ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Air Force exercise involving the U.S., Canada and Russia has been canceled.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, says that’s due to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.
NORAD is comprised of U.S. and Canadian forces. It is charged with detecting and responding to airborne threats to those countries.
NORAD and the Russian Federation Air Force had cooperated on the “Vigilant Eagle” exercise since 2007. The exercises have typically been held in August or September.
Sgt. Charles Marsh is a NORAD spokesman.
He told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that this year’s exercise was suspended by U.S. Defense Department officials and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper “due to the situation in Ukraine.”
