F-16s of the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron had been deployed to the distant King Salmon airport to reveal NORAD’s readiness to answer potential threats all through Alaska.
U.S. Air Drive F-16 Combating Falcons assigned to the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (18th FIS) had been deployed by the North American Aerospace Protection Command (NORAD) from Eielson AFB to King Salmon Airport, Alaska, introduced the command on Apr. 7, 2026. In line with the captions on the DVIDS community, the train passed off on Apr. 2.
The operation noticed the deployment of two F-16s to King Salmon Airport, from the place the fighters had been launched for a apply scramble. King Salmon airport, on the southwestern coast of Alaska off the Bering Sea, is over 750 km away from Eielson AFB in central Alaska.
The F-16s practiced intercepting a pleasant KC-135 Stratotanker alongside different fighter plane, together with not less than one other F-16. The KC-135 then refueled the Vipers (because the F-16 is called by its crews) on the return journey to Eielson AFB.
The deployment demonstrated “how Alaskan NORAD Area maintains quite a lot of response choices all through the Alaskan Theater of Operations to detect, deter, and defeat potential threats to the U.S. and Canadian airspace 24/7/365,” defined the assertion.
F-16 Combating Falcons from the Alaskan NORAD Area not too long ago operated from distant areas in Alaska, sustaining NORAD’s readiness to answer potential threats to North America.
— North American Aerospace Protection Command (@NORADCommand) April 6, 2026
Plane
4 totally different F-16s might be seen within the images of the operation, with two being those flying the apply scramble and the opposite two being intercepted along with the KC-135 Stratotanker. It’s unclear if different property had been additionally concerned.
Notably, one of many plane is flying with the markings of the 706th Aggressor Squadron “Cajuns” of the Air Drive Reserve Command (AFRC), primarily based at Nellis AFB, Nevada. In reality, since its redesignation from 18th Aggressor Squadron to 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in 2024, the unit has been receiving upgraded Block 30 jets from a number of models.
Apparently, within the air refueling images, an plane which instantly reconnects the 18th FIS to its earlier Aggressor mission is the F-16C Block 30 with the inexperienced, tan and black “BDU Splinter” camo scheme unveiled in 2017. A few of these specifically painted F-16s are nonetheless flying and generally utilized in fast response alert (QRA) missions, similar to in Might 2024 after they intercepted Russian plane, together with a Tu-95, Su-35S and Su-30SM, off Alaska.
The KC-135 Stratotanker, going by the tail flash, is assigned to the Illinois Air Nationwide Guard’s (ANG) 126th Air Refueling Wing (126th ARW).
Payloads
Apparently, all F-16s are carrying the Offended Kitten Digital Warfare (EW) pod, a system that had been in use for some time. The pod additionally made its fight debut within the ongoing marketing campaign in opposition to Iran.
It isn’t clear if that is the primary time the Offended Kitten pods have been discovered on NORAD’s F-16s utilized in QRA missions. It should be famous that the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 COOT-A Indicators Intelligence (SIGINT) plane, which is incessantly seen over the Baltic Sea, additionally started rising in NORAD’s airspace when it was intercepted 4 instances between Aug. 20 and 26, 2025.
It isn’t recognized if the addition of the Offended Kitten’s EW functionality on NORAD’s F-16s is expounded to the Russian Il-20. Nevertheless, it additionally can’t be indifferent from a broader emphasis on electromagnetic spectrum warfare functionality throughout frontline fight platforms.
The remainder of the payload on the F-16s embrace each inert and stay weapons. Particularly, the 2 F-16s which had been deployed to King Salmon airport had been loaded with inert (blue bands) CATM-120Cs and CATM-9Xs in addition to an ACMI pod, with the opposite two F-16s seen in formation with the KC-135 carried stay (yellow bands) AIM-120Cs and AIM-9Ms.
Mar. 4 Russian Tu-142 intercept
On Mar. 12, the Alaskan NORAD Area and Alaskan Command additionally launched pictures of one of many two Russian Tupolev Tu-142 anti-submarine and maritime surveillance plane that U.S. and Canadian fighter plane had intercepted on Mar. 4. The pictures confirmed two Royal Canadian Air Drive (RCAF) CF-18s (Canadian designation for the F/A-18C/D Hornets) and one F-35A Lightning II, along with one other fighter – seemingly a second F-35 – which captured the pictures.
On Mar. 4, 2026, @NORADCommand U.S. and Canadian plane positively recognized, tracked, and intercepted Russian army plane by way of the Alaskan ADIZ in worldwide airspace north of Alaska.#WeHaveTheWatch pic.twitter.com/AyO5l3p2ZT
— Alaskan NORAD Area and Alaskan Command (@ANRALCOM) March 11, 2026
The official launch on the time had reported 12 U.S. and Canadian jets concerned within the intercept, together with two F-35As, two F-22 Raptors, two CF-18s, 4 KC-135 Stratotankers, one E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Management System (AWACS).
No want for F-35s in NORAD area
The dynamics of the safety scenario within the NORAD area round Canada, Alaska and Arctics has additionally generated a curious opinion of the Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and NORAD commander, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot. Showing earlier than the Senate Armed Companies Committee (SASC) on Mar. 19, Guillot mentioned this theater doesn’t want a higher-end jet just like the F-35, which might be diverted to different flashpoints with extra urgent wants.
Two nations. One command. One mission. 🇨🇦🇺🇸
Right this moment throughout Senate Armed Companies Committee Testimony, #NORAD Commander Normal Gregory Guillot highlighted the enduring binational mission throughout numerous climates, from the Arctic to the southern United States, in protection of North… pic.twitter.com/7tYDWHLTsH
— North American Aerospace Protection Command (@NORADCommand) March 19, 2026
Guillot was responding to a query by Senator Tom Cotton, who requested: “Right this moment’s fighter fleet is a number of the smallest and oldest it’s ever been. The Air Drive additionally struggles with low readiness charges for its fighters. Do you assume NORTHCOM and NORAD would profit from an expanded fighter drive?”
To this, Guillot responded:
“Sure. I wish to see continued modernization of 4th Gen fighters. Frankly, we don’t want fifth Gen to defend our borders. These capabilities are higher used abroad the place […] stealth and air-to-ground weapons, penetration capabilities are wanted. So revamped and modernized 4th Gen to incorporate F-15EX in choose areas would meet all of our necessities.”
