The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was established as a result of an agreement between Canada and the United States to defend against increasing Soviet military capabilities. In the early years of World War II, the leaders of the United States and Canada agreed to military cooperation, thus beginning strong defense relations still evident today. Military and civilian personnel from both countries work together for the defense of North America. Established as a formal military command in 1958, NORAD has been headquartered in Colorado Springs since its inception. In the late 1950s, a decision was made to move the Continental Air Defense Command combat operations center to an underground facility to provide a secure and hardened location for air defense operations. After several locations were evaluated, Cheyenne Mountain, south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was chosen for the new command center. In operation since 1966, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station continues to be America's fortress.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has undergone wide-ranging changes since 2006, when it was given a new maritime warning mission and the NORAD Agreement was signed in perpetuity. Andrea Charron and James Fergusson trace NORAD’s recent history, marked by innovations in technology and in command and control, but also by unprecedented threats. The shared defence of North America remains an important issue that should extend to other areas, such as the joint defence of the maritime and cyber domains. Fuelled by a deep curiosity about the command and its decisions made in the face of inevitable geopolitical and technological changes, this book uses a functional lens to evaluate NORAD’s options and the technological and organizational solutions needed to defend North America. The authors investigate the ways in which the NORAD command might adapt in the future as it struggles to modernize and keep ahead of new threats. This book comes at a critical time. The rise of new peer competitors requires a fundamental reconsideration of North American defence. As one of very few contemporary analyses of the command and its future, NORAD will be a vital tool for scholars and practitioners.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a binational United States and Canadian organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America. Aerospace warning includes the monitoring of man-made objects in space and the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, through mutual support arrangements with other commands. Aerospace control includes ensuring air sovereignty and air defense of the airspace of Canada and the United States. Included in this anniversary edition of NORAS, is a timeline from the 1950s to the 2000s representing milestones within these decades. This illustrated book includes past NORAD Commanders and deputy Commanders along with the crests and shields and showcases facts about each of the domains that comprise NORAD --- Air Domain, Missile Domain, Maritime Domain, and Space Domain Included in this commemorative edition is a brief history about the "NORAD TRACKS SANTA" Program that began on 24 December 1955.

Every Christmas millions of kids and adults track Santa on the NORAD Santa Tracker. Now, author Michael Keane brings to life this fun tradition with his new children’s book The Night Santa Got Lost: How NORAD Saved Christmas. Written in the iconic style of “The Night Before Christmas,” The Night Santa Got Lost begins on a blustery and treacherous Christmas Eve as Santa sets off to deliver toys to good little boys and girls everywhere. As always, NORAD is faithfully tracking him to make sure no harm comes his way. But when Santa disappears from their radar screen, NORAD’s skills and resources are put to the test as they scramble to find Santa and save Christmas. Entertaining and educational, The Night Santa Got Lost will delight parents and children alike while teaching kids about our military, team work, and the true spirit of Christmas.

From the book's Foreword: In the early 1970s, the U.S. Army Center of Military History contracted with BDM Corporation for a history of U.S. efforts to counter Soviet air and missile threats during the Cold War. The resulting two-volume History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense covers the years 1945-1972 when the strategic arms competition between the United States and the Soviet Union was at its height. The study was first published for limited distribution in 1975 and recently declassified with minimal redaction. These volumes address the passive and active defense strategies, technologies, and techniques adopted by both U.S. and Soviet defense planners. Much of their actions centered around three common questions: How might we be attacked? How shall we defend our country? What can technology do to solve the basic problems of defending against this new intercontinental threat?