North Eastern Air Defense Sector

The Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS), is a component of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and is located at the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York.

The Sector's western perimeter runs along the Mississippi River, cutting east above the state of Mississippi and south between Mississippi and Alabama. The eastern perimeter of the sector is the off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean, and the northern perimeter is the Canadian border.

The organization was formerly known as the Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS). As of November, 2006, the Southeast Air Defense Sector's (SEADS) airspace was consolidated with the northeast, giving the Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) the responsibility of providing detection and air defense for the entire eastern half of the United States. The SEADS area of responsibility west of the Mississippi river was transitioned to the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS). NEADS was officially renamed the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) on July 15, 2009.

EADS is operated by the New York Air National Guard (ANG) and reports to the Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR) headquarters, in Panama City, Florida, which in turn reports to NORAD headquarters, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Other NORAD air defense organizations include the Western Air Defense Sector, the Hawaii Region Air Operations Center (HIRAOC), the Alaska Region Air Operations Center (AKRAOC) and the Canada Air Defense Sector (CADS).

Mission
EADS "Provides air sovereignty and executes counter-air operations over the eastern United States. Directs the employment of 178 sensors, 8 fighter alert locations, AWACS aircraft, a Battle Control Center (BCC), and joint air defense artillery assets to defend one million square miles, 16 major cities, and adjacent seas. Supports NORAD's Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment, NORTHCOM Homeland Defense Mission. "