An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

KC-135 aircraft taxi on ramp

171st Photos

221027-Z-WF052-1164

Under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), U.S. Air Force Maj. Scott McGowen, a 104th Fighter Wing F-15 pilot, prepares to take-off from Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, during air-defense Operation NOBLE DEFENDER, Oct. 27, 2022. Operation NOBLE DEFENDER is a long-planned NORAD exercise that validates the command’s capability to defend Canada and the United States from every avenue of approach. The Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR) led this iteration of OND and coordinated and conducted combined operations, while concurrently launching aircraft from different locations across the northeast coast of the United States. F-15 and KC-135 aircraft from CONR and CF-18 aircraft from the Canadian NORAD Region participated in the operation. NORAD is a bi-national Canadian and U.S. command that 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 National Guard Photos by Randall Burlingame)

PHOTO BY: Randall Burlingame
VIRIN: 221027-Z-WF052-1164.JPG
FULL SIZE: 10.42 MB
Additional Details

CAMERA

NIKON D850

LENS

70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8

APERTURE

35/10

SHUTTERSPEED

1/800

ISO

80

IMAGE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN

Read More

This photograph is considered public domain and has been cleared for release. If you would like to republish please give the photographer appropriate credit. Further, any commercial or non-commercial use of this photograph or any other DoD image must be made in compliance with guidance found at https://www.dimoc.mil/resources/limitations, which pertains to intellectual property restrictions (e.g., copyright and trademark, including the use of official emblems, insignia, names and slogans), warnings regarding use of images of identifiable personnel, appearance of endorsement, and related matters.