The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) will participate alongside the Mexican Air Force in a tactical exercise, AMALGAM EAGLE 15, to be conducted June 30 to July 2, 2015.
Mexico and the United States will participate in a strategic response to an illegal flight entering the airspace between the bordering countries.
"AMALGAM EAGLE 15 is designed to enhance air control procedures between both countries and lay the foundation to streamline a bi-national response," as outlined in a press release from the Directorate of Public Affairs of NORAD press release.
Along with major military participants from both countries, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) and the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) will play roles in the exercise alongside counterparts from Mexico’s federal government.
The exercise will focus on the following objectives:
- To facilitate active participation by NORAD and USNORTHCOM and Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense.
- Exercise and refine procedures for providing mutual warning and passing of information between the two countries regarding suspicious aircraft or illegal flight activity.
- Include information exchange systems such as All Partners Access Network (APAN) and Air and Marine Operations Surveillance System (AMOSS).
- Exercise and refine procedures to monitor, track and coordinate a response to an illegal flight transiting the U.S./Mexico border.
While cooperation and operational structure are the key elements of this exercise, NORAD stated that the various locations involved make efforts to observe government boundaries and rules of engagement.
"Planning for the exercise was conducted with the full respect towards the sovereignty of each country and never considered having military units or intercepting aircraft cross the border by either country," the press release said.