenal. They operate America’s missile fields and train to deliver weapons from nuclear-capable aircraft. They sustain the current nuclear weapon and delivery systems, ensuring the engineering integrity of all of [them.]”
—Air Force Secretary Michael Donley during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008.

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Not Broken
“We had a good sit-down, face-to-face discussion. ... Without speaking for GAO, one of their senior folks sort of said, ‘Your system is not broken.’”
—Air Force Secretary Michael Donley on a recent meeting between USAF acquisition officials and Government Accountability Office representatives to discuss the service’s acquisition processes, during a CSIS presentation, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008.