NORAD and US Northern Command officials on Oct. 1 rechristened the two organizations’ headquarters building at Peterson AFB, Colo., in honor of two former commanders. Renamed the Eberhart-Findley Building, the facility bears the names of retired Gen. Ralph Eberhart, former NORAD-NORTHCOM commander, and retired Royal Canadian Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric Findley, former NORAD deputy commander. The joint headquarters building is the first US combatant command head office to bear the name of a Canadian officer, according to a NORAD-NORTHCOM release. Eberhart led NORAD from February 2000 and then commanded both NORAD and NORTHCOM after the latter’s standup a little more than one year after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He served as NORAD-NORTHCOM commander until Nov. 2004. Eberhart worked with Findley, who joined him in July 2003, to retool the Cold War air defenses to counter non-state terrorist threats. Findley served through 2007. The rechristening ceremony took place on NORTHCOM’s 10th anniversary.
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.