NORAD has a maritime mission?

It most certainly does. Perched on the edge of a Colorado mountain though it is, NORAD will soon cover the maritime domain, doing more than just tracking Santa (oh, and acting as an early warning system for all air and space threats). NORAD and NORTHCOM (which was chartered post-9/11) now have a two-word mission statement, says U.S. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, commander of the whole shebang: maritime warning.

Renuart spoke with an audience at the Center for National Policy Oct. 30 in Washington, D.C. The succinct goal of NORAD/NORTHCOM in the maritime domain, however, doesn't address the nuts and bolts of how to accomplish the mission, Renuart said.

The “small world” of NORAD and NORTHCOM operates in a “clear and unique way,” Renuart explained. “We can warn Canada and the U.S. there’s a merchant vessel of real concern [approaching friendly shores], but NORAD has no enforcement role.” Instead, the warning message is passed up the chain and the nations themselves make the decision to take action. And the "tools for that can vary substantially," he added. The U.S. Navy can call on its fleet, with law enforcement officials embarked, to board and inspect ships, for example. In Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police might be called on instead.

In all cases, Renuart said, law enforcement is responsible in the end. Regular teleconferences, called Maritime Operational Threat Response calls, involving all participating agencies are regularly scheduled. “Coordination is done in near-real-time every day,” he said.

The maritime piece of NORAD’s mission is still developing since its genesis about four years ago, Renuart said. “We’re far from having it down right,” he noted. “We’re still developing tools to make that common operating picture.”